It's getting to be that time of year where teachers, parents, your peers, and, quite frankly, colleges, are expecting you to be picking where you would like to be furthering your education. Chances are, you have a few options, and, if you are anything like I was (both the first and second time), you’re struggling to decide. Having picked a not-so-great fit, and then a really great fit, I think I can do you a little service here, and pass some of this wisdom onto you. So, if you are in need of help picking out a school, look no further, because you have found what you are looking for.
Focus on where you can see yourself, not where you think you should go.
This may seem confusing, but think about it. Have you always dreamed of going to a large school with your favorite basketball team, but once you got there, you couldn’t really see yourself there? Maybe you have always dreamed of going to a small school in a rural environment, but upon visiting a large, urban school, you fell in love. Just because you've dreamed for years of attending somewhere, does not mean that that is where you belong. Focus on finding where you feel you can fit.
Don’t get caught up on the seemingly cool but actually nearly worthless amenities.
Free printing and a super cool game room seem like deal-breakers, because it’s what they sell in the tours and online, but don’t focus on those. You’re going to be able to print regardless of where you go, and honestly, you probably won’t spend any time in the game room if you are like 97% of college students. Focus on things like what you want for class sizes, and actually great amenities such as readily available public transportation and their study abroad options, if interested.
Don’t get caught up on the dorm rooms.
Yes, where you live is important, but here’s a secret: tours ALWAYS show the nicest dorm available to freshmen. Chances are, you’re not going to live there. You are going to live in the cinderblock-laden hell-hole that smells like ramen and stinky boy everyday. It’s a fact of life. Unless you are one of the very lucky few, like myself, that managed to sneak into the brand new dorm. It’s not that great, honestly. It’s the friends that make living in the dorms worth it freshman year, guys. It doesn’t matter what it looks like before you move in, because you will make it a home, and you’ll be sad to leave at the end of the year.
Find a place that fits your academic needs.
Some places don’t offer certain majors. The admissions counselors will try to sell you on the fact that there are similar things that could potentially work for you, but if you are dead-set on something that they do not have, it isn’t worth it. I really wanted to be a journalism major before my freshman year, and one of the schools that I looked at didn’t have it. There were alternatives to that, sort of, but there is really no guarantee that a future employer will see it the way your admissions counselor sold it to you. Also, if you love to be challenged, go somewhere that will challenge you.
Take your home into account.
Are you a homebody? Do you want to be able to go home frequently? My first school was six hours away from home, and when picking schools, I didn’t take into account how much of a homebody I was, so I was naturally very homesick. It’s normal to be homesick at school sometimes, but if you really love home and being with your family, it could be worth it to go with an option that is closer to home or closer to transportation.
Worry a little about money, but know that there are options.
The expense of a school shouldn’t come before your happiness, but it is worth it to pay attention to the high costs of some institutions. Sometimes, the price tag just is not doable, and that’s totally fine. Look into scholarships and grants, but if you just can’t do it, you can’t do it. Whatever is meant to be will happen.
Put yourself first.
