You May Fire When Ready, Gridley
I've been thinking about college lately, which is probably a good thing, considering I now have only six days until my self-imposed deadline of April 26th. In case you haven't heard, I've successfully whittled my options down to two, Northwestern and the U of M.
Here's my problem right now: every time I start weighing my options, I think that really, I should be going to Northwestern. It has everything I've always said (and thought) I wanted in a college: It's got prestige, it's got great academics (read: fuckin difficult academics), and it's far from home (relatively speaking, of course). It's gonna be scary, and it's gonna be a lot of work, and it's gonna be tough, but that's just the way it's gotta be; it will suck for a while, but I'll make it and it'll be worth it.
But, rather than being able to embrace this "Fuck it, I'm goin to NW, damn the torpedos and full speed ahead" idea, bite the bullet and mail the letter, I think "Hey, maybe college doesn't have to be so hard" and I fall back into thinking about the U of M.
Now I don't wanna disparage the U of M: I've got a lot of great friends there (and a few smart ones, too) who say it meets their academic needs, and my cousins love it. But you've gotta admit, the U really is just an easier option all around. I already know the campus, and the town to a certain extent; I've got lots of connections but I'd be confident in my ability to make new ones; the academic work would be quality, yet managable; and finally, rather than graduating with $10,000-$15,000 in debt, I'd basically be paid to go to college.
So what will my final decision be? Nobody knows. Rest assured, however, that now matter what I decide, I will constantly regret and bitch about it, always wistfully pondering how much better life would be if I'd only gone to Northwestern/the U instead....
P.S.:I just watched most of the excellent Sci-Fi Channel Dune miniseries, so I'm in a Dune sort of mood. Don't be suprised if I start saying things like "Ready the Atomics" or "Man, I'm about ready to sharpen my chrysknife, set a thumper, and ride a maker out of here" or "May your blade chip and shatter." I've gotta get it out of my system. Your support in this matter is appreciated.
posted by constant_k @ 11:59 PM
13 comments
13 Comments:
I don't want to sway you too definitely one way or the other because I am a biased source, but I'd like to point out that the U will be just as hard as you make it. Extracurriculars and even just classwork (if I get into Honors OChem lab) will keep me as busy as any private school attendee.
Instead of thinking, "Where would I like to go to college," try thinking, "Where would I like to graduate from college?"
I don't know if that will actually help of not... just throwin it out there.
sorry "of" should be "or"
it's late
I have to post again because the wv was: SAMXX
heh. dune's so awesome. none of the adaptations have really done it justice.
um, and if you think the u can't be hard, then you kind of have the wrong picture of it. like houle said, it's all the classes you take and the effort you put in. some people here are barely scraping by and not learning anything, and some (like pammy) work their ass of all of the time but are getting a really good education and getting equipped for what they wanna do in life. at any college, it's all about what you put in. personally, i prefer the u's system: there's plenty of work if you want it, but if you wanna take it easy for a while, you can without too much penalty. shit, i have only 2/5 of an art history courseload at mcad, and i get behind that sometimes. it doesn't matter the school.
prestige is really bullshit. i mean, maybe if you were going to dartmouth.
really, i'm not going to tell you that you are going to do great wherever you go. how the hell would i know? but, you'd have a lot more fun if you went to the u. someone's gotta help me put the screws to sam
hey, baby, it's cool. your first decision doesn't have to be for forever. whichever way you initially go, you can always transfer.
"prestige is really bullshit"
That comment depends entirely on what you want to do with your degree. If you plan to go to grad school, then prestige carries a great deal of weight. I'm not saying that going to the U will preclude one from going to a great grad school--of course that is not true. The U is a great school. But to say that "prestige is bullshit" is simply not true. It may be bullshit that prestige matters, but it does matter in many ways.
the point of doing really well in high school, it seems to me, is to get accepted to a really good college. to not go to the school which society deems more esteemed would be to squander all of your hard work. you could have done less in HS and still have gone to the U (presumably). Ask yourself why you worked hard in highschool. Prestige is everything. on the other hand, do what you want, no regrets... wang chung.
letter a, maybe it's time to read dune again.
letter b, the U will be easier and more fun, but NU would provide you w/ superior grad school connections. the degree looks better, plain and simple. and NU doesn't suck all the time, by the way - you DO find cool people and have a great time. it won't be torture. plus, colbert went here. and charlton heston. and warren beatty. beat THAT.
either way, the time will fly by, and you'll be studying for the GREs before you know it.
Don't forget the handful of SNL alum too
bob dylan.
i know colbert takes a lot to beat, but i think that the single most influential American singer/songwriter of our age does it.
Man he went to the U for like a semester before he dropped out to be a drug smokin' hippie songsinger.
For as much as minnesota seems to loooove bob dylan, Bob Dylan hated minnesota.
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