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.