Choosing a College is an Investment – Take it Seriously
If you look at your college education casually, it may make you a sizable harm in the future. A casual approach towards further studies is, choosing a college just for the sake of it and not giving it proper planning and thought. Instead, while choosing a college, you should have a perfect idea of what you are going to do with the education you will have in that college. Choosing the right college is a life-changing decision. Receiving a degree can translate into improved standard of living and earning potential, if you choose a right college. In this regard, your college is the biggest investment of your life, because you are going to build your future with it.
Choosing a right college is daunting not only for a student in a small or undeveloped country, but also in a most progressed country. For example, in the United States, there are more than 5,700 colleges and universities. Obviously, this means that a college cannot be same for all and choosing one isn’t a science. College is a place where you learn, grow and change, to find things about yourself and the college. At the time of taking admission, you may not know many things about the college and also about how your association with it will be in the long run. So, whatever anyone may say, you have to just do guesswork. Following factors may help you make your guess perfect.
Though You have a Little Chance to Get In, Apply to Your Dream College
Maybe there is only a slight chance to get in your dream college because you have no adequate extracurriculars or have the GPA, but deep in your heart, you know that there is a hope. And if you know that there is a chance, though a very little, to get into the college you dreamed about, apply there.
It’s agreed that it will cost money to submit an application and also some time will be needed to collect the required material. But if you don’t go through that, you will go through the pestering experience of “if at all, I would have” which contains things like time wastage and extreme depression. So, keep away from this experience; who knows, you may get in!
Take Help of MyAcademicProgram.com
Myacademicprogram is an excellent place to start your search. They present the most current and relevant information on US colleges to assist you in making more educated decision in choosing your college as an investment and for your future. Their website has lists of colleges and universities in the most popular states, like Texas, New York and California, to facilitate your search and you can also refine the search by exploring their app.
If You Want to Take the Expensive Route, Do it Only for a Reason
If you happen to get admitted to your dream college or just a good college, you may still want to reconsider it because you find it being expensive and you have no grants or scholarships. As per FICO Banking Analytics, an average student amasses student loan debt of $26,549; so it’s obvious that you will find your tuition bills adding up quickly.
If you have decided that you are going to teach other students after graduation, there is no point in getting in an expensive college, as it’s quite sure that you are not going to make a lot after investing a lot on your studies. Thus, only if you know that you are going to get an elite job after your education, take the expensive route.
Consider Not Only the College But Also the Area where It is Located
The location of your college matters a lot. It affects how we feel, what we do, who we meet and our overall happiness. It may not be considered as a very basic criterion, but it has a major role in the decision. It’s advisable to avoid choosing a college in an area which you hate the most.
Consider Rankings of the College
It’s tough to decide the importance of rankings of a college you want to choose. One fact has come out in a survey done by Bloomberg Businessweek, that highly ranked private colleges topped the lists of 30-year student earnings. But the other finding is highlighted by Atlantic which revealed that two student groups earned more or less the same salaries, one of them had studied in highly selective colleges while the other group members had got admissions in such highly selective colleges, but chosen less selective ones.
It’s up to you which of these studies you consider weightier. But advisable is to look at both rankings since they can help you determine how worthy your education will be.
Think About Your Talents and Interests and Define Your Goal
Throughout your school education you must have excelled in one or more subjects, which may be an academic subject, like math, science or language, or an art like drawing or singing, or even a sport. You can easily remember which class you look forward to most eagerly. It is because you love that subject the most. Note down why that subject or subjects interest you. Think upon how they can become your strengths and how you can take them forward in the corresponding disciplines. This will help you define your goal. Defining your goal about which career path you want to pursue after graduation makes the college selection process a lot easier.
Don’t Implement Plan B Before Plan A Totally Fails
Don’t make haste to implement plan B even before plan A fails. There is a reason why plan A is plan A. It may be tough to achieve, but if you get depressed even before trying it, you never know what you will miss out and may have to repent for the rest of your life.
Keep trying for your dream college unless it’s all over. Apply to the college and if approved, do everything you can to get in there. This may mean devoting many hours of your days finding grants or scholarships or planning for relocation. Whatever it may consist, keep it plan A and go with it.
Choosing a college is one of the most important investments of your life. It will decide what you will do in the future and how much return you will get on the investment. So, give it serious consideration rather than taking it casually, just to enjoy college life.
