Xatal » Going into College

Should I take a “gap year” after high school?

Paul — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:00:20 +0000

More and more, the idea of a “gap year” is becoming more common. Instead of going straight into college after graduating high school, some seniors are taking a year off from schooling to participate in other activities.

What are some ways to spend a gap year?

Many students use a gap year to take a break from schooling and experience the real world. For many, this means finding a job and working a standard week. The idea here is that it gives you a taste of what your life could be like if you don’t attend college. If you dislike what you’re doing, you’ll probably be more motivated in college (and you’ll have saved up some good money to help cover the cost). If you’re happy with your job, perhaps college isn’t for you.

Other students spend gap years participating in unique activities. Some travel abroad, volunteering their time to various causes. Others will try to take their lives down a few different paths to see what feels best, such as starting a small business or participating in an internship.

What do colleges think about gap years?

The way colleges look at a gap year during your application probably depends very heavily on how you spent that time.

If you didn’t really do anything during that year besides sitting around at home, it’s almost definitely going to reflect badly on you. It shows laziness and that you waste good opportunities.

However, if you spent the time well, such as participating in something you couldn’t have done during high school, I believe colleges will look on it very favorably. Whereas most high school seniors will only have grades and some extra-curricular activities to show, you’ll have a very unique experience that could bring a lot to that school.

Is a gap year for me?

I believe that if you don’t have specific activities in mind for your year, a gap year probably isn’t your best choice when it comes to strengthening your application. While volunteering and traveling abroad will look great, hanging around your hometown probably won’t bring anything to the table.

However, if you truly feel burnt out after high school and need a break for yourself, a gap year can help you find yourself. You’ll possibly be more motivated in college and do better.

I think I’d like to take one!

Looking around online, I found these guides interesting:

Does anybody have any experience with taking a gap year?

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How to pick a “safety school” when applying for college

Paul — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:00:35 +0000

Last week, I talked about deciding how many colleges to apply to and mentioned that you should have one or two “safety schools” on your list.

A safety school is a college where you’re convinced you’ll be accepted to. If for some horrible reason all of your other schools turn you down, you can count on your safety school to accept you, so at least you’ll have some place to go. Depending on how good your high school resume is, how selective the schools you picked are, and how many colleges you’ve applied to, you’ll almost definitely get into a school that’s better than your safety school. But it’s good to have a fallback option.

Unfortunately, a lot of students don’t put much thought into choosing a safety school and just pick the nearest college that they are all but guaranteed in to. This is actually a bad idea, because if you do end up going there, there’s a good chance you won’t like it.

#1: Does it have my current major?

Just because your safety school is your fallback option doesn’t mean you should forget about this. In the unlikely event that you do end up at your safety school, you won’t necessarily want to change majors, so you should check to make sure the school offers majors for your interest(s) before applying.

In fact, when looking for safety schools, you can afford to be a bit more choosy. Check around online to see if the school offers what you currently plan on majoring in. If it doesn’t, move on.

#2: How likely am I to get in?

It’s not too tough to get an idea of whether or not you’re likely to be accepted, but if you’re not sure how you stack up, you might try MyChances.net and CollegeBoard.com to see how you compare to current students. If you’re above the average, then you probably have nothing to worry about.

#3: Is it a school I’d actually like to go to?

Research the college online to find out what you can. Is the social life bad? Are the professors awful? Is the nearby town boring? Again, you can afford to be more choosy, so take advantage of this to find a school that still feels right to you.

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How many colleges should I apply to?

Paul — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:00:34 +0000

As it comes closer to that wonderful time of college applications, you’ll have to start deciding where you’ll be applying to. Even if you already have some ideas where to apply to, it’s usually good to decide in concrete first where you’ll be applying.

The average student will apply to somewhere between five and ten schools. This gives you a good selection once you know where you’re admitted, and you can pick your best fit of those. You should never put all of your eggs in one basket when it comes to college applications. The best way to decide where to apply is to divide your colleges into three main categories: Top choices, safety schools, and reach schools.

#1: Your top choices

You should apply first and foremost to your top choices — the schools you can realistically see yourself attending. These are schools that you have a reasonable chance of getting into, and it’s reasonably likely that you would also attend them if you were accepted.

These are the meat and potatoes of your applications, and you should make sure that these applications are bulletproof. Even if some of the schools are a bit of a stretch, chances are you’ll be admitted into at least one.

I recommend applying to at least three of these schools, if not more.

#2: Your safety school(s)

Safety schools are schools that you are extremely confident will admit you. These schools are your Plan B — if none of your top choices accept you for some horrible reason, at least your safety school will still take you. Chances are you won’t need your safety, but it’s good to know that you’re admitted at least somewhere.

Depending on how strong your high school resume is, what might be a “safety school” for you could be someone else’s top choice. Apply to the best safety school you can, but make sure that you’re extremely confident that you’ll be accepted. You can even apply to different ‘levels’ of safety schools, where some are more sure bets than others.

You probably won’t need more than two safety schools, if even that many.

#3: Your reach school(s)

A “reach” school is a school that you don’t think you’ll get into, but you think you might have a chance. Depending on how good your grades are, this could range from Harvard to a good state university.

Applying to one or two reach schools is fine, but they should only be added as an afterthought — not the main focus of your applications.

Bear in mind that it costs money to apply to most schools. Unless you can get the fee waived or you can afford to apply to a lot of schools, you shouldn’t be applying to a bunch of different schools on a whim. Decide how much you’re willing to spend on applications, and keep track so that you don’t cross that amount. Don’t apply to more schools just for the sake of applying, though. Make sure it’s a place that you would actually consider attending if you’re admitted.

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50 college tips for freshmen

Paul — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:00:39 +0000

A few of my friends are nervous about starting school this upcoming year, and they asked me if I had any tips. After taking some time to think through my freshman year carefully, I came up with these 50 suggestions to help you make the most of college, both socially and academically:

Keep an open mind to different lifestyles and viewpoints. People in college come from all different walks of life, don’t rule them out just because their hobbies and views are different than yours. Make friends of all different types.
Live the way you want to. If you want to have Nerf gun fights in your dorm hallway, then do it! You live away from home now, and it’s up to you to dictate how you want to live. Go to bed when you want to. Get up at a time that works best. This extends to everything — including your academics.
Take a few chances. College is the time to branch out and discover yourself. Take a few risks, do things that you normally wouldn’t, and watch as you have the time of your life.
Adopt a ‘Yes Man‘ attitude. Start accepting opportunities as they come to you instead of making excuses not to do something. You’ll be amazed at how much more interesting your life will become.
Don’t spend all of your free time alone in your room. Solitude is nice, but you’ll love college a lot more if you don’t spend all day watching TV or surfing the Internet. Keep yourself busy.
Explore your hobbies and try new ones. Find clubs and teams for hobbies and sports you enjoy and get involved.
Take care of any problems head-on. Don’t be passive-aggressive — it’s time to grow up. If somebody’s bugging you, talk to them about it directly. College is the time to grow a spine.
Keep in touch with your old friends. But only the friends you want to keep in touch with! Give your old friends an occasional call to see how everything is going.
Don’t be afraid to switch friends. College is the time to make all kinds of different friends. Spend the most time with the ones you want to spend the most time with.
College will still have drama. You didn’t escape it when you left high school, unfortunately. Don’t be any more involved with drama than you want to.
Learn all about your school. Find out its history and the origin of traditions. Learn about the area around the school and its history. Discover what programs your school has to offer and what it excels in. Find out what cool achievements and influential people have come from your university.
Make friends early on. The first couple of weeks of school are the easiest time to make friends. Take advantage of this to meet people and put yourself out there.
Don’t go home for the first couple of weekends. Don’t go home just because it’s comfortable and familiar — establishing yourself at college first is definitely worth it and will help you adapt much faster.
Leave your dorm room door open when you’re there. This is a great way to encourage people on your floor to stop in and chat for a bit. When everyone on a floor does this, a sense of community develops pretty quickly.
You don’t have to join a fraternity or a sorority. If that’s what you want, go for it, but you can still have plenty of friends if you’re not a part of Greek life.
Remember people’s names. Pay attention to somebody’s name and what they tell you. Friendships can form with anybody, and if you remember little tidbits about each person, you’ll find it’s a lot easier to make friends.
“Cs get Degrees” is a bad philosophy. C’s are not an ‘average’ grade in college. Aim for A’s and B’s if you want to look good.
Don’t miss more class than you can help. You’re paying to go to college, and every time you miss class is like taking a lighter to a $20 bill. The amount of information you can miss in just one absence is amazing.
Do not procrastinate. College work takes a lot more time than high school work, and you will end up struggling all night to finish a paper because you put it off too long.
Do all of the readings and homework. Homework and readings are to help you. Even if they don’t make up a large part of your grade, you’ll understand the material far better.
Pay attention in class. Professors will go into a lot of detail, and all of it is fair game for tests. Many times they’ll even give strong hints as to what to expect, and if you’re zoning out, you’ll miss all of it.
Taking notes keeps you focused. Even if you never look at them again, the act of note-taking will keep you awake, focused, and help you learn.
Sit up front to pay attention. Sitting in the back will make it a lot easier to zone out. Sit up front and you’ll absorb far more information.
Read the syllabus for every class. Some professors will put assignments on the syllabus and never talk about them in class — the last thing you want to find out is that you just lost 30% of your grade because you didn’t read the syllabus. Plus, the syllabus will usually say when the midterm(s) and final are.
Take advantage of office hours and discussion sections. Especially before big tests. Anytime you have questions or are even a little bit shaky, go in and have somebody explain it to you.
Make friends with your professors. When it comes time to ask for letters of recommendation, a professor that you’re on great terms with will write a much better letter than one who barely knows you. Plus, some professors might give a slight boost to your grade just because they like you.
Only copy notes. Colleges punish cheating very severely. Never copy tests, homework, essays, etc.
Don’t buy books from the school bookstore. Hunt around online to find the book for cheaper prices. Textbooks are expensive, and you can literally save hundreds of dollars each semester if you take the time to look around.
Find your classes before the first day. Even if you think you know where the class is, you can still get lost. Showing up late is never good.
RateMyProfessor.com is generally accurate. Professors with lots of good scores are always good, professors with a ton of bad scores are usually bad, and professors in between are usually still pretty decent.
Don’t be afraid to change majors. There’s nothing worse than being stuck in a field you hate. Change majors if your interests are no longer what they were.
Take some classes that interest you. College is for earning a degree, but you can also learn a bit more about other interests you have, no matter how unrelated to your major they are.
Call your mom now and then. Thank her for paying your bills and keep her up to date on what you’ve been up to. It will mean a lot to her.
Take plenty of pictures. Pictures will give you something to look back on to reminisce about college.
Keep your dorm clean. Guys, this is for us. Women will like hanging around your place a lot more if you keep it clean.
Wash your sheets and towels now and then. If it smells, wash it.
Don’t let a long distance relationship dictate your life. There’s nothing wrong with being in a long distance relationship, but don’t plan your college life around it. Most distance relationships do end, and if you wasted your year revolving your life around it, you’ll regret it. Learn to balance your relationship and your college life, and expect your partner to be understanding.
Date around, but don’t get involved in a serious relationship too early. It’s tempting to rush into a new relationship, but these can backfire and cause a bunch of drama. Definitely get to know a lot of people, but don’t jump right into a relationship in the first couple of weeks.
Be tolerant of smoke. It’s fine if you don’t like smoking, but many people in college do smoke cigarettes. Some of the best conversations you’ll ever have will be during a cigarette break, and being judgmental will make sure that you miss them.
Learn how to keep track of how much you drink. Develop a good sense for how much you need to get drunk, but not enough to throw up or to black out. Getting tipsy is always fun, but you’ll cause a lot of trouble if you can’t drink responsibly.
Chip in or supply alcohol. Don’t be a mooch, chip in your share or offer to provide now and then.
If you don’t want to get caught, keep quiet. If you’re drinking in your dorm, keep it down. The only reason people get caught is because they’re loud.
Try to eat well. The freshman 15 can happen to anybody who eats bad. Try your best to eat a bit healthy — junk food from the dining hall isn’t that good anyway.
Go to the gym now and then. It’s not often in life you’ll have such cheap and convenient access to a gym. Make the most of it — an active lifestyle will help you look and feel great.
Orange juice is better than coffee in the morning. Orange juice will wake you up just as well, and it’s more healthy!
Do laundry at off-hours. Everyone does laundry midday on the weekends. Do laundry in the early morning or really late at night if you definitely want a machine.
Bring postage stamps. NO ONE ever has postage stamps, and when you want to send a letter/postcard, you’re going to be screwed if you didn’t bring any.
Wear sandals in the shower. You do NOT want any weird foot fungus, do you?
Coed bathrooms aren’t a big deal. They definitely sound awkward and intimidating, but after a day or two, you get used to it.
Be grateful and proud for where you are. Be proud of your school, and be grateful that you’re fortunate enough to attend college. Make the most out of your years.

What tips would you suggest for incoming freshmen?

Technorati Tags: college, education, freshman

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What does a typical school week in college look like?

Paul — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:00:50 +0000

If you’ve never been to college, it’s tough to imagine what a typical week’s schedule will be like. Even if you plan out your classes, it’s hard to say how you will actually spend your time, such as when you’ll be getting up, eating, and so forth.

Although everyone chooses a different schedule based on what works for them and yours will inevitably be unique too, a sample one is always good to have.

Below is my schedule from the first quarter of my freshman year, where I took three classes: Astronomy, Bioethics, and a writing class (“Core”). Here’s what a typical week looked like for me:

Monday

8:40 AM: Wake up to loud alarm clock. Cuss loudly, then quickly shower, get dressed, and grab some food quickly in the dining hall.
9:30 AM – 10:40: Attend Astronomy lecture.
11 AM: Eat lunch with my roommate and our friends. Hang around for a while.
5 PM: Eat an early dinner with roommate/friends.
7:30 PM – 8:40 PM: Attend Astronomy discussion class, even though it’s optional.
11 PM: Grab some late night food before the dining hall closes.
1 AM: Go to sleep

My Monday’s were pretty easy, since I only had one mandatory class. The lecture was later enough in the day that it didn’t feel like a long day at all, and I had a lot of down time.

Tuesday

9:30 AM: Wake up and get ready.
10:00 AM – 11:45 AM: Required writing class (“Core”).
12 PM: Grab some lunch and go back to my room for an hour or so.
2 PM – 3:45 PM: Bioethics lecture.
5 PM: Early dinner
11 PM: More late night!

Tuesday was the latest I could sleep in, so I didn’t mind it. The two classes stretched on a little bit, but the nice break between them was really beneficial.

Wednesday

8:40 AM: Wake up, get ready.
9:30 AM – 10:40 AM: Astronomy lecture
11 AM: Lunch
5 PM: Early dinner
8 PM – 9:45 PM: Weekly lecture for “Core” class. Struggle to pay attention.
10 PM: Late dinner

Pretty similar to Monday, except the night class was a lot more grueling.

Thursday

8 AM: Wake up and get ready
8:30 AM – 9:40 AM: Attend section for Bioethics class, struggle to stay awake
10 AM – 11:45 AM: Attend “Core” class
12 PM: Get some lunch and frantically write the weekly essay that’s due in a couple of hours
2 PM – 3:45 PM: Attend Bioethics lecture
5 PM: Early dinner
11 PM: Late night!

Hump Day. Getting up early and having class for most of the day took its wear, and once Thursday was past I could really start to relax.

Friday!

8:40 AM: Get up
9:30 AM – 10:40 AM: Astronomy lecture
11 AM: Get lunch
5 PM: Get dinner (dining hall closed early)
Freedom!

My Friday’s were definitely the easy day of the week. With one class that was over with before noon, my weekend started early and I could really unwind.

Why so much downtime?

As you may have noticed, I had a lot of downtime (and this was my busiest quarter, haha!). This is because UC Santa Cruz is on the quarter system, which means I only took three classes instead of four or five. The trade off for taking only three classes is, of course, that it’s much faster-paced, so that made up for it.

I did most of my homework on the weekends when I could since I like to procrastinate, but I would do a little bit here and there throughout the week.

Most of my downtime was spent either in my room, hanging with my roommate and/or friends, or in a friend’s room hanging out there. Although I do like my solitude and spent some time alone, college is very social and you enjoy your friends’ company a lot.

I didn’t have a job or any other real obligations — simply going to class — so I ended up with quite a bit of downtime that I made the most of.

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Dorm beds use Twin-XL sheets! Don’t forget!

Paul — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:19:45 +0000

A common mistake when dorm shopping that people make is buying the wrong type of sheets. Many will go out buying new bedsheets, and mistakenly buy Twin sizes.

While I’m sure there are some exceptions, the vast majorities of college dorm mattresses use Twin XL sized sheets. A lot of people never even hear about this size of sheet until it comes time to for dorm shopping.

Twin XL beds are as wide as normal twin beds, but they’re an extra five inches longer, presumably to accommodate taller students.

Where can I find Twin-XL sheets?

For most of the year, twin XL sheets aren’t sold in stores, but as college move in approaches, many stores will begin their yearly college sales. This is the best time to buy this specific type of sheet, and your local Wal-Mart, Target, or Bed Bath and Beyond should carry them.

Just make sure you check the package before buying to make sure you have the right kind of sheets! Finding out on move in day is never fun.

What about blankets and other sheets?

The only two things that actually need to be Twin XL are your fitted sheet and, if you have one, a mattress pad. The rest of your sheets and blankets can be whatever size you want. If you frequently make your bed properly, then don’t be surprised when a couple of your blankets seem a bit short.

Of course, you’ll almost never buy a fitted sheet on its own, so you’ll likely end up with a pack of sheets sized Twin XL. But you definitely don’t need to worry about your blankets being the right length.

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Dorm shopping tip: Keep a list!

Paul — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:00:11 +0000

When you start preparing to do your dorm shopping, a bunch of ideas will spring to your mind at different times. Even if you already have a checklist of dorm supplies, it’s still very easy to forget to buy one or two things.

When I was beginning to do my dorm shopping, I found the most useful way to keep track of things I needed was by keeping a list. Whenever something would occur to me that I needed, I would immediately write it down.

Over time, more and more items were added to this list, things that I knew I would otherwise forget, things that aren’t immediately apparent to buy (such as a cable to connect a TV to a cable hook-up, or extra hangers).

Even if you think you’ll remember to buy something later on, chances are you won’t. Write it down, and keep everything you write down together. This will save you untold amounts of stress when it comes time to move in.

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Where and when should I shop for dorm supplies?

Paul — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:00:45 +0000

Once you’ve completed your dorm checklist, the next thing to do is to actually go out and buy what you’ll need. Dorm shopping can be pretty hectic, especially when move-in day is approaching. It’s best to do your dorm shopping early on.

Many retail stores will have sales around mid-July and August, and they’ll also stock up more on dorm-related items (such as those pesky extra-long twin sheets) around that time. Keep a close eye on catalogs to know when the best time to shop is. You don’t necessarily have to do it all in one day (though that may be more convenient). If you’re school is on the quarter system, you’ll be tempted to put off your shopping until late August or early September, but many sales will already be over by then. Do your shopping early on.

Where should I do my dorm shopping?

Large retail stores usually work best. Target, Wal-Mart, and K-Mart are normal choices, though Bed, Bath, and Beyond also is a great choice if you’re willing to spend a little bit extra.

Chances are you won’t be able to buy everything in one store — that’s okay. Take your time and hunt around to make sure you find exactly what you want.

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Do I need to go to freshman orientation?

Paul — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:42:43 +0000

Before you begin your exciting first year at college, you’ll be invited to attend a freshman orientation during the summer, where you can become more familiar with what it means to live at and attend your new college.

But for many, attending freshman orientation is a huge inconvenience. For starters, it can be pretty expensive — I know my freshman orientation cost around $300 for myself and my parents to attend, and that’s not including traveling costs, such as food and hotels. For others, the distance might be a big factor — if your college is a ten hour drive, then attending freshman orientation will take a lot of effort. Maybe you’re busy the day of orientation. And, perhaps, you’re just not interested. There are lots of reasons why you would consider missing orientation.

First and foremost, find out what’s going on at orientation. Many colleges do the same thing at freshman orientation, but you never know for sure. Make sure that nothing’s going on that you can’t afford to miss. If you’re at all unsure, send an e-mail to your college to become certain.

Talk to your parents as well. Just because you’re not too interested in going doesn’t mean they aren’t. Here’s a little secret: freshman orientation is mostly for the parents, but you get dragged along too. While you may not care about what’s going on, your parents might. Orientation answers a lot of questions parents will have.

Going to orientation may offer perks to students who attend. For example, I was able to sign up for classes sooner than students who didn’t attend, and I got out of a few of the mandatory meetings at the beginning of the year. Attending freshman orientation also gives a preview of what it’s like to meet people in college. Again, sending an e-mail to your college or talking to a student who attends the school already will provide you with more information.

Chances are you don’t need to go to orientation. To be honest, I didn’t need to attend mine, beyond signing up for classes, though I still really enjoyed the experience.

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The 10 biggest differences between high school and college

Paul — Thu, 14 May 2009 07:00:46 +0000

When my freshman year began, I was taken aback at how different college life was from high school life. Although I definitely expected a drastic change, I wasn’t expecting it to be quite as it is. Here are the ten largest differences between the two that I’ve noticed:

The rules are typically more lax. If you’re living on campus, you don’t really have a curfew and can do just about whatever you want, provided you don’t break any school policies. You don’t need your parents to sign forms, you can do it yourself. You can live as you want — if you want to put up a Pokemon poster in your room, then you can. If you want to stay up until 3 AM, you can.
However, you’re responsible in college. If you do break a rule, it’s mostly up to you to handle the consequences — your parents won’t be as useful in getting you out of trouble.
College classes move much faster, especially if you’re on the quarter system. If you have a 15 week semester and meet for class three times a week, you meet 45 times and that’s it. Compare that to high school, where you might have class 180 times in a year. There’s a big difference.
Way more work is done outside of class. Not only do the classes move faster, but you’re typically expected to be study the material outside of class. In fact, if you don’t, you will have a much harder time grasping it.
Attendance isn’t really mandatory. If you don’t feel like going to class, you can usually miss it and not get in “trouble”, though you will miss out on that day’s material and you risk falling behind.
Your parents aren’t there to hold your hand. If you only passed in high school because your parents were there to push you, you’re going to need to take charge in college if you want to avoid failing out.
Professors aren’t necessarily the best teachers. Professors have a lot on their plate at once, and only one of those things is teaching. Research is a big part of a professor’s life, and many professors just aren’t meant to teach. You’ll need to be ready to compensate.
There are a lot of different types of people. If your hometown is pretty dull and everybody is the same, you’ll be surprised at the huge variety of people in college. For many, you can more easily find cliques that match you.
People are less judgmental. Although there is still a surprising amount of drama in college, most students are more mature than their high school counterparts. So if you approach a random person to start a conversation, they’re much more likely to be open to it and to talk to you.
Everyone has worked to go here. Although there are the students who just come to college to party, every student had to put in at least some effort in order to be accepted into the school. Every student varies on how serious they are about their studies, yet you know that all of them care at least somewhat. In high school, there were many students who didn’t seem to care at all.

What have been the biggest differences you’ve noticed between high school and college?

Technorati Tags: high school, college