9. The name sounds really good. When I got into a prestigious women’s college, one
of my sisters joked, “How come the stupidest one of us wound up at the best school?”
I felt a rush of anger and triumphant pride. I then proceeded to suffer and struggle my
way through millions of ulcer producing study sessions. The point is what and how
much you learn are a lot more important than the name on your résumé. That’s not to
say it’s not worth challenging yourself and applying to some reach schools, but a
school doesn’t have to be one of the best to be the best one for you. So if you know
that a highly competitive environment will give you a nervous twitch and/or chronic
mono, forget about the name and find a place where you can flourish. It is your
education, and it won’t do you much good if you can’t remember anything about it
after you graduate except the panic attacks.
10. Party potential. What would the higher education system be like without party
schools? Quieter, for sure. But before you pack bags and head off to Party U.,
consider this: At almost every college on almost any night (especially Thursday
through Saturday), there is a party just waiting for you to find it (or start it). In other
words, most colleges will be able to satisfy your taste for fun, but not every school
will be able to fulfill your educational wants and needs. In fact, tons of partying not
only gets boring after a while, but it also can be an indication that the school doesn’t
have that much else going on.
The bottom line is that college is about being on your own—expanding your
horizons, planning for your future, and learning. Which is why it’s important to find
a school that’s going to offer you as many ways as possible to do and get all that:
great professors; an inspiring art, English or business program; an interesting, friendly
student body; a study-abroad program—the list goes on. And if the college that’s
right for you also happens to offer a zillion-dollar athletic complex or luxury dorm
accommodations with weekly maid service automatically included in the tuition,
consider it an awesome perk—and don’t tell your parents.
Source: Adapted from Seventeen, March 1996
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