Where do I move for college?

sillyseal · April 04, 2011, 05:41:00 AM

I'm going off to college this Fall and I'm torn between two places. I moved from Los Angeles when I was eleven to a small town in Oregon. I loved it because it seemed so peaceful but now it just seems like a boring dead end. For college, I was planning on moving to Portland because it's the exact opposite of here and it fits me so much more. Since I've told my family, they've met me with utter doubt and skepticism that I can do it and be successful. So the next option would be to go to a university that is about two hours from home (Portland is five hours away) and live in a dorm for a year and then move away. If I would go to Portland, I would first go to a community college for a year because it's more practical for many reasons and I would get a roommate. I know this is a very teenager-y risk and I'm not thinking super rationally but I like to take chances in life and I want it so bad and I'm just so young so it seems like the best time. I'm also completely undecided as to what to do with the rest of my life. So do I follow my dreams and go to a community college or do I postpone my dreams for a year and go to a university? :sigh:

februarystars · April 04, 2011, 06:07:35 AM

I'm about to graduate college this semester, so I know how you feel. I went to a community college first, which I thought was the most practical thing to do at the time. I was able to get all my core classes out of the way and they were much easier than they would have been at the university. Still, in hindsight, I think I would have gotten a much better education in my major-specific classes had I gone straight to the university after high school.

Also, it may work differently at the university you plan on going to, but my community college GPA didn't transfer. All the credits transferred, but what should have been easy 100-level classes that would have given my GPA at the university a nice little boost, my GPA is comprised of only the junior/senior classes I have taken since I transferred, so it's not as good as it would be if all my classes were factored in. This is something that I wish someone had told me before I started college, because I didn't even know that would be a concern.

All that being said, some of the best times of my life were my experiences at the community college. I think, academically, it would have been better to go straight to a university, but the community college was a great transition period for understanding the college system and learning how to live on my own without being thrown into the deep end.

Tank · April 04, 2011, 09:58:18 AM

I never went to university when I was younger. But 2 of my 3 kid did. One went locally (45 minutes away) the other went to London (2 hours away). The key thing was they both went where THEY wanted. They both did well. My other child took herself off to France and learned to ski and then became a travel rep at a summer resort. She did the skiing and travel rep stuff for two years and ended up settling down with a lad she met while a travel rep. My kids did what they wanted and they all did all right. If you don't do what you want then you could well find yourself resenting the circumstances you find yourself in and that can well be a disaster. If there are no screamingly important practical reasons to follow one course or the other then follow your heart as you'll have a stronger emotional investment and that could be the difference between success and failure.

What are your thoughts?

sillyseal · April 06, 2011, 01:57:51 AM

@februarystars I didn't even consider the GPA thing because I didn't know that is possible. That is definitely something I will look into before making a final decision. I've taken some classes during the summer at a local community college on things that actually interest me (anthropology, international politics, environmental sci.,) and I think it may be a good transition from high school to a university. Thanks

sillyseal · April 06, 2011, 02:08:03 AM

@Tank: I think Iâ€™m determined enough to be able to do it. Most of my siblings have stayed home after they turned 18, and although I donâ€™t think itâ€™s a horrible decision, it isnâ€™t the one for me. I think they all are skeptical that I can do it because they were skeptical they could do it themselves. I know itâ€™s a difficult thing but many other teens have done it, too, and I guess if I give up on myself and my dreams this early, I wonâ€™t be able to accomplish much and Iâ€˜m more afraid of that outcome. Thank you

februarystars · April 06, 2011, 05:52:59 AM

Hey, don't think you have to give up if you don't get things done right away. I have changed my major three times, and I was almost ready to just call it quits, but I finally found my niche. Even though I'm like 3-4 years older than everybody in my classes, I'm getting my degree and that's all that matters!

Tank · April 06, 2011, 06:51:54 AM

Quote from: "sillyseal"@Tank: I think Iâ€™m determined enough to be able to do it. Most of my siblings have stayed home after they turned 18, and although I donâ€™t think itâ€™s a horrible decision, it isnâ€™t the one for me. I think they all are skeptical that I can do it because they were skeptical they could do it themselves. I know itâ€™s a difficult thing but many other teens have done it, too, and I guess if I give up on myself and my dreams this early, I wonâ€™t be able to accomplish much and Iâ€˜m more afraid of that outcome. Thank you

Quite right, if don't try you'll never know and live in a world of doubt that'll get worse as you get older with bitterness brought about by 'what might have been'.

sillyseal · April 10, 2011, 11:09:00 AM

Quote from: "februarystars"Hey, don't think you have to give up if you don't get things done right away. I have changed my major three times, and I was almost ready to just call it quits, but I finally found my niche. Even though I'm like 3-4 years older than everybody in my classes, I'm getting my degree and that's all that matters!

I definitely agree that I don't have to get everything done right away, considering I am extremely unsure about many things. I actually expect to get things done a little later than many because I want to be completely sure that whatever I choose is right for me and I don't want to rush myself into a wrong decision. It's just that moving far away is my main goal right now and so I wish to at least accomplish that for right now.

Twentythree · April 11, 2011, 05:42:37 PM

Practicality will have long lasting virtue in making this decision. You are young and overly passionate. You have this ideal that there will be this one thing that you will find and love for the rest of your life. The truth of the matter is that you like most people will grow and change, your desires and motives will change and your aspirations toward the future will change. I am not saying to not pursue what you love, in fact I think that you should, but you may also want to step back and make sure that the long lasting practicality of the decision will not suffer at the hands of fleeting passions.

hismikeness · April 11, 2011, 07:55:56 PM

There are many community colleges available in Oregon, and most of the Universities (OSU, uo, and PSU, along with Western, Easter, Southern Oregon) all accept those transfer credits. I would recommend CC-->University to anyone paying on their own. If you have grants and scholarships, you might as well use them in the university system.

Just don't go to uo... I'm an OSU grad!

sillyseal · April 12, 2011, 04:15:43 AM

Quote from: "Twentythree"Practicality will have long lasting virtue in making this decision. You are young and overly passionate. You have this ideal that there will be this one thing that you will find and love for the rest of your life. The truth of the matter is that you like most people will grow and change, your desires and motives will change and your aspirations toward the future will change. I am not saying to not pursue what you love, in fact I think that you should, but you may also want to step back and make sure that the long lasting practicality of the decision will not suffer at the hands of fleeting passions.

Very true. I feel like Iâ€™m wearing teenager goggles that blind me to reality. And apparently I was already an idealist to begin with. That's why I'm taking my time deciding what to major in but even when I do, it'll be hard to know if I want to do it for the rest of my life, and if it's practical. :sigh:

sillyseal · April 12, 2011, 04:18:33 AM

Quote from: "hismikeness"There are many community colleges available in Oregon, and most of the Universities (OSU, uo, and PSU, along with Western, Easter, Southern Oregon) all accept those transfer credits. I would recommend CC-->University to anyone paying on their own. If you have grants and scholarships, you might as well use them in the university system.

Just don't go to uo... I'm an OSU grad!

I like how you capitalized the names of the other schools except uo. Go Beavers

hismikeness · April 12, 2011, 04:40:16 AM

Quote from: "sillyseal"
Quote from: "hismikeness"There are many community colleges available in Oregon, and most of the Universities (OSU, uo, and PSU, along with Western, Easter, Southern Oregon) all accept those transfer credits. I would recommend CC-->University to anyone paying on their own. If you have grants and scholarships, you might as well use them in the university system.

Just don't go to uo... I'm an OSU grad!

Poptop · May 27, 2011, 06:43:49 AM

Think of a really cool place and move there. I'm American but I lived in Taiwan in my early thirties and I really wished I'd done that earlier. Try something different, you can always go back if you don't like it. If you're from a small town try the big city. I did and I now appreciate both. How about a tropical island?

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Where do I move for college?