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I find it rather strange that a person can go to school for 12 years, having the guidance of their teachers, counselors and parents during that whole time, and yet cannot decide on a career path by the time they reach college age.
What in the world is going on here?
I know I didn't know what I was doing when I first started college. In fact, I'm now retired I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. In any event, I don't see anything wrong with going to college, if you can find someone else to pay for it or if the cost is reasonable.
I do not know about other people but at 30 I am more motivated college student knowing that time is not on my side. I am getting A and B+ and not slicking off getting C+ and b- like i was when i was younger. Also school is easier now for me then it was back then for some reason it could be i am more driven then ever.
I approach each class like it a person i am going to fight and I want to rip out their heart and eat there children. I am sure more hungrier than ever and cant wait to Spring classes to start bring on intro to chemistry i am coming for you.
Yes, motivation is a big deal. I finished my first masters when I was 21, and the second one when I was 46. The first one was MS in geology, and by the end of college time I pretty much realized I'm totally not interested in cold dead stones, their chemical contents, crystallography, genesis, geographic distribution, etc. But I remember tons of things from that degree - things I don't use for almost 30 years, things I'm not interested in. My MBA went much easier because I knew just a little bit less that I was supposed to know to get the degree. And I was motivated, so I did my homework and got mostly A's. However, for me this was work, not life, not fun, just a hard work (taking into consideration the study was in foreign language). Students around me were living their lives. I just worked.
By the time you finish your studies, other people of your age will have years of professional experience at the professional level, and you will be a novice. It will be harder to you to get a job if you don't have connections in the field you are studying for than for fresh youngsters. True, with better motivation you will have more chances to retain a position, but new knowledge just doesn't sink in as easily as before. So, many things that I learned anew during MBA studies, are already out.
You think receiving an A = genius? All doctor's aren't genius'. I know some who made mostly C's in school.
If the student truly is the definition of a genius, he'd probably skip grades, like a foreign 12 year old who goes to an Ivy League school. lol
True, you would be shocked to see some of the low GPAs and unremarkable MCAT scores that get into med school. The low GPAs are what I found particularly appalling. I can't imagine how low they must be if you can't get admitted to a med school in the US.
Don't go to college if you don't know what you want to do
Quote:
Originally Posted by musicislife.glee
I have a friend who is going through this crisis.
She is about to graduate high school, and has absolutely know idea what to do with her life. She doesn't have anything she's really passionate about and wants to study, and she doesn't want to spend time in college if she doesn't have a focus.
I don't want to tell her to go or not to go, because I know that college can help you find interests, but I know that she does not want to get a "useless" degree in English or Liberal Arts though that is what she is interested in. She is worried about the economy, and how difficult it is to find jobs even for college grads. She doesn't want to come out with debt if she can't get a job to pay it off. I guess she's really questioning the worth of college, and I can't say that I blame her considering how many new grads are without jobs and in debt.
Should a person go to college if they don't know what they want to do, or does not have a clear career path for themselves?
The short answer - Do not go to college if you don't have any idea what you want to do. I have several reasons for this opinion:
1) It costs too much money to not have a graduation plan in place when you begin. With average costs now exceeding 30k+ per year, I cannot imagine anyone wanting to spend that kind of money for just one year "discovering themselves" on a college campus. If someone has that kind of money to burn, then by all means, take just a fraction of that (perhaps 10-15k) and travel the world cheaply/frugally for a few weeks with a like-minded friend or two - stay in hostels/cheap hotels, see other cultures, and experience something most US Citizens never do while young.
2) The reality is that most colleges require you to fulfill "general education requirements" the first two semesters you attend - even if you are attending college with just a plan to take lots of different courses in different subjects to find out what interests you, you will sadly find that you cannot due to the time constraints the waste-of-time "general education required" coursework imposes upon you throughout the week. Additionally, I found that most of the very interesting classes were "300-400 level, so you couldn't even register to take them until you were an upperclassman!
3) As an alternative to #2, you can usually audit or sit in on college courses for free or super cheap (a lot of seniors take advantage of this to keep their minds sharp), and only sometimes do you need Professor permission to do this. Most college campuses are "open" and you can just walk in and sit in on classes as long as there are available seats and you aren't taking up the time and/or resources of the Professor. You won't get college credit for attending, but if it means that you freely discover what interests you vs spending 30k to find out what interests you, the decision to make is pretty obvious.
4) For me at least, I didn't know what I wanted to major in college when I graduated high school, however I was pushed to apply and attend right away. In retrospect, I know the reason I didn't know what I wanted to do was obvious: I hadn't taken any time in high school or over the summers to figure out what I wanted to do with myself! I should have just worked, saved up some money, traveled with it, and started to live life a bit more independent from my parents to figure out what made me happy, and what my passions were. There was this misconceived notion I was presented with that if I didn't go to college right away I would never; it was baseless and although I turned out pretty well *grin*, I would have enjoyed living on my own for a while and when I attended college I probably would have had a lot more focus and success in graduating on time.
Well that's just my two cents, take it for whatever it's worth.
Second the CC route. Get a job, take a class or two, think about life. There isn't anything wrong with that.
I pushed my older child out the door to a 4 year college, and even told her what to major in, because she felt lost. There were reasons this was best for her and she did fine.
I didn't push my younger one but he did work and take GE classes at the local CC until he decided to transfer on his own. He flip flopped on majors before settleing on something, and it's still not something he's PASSIONATE about, but he wants to have a degree regardless.
2) The reality is that most colleges require you to fulfill "general education requirements" the first two semesters you attend - even if you are attending college with just a plan to take lots of different courses in different subjects to find out what interests you, you will sadly find that you cannot due to the time constraints the waste-of-time "general education required" coursework imposes upon you throughout the week. Additionally, I found that most of the very interesting classes were "300-400 level, so you couldn't even register to take them until you were an upperclassman!
The suggestion to take the general ed requirements in a CC is a good one. I just wanted to comment on the above:
I'm not sure about what these "time constraints" are. If you can handle it, you can take course overloads, and sample additional courses that way. You can also register for 300-400-level classes with the professor's signature. Some professors eagerly oblige, because it improves their enrollment numbers. They're also up for having bright, interested students, if you demonstrate an interest in, or experience with, their topic.
The structure really isn't as strict as some people think, though it probably depends on the school. By thinking outside the box and seeing how far you can go within the system, which rules are bendable, etc., you can create a really interesting program for yourself.
I think that if you do not have yet a clear idea of what you want to do in college, then going to a CC for a bit is the step in the right direction. Most cc classes will transfer to the 4 year schools and really the whole pressure of "I better pick my major before sophomore year or I am screwed is gone". The choosing of college major is one of the biggest choices of your life and no not everyone is like my friend in high school who has been fascinated with computers since his middle-school days, knew that he wanted to major in computer and is now finishing up his PHD, that is not everyone knows with exact detail right out of high school what they want to do - and it is OK. I don't mean you should spend the next 10 years "finding yourself" but not knowing what you want to do as soon as high school ends is ok.
if mom and dad are willing to support you u dont have to do jack. but way back when @18 you either learned a trade and got a job or went into the army. either way you left home.
I have NEVER had a clear idea of what I want to do. I've always done some kind of office work or customer service or computer stuff, but in a variety of industries with varying degrees of responsibilities and titles. My whole life has been "go with the flow" and when it comes to work I just learn whatever is put in front of me. I'm smart and fast and very good at whatever I put my mind to and that's why it's worked for me. Honestly, we don't all want to BE something specific. I enjoyed college when I was an adult and actually went, but it was just because I was learning about all sorts of things and not because it was going to land me job doing "x".
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Don't go to college if you don't know what you want to do
