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| "The Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog" (1818) by Caspar David Friedrich |
Reflecting on your own experience of applying to college and choosing where to attend, have you felt like the process has been "a wholly independent endeavor" or have you felt that it has been more of a group decision, guided in important ways by your family members?
What part of the process has been most difficult or puzzling? How did you end up deciding which path to take?
If you are an incoming, first-year student, how frequently do you expect to be in contact with your family? Have you ever been away from home for an extended amount of time? Will coming to college be different in that respect for you?
If you are a returning student, was the amount and quality of the contact you had with your family different from what you expected? What was the hardest part about adjusting to college life? In retrospect, what advice would you have given yourself if you could have?
My experience of applying to college and choosing where to attend was a long process, but I am thankful that, unlike Smarsh’s, it was not “a wholly independent endeavor.” While I made the decisions of where to apply and where to attend, my family members were very involved in the process, visiting campuses with me, helping me fill out my financial aid, and praying for me. The most difficult part of the process was deciding where to attend. I applied to four different schools, visited all four campuses, and liked them all. I was also blessed with some good scholarships. Therefore, to help make my decision, I listed out the qualities I knew I wanted in the college I attended: a smaller student body, a relatively close location to my home, and an atmosphere that gave me the feeling I could thrive and succeed there. ECU most matched these qualities, so, after some prayer and a few more opened doors, I chose ECU.
ReplyDeleteAs an incoming freshman, I expect to be in contact with my family quite a bit. I live about two hours away from campus, so I will probably go home most weekends. I will most likely call my family throughout the week as well. I really have not been away from home like this ever before, so college will definitely be different in that respect. However, while this makes me a little anxious, it also makes me excited about the new adventure that lies ahead.
Bethany Bengs
The college process for me was and has been very well guided. My dad went to college, the exact same one in fact. He has been my constant guide throughout the whole process. The most difficult part, fortunately for me, was deciding which university to attend. My decision was easy once I learned about the Freshman Business Scholars Program and the Honors Program. I will be in contact with my family everyday due to living arrangements, and I am definitely not sad about that.
ReplyDelete- Chasey Terry
My college choice was definitely not something I decided on my own. I did not even realize I would be able to have the luxury to live on campus. I was going to go to my local community college until my sister encouraged me to explore different colleges. She saw potential in me that I did not see in myself. She helped guide and direct me. The hardest part was figuring out what to major in. I finally decided when I took a test at church that told me what my spiritual gift was, and it was compassion and empathy. I decided then that I wanted to be a counselor and to major in psychology. The longest I have been away from my family is one week, and college will definitely make it hard for me. I am very close to them, especially my siblings. I hope to come home every week and spend as much time with them as I can.
ReplyDelete-Kiley Watkins
I feel that I independently picked by myself where I wanted to go, but it was far from an independent endeavor. My parents helped me look at all of my options, and then they helped me apply. The part of the process that was most difficult was applying for FAFSA. What allowed me to pick ECU was that it checked off a lot of my wants in a college. It wasn’t too big, it was fairly close to home, it was fairly cheap, and I had a lot of family that attended here. I expect to be in contact with my family at least every other day, and I will most likely be home every weekend. The longest I have ever been away from my family was two weeks, but we stayed in touch, so it didn’t seem very long. I think it will take some getting used to, but I know I won’t ever be gone for very long.
ReplyDelete-Easton Birchfield
I would say I made the decision of which college to attend on my own but my parents were very involved in every other aspect. Although both of my parents did not go to college they went on tours with me and helped me with all of the applications as much as they could. The most difficult part for me was finding what major was right for me. I was very confused coming in because I had a plan for many years about what I wanted to do but realized that I wasn't passionate about it. In my first year I have found my path, teaching. I am close with both of my parents and talked to them often which is what I expected. The hardest part I had to adjust to was having to be more independent and get things done by myself. I am a pretty indecisive person so, I would tell myself to trust my instincts about switching to an education major.
ReplyDeleteWhen choosing where to attend college, my parents helped me learn about different schools and where to apply to, but at the end of the day it was fully and independently my decision, and my parents were ready to support whatever decision I made. The process was difficult for me because I had to be financially responsible with this decision, as well as consider where I would fit in best and what groups I could join. The Honors Program here certainly helped make up my mind! After coming to college, I became busy and did not go home a lot, but I always kept in touch with my family by texting and calling. That helped with homesickness for sure. As far as advice goes that I would have given myself, I would say to find a balance between schoolwork and downtime. Always focusing on studying 24/7 makes you stressed and sometimes bored, but spending too much time with friends can get you off track. Finding a balance is sure to make college fun.
ReplyDeleteI would say that I independently picked where I went for college although my family played a big role during the process. My parents did not go to college, and they do not speak good English, thus this process was very unfamiliar to them and could not be as helpful as they would have liked to be. However, my brother is also a college student who graduates this year and was helpful in any way possible. It was a long process and I made most of the decisions alone. I graduated from school in Atlanta, and I was planning on attending college there. However, I knew I wanted to be closer to my family so I began looking into schools in OK. Although my family encouraged me to stay in Atlanta and attend school there, it was fully and independently my decision to attend ECU. My family played a big role in helping me out with paperwork and helped me look into colleges with just a right amount of student body. College has definitely been a lot different from what I expected but not in a bad way. I would say hardest part of adjusting to college life is finding what you are interested in and finding time to do everything. Time management is very important. Finding a way to get everything done without getting too stressed is the key. As for advice to myself, I would say to cut back on work and focus on making college more memorable.
ReplyDelete-Pooja Neupane
In my search for a college my family played a large role in my decision, I wanted to stay close to them. The most difficult part of choosing a college was deciding which one was the best fit for me. As an incoming freshman I plan to contact my family daily. I grew up in a family of nine kids and we were all home schooled up until high school. I spent so much time with my family and grew very close to them all. The scariest part about college for me is being away from them. I plan to visit them and contact them as much as possible because they play such a large role in my life.
ReplyDeleteIn my search for finding a college, my family was always a huge support, but they never pushed me in any one direction. I always knew that I wanted to play college sports, which my family supported. From there, it was all about where I could get an offer and feel comfortable. However, I do feel that I chose a college in my home town because of a subconscious desire to stay close to friends and family, although none of us have ever brought it up.
ReplyDeleteThe most difficult part of the process was choosing which sport to leave behind. I know that this is uncommon, but that is what I was most struggling with.
Because I am from Ada, I chose to live at home. I still have the privilege of being close with my family and haven't yet had to throw myself into the real world.
ReplyDeleteIf I could have given myself advice before I started college, I would have told myself that there will be people better than me at most things. In highschool, I was at the top of my class, was one of the best musicians, and was the student that all the teachers loved. I guess I was expecting these same things at college. It was very discouraging when I got here and couldn’t play the music that seemed to come so easily to everyone else. This taught me an important lesson that I wish I would have known sooner: you’re not going to be the best at everything, but that doesn’t mean you should just give up. Everyone has to work at something, some people just have to work harder than others.
Starting college has been one of the most intimidating experiences of my entire life. From the applying process to being worried about paying for it afterwards, I have had more anxiety attacks than I can count. It has been hard trying to stay in contact with my family due to our busy schedules. This causes unwanted tension that just turns into unnecessary stress. They have tried to help guide me through the start of my college experience and I feel as if I am still ill informed sometimes.
ReplyDelete