4 Reasons Not to Choose a College
After thinking about all the reasons to choose a college, I decided I should also mention some of the factors that are important NOT to use in choosing a college. These factors are things that I thought about when I tried to decide where to go to school. Luckily I had people around me who helped me put things in perspective and I avoided choosing my college based upon number #2 (best decision of my life). I have many friends who did use these factors to choose their college and every single one of them regrets it. Here are my 4 reasons NOT to choose a college or university.
1. Friends
Where your friends are going is not important. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT choose a college based upon where your friends are headed. At the time, it seems like these are the people you will be friends with for the rest of your life. While this may be true for one or two of these people, you won’t talk to most of your high school friends in college. As a senior I still go to school with dozens of people from high school, but how many am I still good friends with? Only one. When I got here I thought I would be friends with dozens of these people for the next 4 years. Your high school friends will always be important, but you will grow and change so much in the next few years that you most likely won’t even really connect with those friends anymore. You need to choose a college based upon your needs, interests, and personality. I know there are so many kids I went to school with that have just gone in a different direction with their life. There are no hard feelings but we just aren’t very compatible anymore. When we run into each other we talk about sports and the old days. Don’t choose your college for friends
2. Girlfriends/Boyfriends
This is the WORST REASON there is for choosing a college. I have so many friends that have gone to college for their high school girlfriend (or boyfriend). I almost did this and not doing so is one of the best decisions of my entire life (not together now). Out of all my friends who have done this (at least a dozen) only one of those couples are still together. Again this relates to the fact that college is a huge period of growth and change. The odds of the typical high school couple making it 4 years and then on for the rest of their lives is slim to none. And if you are that 1 in a million couple then the long-distance will be worth it. Every friend I have that has done this regrets it. Please do not make this mistake. I’ve had friends stay in our home town when they wanted to leave. I had friends move everywhere from Baltimore to Florida. You are limiting yourself and missing out on some of the experiences you will never have again. Besides who wants a significant other with all the hotties running around on campus as a freshman? Don’t choose your college based upon where your significant other is going.
3. Convenience
Since you are reading this article then most likely this will not be an issue for you. But for many high school students they put little to no thought into where they go to school. Most people I went to school with simply went to the local college about 30 minutes away, because it was convenient, an ok school, and most of their friends were going there. Put thought into where you want to go to school. Visit campuses. Read articles. Talk to current students. Learn as much as you can and pick the place that really fits you. Don’t choose your university because the application was easy and you know you will get it. It is your life. Make the best of it.
4. A Name (the prestige trap)
Do not choose to go to Harvard, because it is named Harvard. Go to Harvard because you like Massachusetts, you want to go into investment banking, and sports and partying isn’t really your thing. I’ve had friends go to Ivy League schools because they were THE Ivy League, even those these kids often did not care about huge sums of money, loved competitive college sports, and were southern and conservative. Suffice to say they either transferred or stuck it out in an environment that just wasn’t a good fit. The same applies the other direction. Don’t pick the University of Arkansas (my alma mater) because 3 generations of your family have attended and your expected to carry on the legacy. There is a campus that will fit each person well and you need to focus on the factors that create a good fit rather than a name.
Between this post and the previous one I hope that I’ve given a good perspective on why to choose or not choose a college. I know that senior year is a very confusing time and that so many things seem SO IMPORTANT. The sad fact is that in a year or 2 or 3 those things that seemed so important just are not a big deal anymore. Choosing your college is one of the biggest decisions in your young life. Make sure you put things in perspective.
