fact is that i'm going to graduate in one and a half years. i should start worrying what to do next, but i really do not have a clue what i actually want.

 

i intended to move away from home (i am so sick of everything surrounding me) and study in an english speaking country because i always that i was kinda good at english.

however, i'm not sure whether i could make it (where in the us or the uk).

i always found the us quite attractive. i've been there a few times so far, but i'd still worry about the educational system. is it true that a student still has to take courses, such as algebra, in case they want to become.. say... a journalist (and it's obvious they wouldn't need any kind of mathematics later on)?

 

still, i am not sure how to imagine what life is like as a student in the us or the uk.

i just need more information. :dozey:

 

well, this is just a really weird phase for me now, as i do not know how to go on. i mean... all i know is that i don't know anything atm and that i feel rather dumb. :dozey:

Why dont you come to australia. Place yourself somewhere on the coast and life is great.

fact is that i'm going to graduate in one and a half years. i should start worrying what to do next, but i really do not have a clue what i actually want.

 

i intended to move away from home and study in an english speaking country because i always that i was kinda good at english.

however, i'm not sure whether i could make it (where in the us or the uk).

i always found the us quite attractive. i've been there a few times so far, but i'd still worry about the educational system. is it true that a student still has to take courses, such as algebra, in case they want to become.. say... a journalist (and it's obvious they wouldn't need any kind of mathematics later on)?

 

 

So how do you explain Dubya becoming president??:rolleyes:

^ i heard it's even cheaper to study in australia. it'd definitely be an option.

so you're a student? what's it like?

 

i know my questions are quite silly, but every time i visit a university's webpage i feel like a total dumbass. seriously, it's like everyone's expecting so much. i mean... my family's investing in me and all i can think of is the pressure.

Im not a student but if you're going to go anywhere, australia is the place to go. people around here are great and there are a lot of good unis down in Syndey or rurally like, newcastle, southern cross, armidale, coffs harbour and many others.

Im not a student but if you're going to go anywhere, australia is the place to go. people around here are great and there are a lot of good unis down in Syndey or rurally like, newcastle, southern cross, armidale, coffs harbour and many others.

 

Plus you can always go surfing and indulge in "barbies" on the beach!!:P

^ well, that's the picture i had in my head to be honest. :D

i'm not the typical surfer babe kinda girl. :laugh3:

Hello Grace! I would recommend... having some German Chocolate!;):)

Anyhow, as a graduate of our illustrious land-grant university system, I can assure you that (a) algebra is almost always required, but (and here's the good news:)) (b) there are different algebra courses. So, there's algebra for journalists, algebra for artists, algebra for business types, algebra for science majors, algebra for engineers, etc. Another words, it's not really that hard for students who only need a basic knowledge of mathematics in their selected field.. And that's for the state schools - private institutions may be altogether different.

Student life in the US is... hmm.. well, that all depends! It varies from university to university, from private to public institutions, and some specialized campuses may be altogether different. If, for instance, you enrolled at Juilliard school for the performing arts, that would probably be very different from enrolling at let's say Boston College, which would be a world apart from say the University of California - Berkeley.

But it is quite a bit more expensive at the public institutions if you are a foreign student (say for instance, here at the University of Wisconsin), and the private schools then might be more comparable in price. Generally, the Midwestern US is the better value, because of the cost of living index.

You're interested in Journalism?

(And BTW, we all go through phases of the doldrums.. I think part of what I've experienced is akin to feeling like a surfer - all is wonderful when everything clicks, you're comfortable with what you're doing and the surroundings, and you're riding a good wave. But if you get thrown off a bit, it feels like being on the "tumble cycle" in a washer!:laugh3: The secret, as far as what's worked for me, is to figure out what's tripping me up, and then get back in the swing of things.. )

One more thing I have learned (that I can still recall!) is: For an undergraduate beginning at the Universities, pick one where the students get a lot of one-on-one attention, and the competition isn't too high to start with (which with another language even if you're very good at it, can still be a hurtle the rest of the students haven't got to deal with). Probably a school where there's a descent resident student population too, so there's plenty of socializing and fun to keep up one's spirits.

My recommendation would then be a mid-sized university, with a good teacher-to-student ratio, and a comfortable campus. If you're an arts or journalism major, look for the schools with real departments and friendly faculty that has time to share with the students.

(my biased recommendation would be to apply at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire; they had a great journalism department when I was there, lots of students from all over, it's a really nice campus (not too large nor noisy, with very little traffic), the setting is beautiful, and the faculty-to-student ratio is excellent. Plus, there's plenty of fun, and although it's a smaller town, it does offer plenty of partying, exercise, and shopping within the area; Minneapolis is within an hour or two away, with all the stuff any big city has to offer. OOPS! There's my sales pitch:P )University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Anyhow, wherever you go, find a niche you enjoy and go for it!!:)

^ awww!

thank you so much for your post. it did help me a lot.

that's what i've been thinking about ... i mean although my english skills aren't too bad, it could still be a problem. no matter how good my CAE grade is.

 

i do want to make a whole lot of new friends. and i haven't been looking for a big university anyway, so you're absolutely right about that.

 

i am not a hundred per cent sure about what to study. journalism would be great, i reckon, but i've heard from actual journalists that they do not recommen studying journalism, as it is way to theoretical and newspapers and magazines wouldn't care about someone who just learned how to write.

they suggest to focus on the topic you want to write about later on.

 

and yeah, it's probably not the greatest of ideas to want to write in a foreign language. in fact, it is quite a stupid plan... :laugh3:

Hmm.. journalism could be the ultimate challenge!! Maybe you just need to start somewhere, as an undeclared major (which you can do here), and then when you get a feel for where your passion lies, then take it from there? Most students at our universities start out that way, and then develop an interest in the thing they find fascinating, useful, or with job opportunities. There's no set field until your 2nd or 3rd year, and even then you've got flexibility within the area you've chosen.

what else do you have in mind other than journalism?

well, i thought about publishing in general.

hence fictional books.

 

obviously, i have to find out what i want and what i am aiming for at first, but it's nice to have some sort of plan.

Sorry to crash your thread, but I'm a junior in high school who has absolutely no idea what college to go to or what to major in. the only things I can imagine doing are all very unlikely (professional musician, author)

 

 

What should I do?:confused:

oof, where do i begin about american colleges and universities :thinking:

 

first of all, they're HUGELY expensive, more expensive than any other countries' universities, i would think. and yes, the american approach to higher education is very different than most other countries' approaches. at almost all colleges (and most universities, i think), you have to take lots of required courses that don't really have anything to do with what you intend to get your degree in. this liberal arts approach is really good for some people, like the people that don't know what they want to do (in america, you don't have to decide what your major will be until two years into your college education), but for other people, it's just boring and a waste of time.

 

and then there's the whole matter of american college/uni culture...which i hear is a bit more intense than european uni culture. it can be pretty hardcore, and most american teens seem to like it like that, but i've heard that there's nothing like it in europe. you guys seem to mature way faster over there :P. i think lots of european students in american colleges/unis end up a bit shocked about the maturity level.

 

about studying journalism: do it! :D at least over here, you're more likely to get hired if you studied journalism in college than if you didn't. in my opinion, college/uni is (in some cases) less about what you actually learned there and more about getting a peice of paper that says you went through the proper motions and society now allows you to get better jobs. and you have an amazing grasp on english, grace. i would never know that you weren't a native speaker, so at this young age, i'd say you're WELL on your way to writing in english if that's what you want to do :D

 

i have a bit of a biased view on american college life, but if you want to ask me about stuff at any time, feel free to :nice:. but i would say GO TO ENGLAND. that's where i'm escaping to next year! :P

@ nick: i'm about to embark on my 20's with no idea what i really want to do. actually, i know i want to do nothing, but i also know that's not possible. i think i'll probably end up being low-level management in an office somewhere or a high-school english teacher. at least where i come from, society tells you that you have to have some burning, realistic passion that will earn you a lot of money, and i don't fall into that category. it leads to a lot of existentialist freak-outs, believe me :P

 

what about being a teacher, if you like writing so much? that's what i plan to do, and write on the side to see if i can make anything of myself with that.

well, a couple of class mates and i visited this sort of information day a few weeks ago, and this lady confirmed that the us is most expensive when it comes to higher education. it is not comparable to europe or australia at all.

 

i guess they make you take many other courses because you were allowed to pick your subjects in high school (right?). because over here in germany you have to take all the subjects no matter what. they won't let you make a lot of decisions.

plus, we still have 13 years of school (they're changing the system now, though) and i guess those required courses are sort of already "included" in our current school system.

 

yeah, i suppose students in europe are not that involved with their university. i mean... you have entire university-based sports leagues!

i admit that's not exactly what i'm looking for, but then again, i do not know what i am looking for. :dozey:

 

i don't wanna sound stupid in any way, but it's so hard to make a decision, that i just wanna hang out and do nothing at all because i haven't got any plans.

but i guess i cannot go to school and work in a supermarket forever... :\

 

*plays alternate "talk" version*

 

so you don't know where you're going but you wanna talk...

 

 

(it's so encouraging to hear something say that, chelsea! thank you sooo much! :nice: seriously, i am blushing in front of the screen right now)

@ nick: i'm about to embark on my 20's with no idea what i really want to do. actually, i know i want to do nothing, but i also know that's not possible. i think i'll probably end up being low-level management in an office somewhere or a high-school english teacher. at least where i come from, society tells you that you have to have some burning, realistic passion that will earn you a lot of money, and i don't fall into that category. it leads to a lot of existentialist freak-outs, believe me :P

 

what about being a teacher, if you like writing so much? that's what i plan to do, and write on the side to see if i can make anything of myself with that.

cuz I suck at teaching, and I couldn't imagine putting up with all those kids

 

 

I really honestly have become addicted to making music. I can not see myself enjoying anything long-term other than having a successful music career. I don't need to be a huge star (would be nice though), but I'd like to make enough money thru my music that I could support a family

 

 

I really want to be a great dad and husband someday, but I also want to support my family by doing something I don't hate

 

 

 

too much to ask for?

haha, well it's true, grace! when i first came here, i thought you were kidding with the german flag and that you were actually a brit or an american.

 

i would bet that american university would be a big shock to the system in a lot of ways. i would still recommend england, and once i get there myself in a few months i can confirm that :P

 

and nick: i don't think that's too much to ask, but society does. i think you're right in not making huge, unrealistic goals about being a rockstar like a lot of people do, and you're also not willing to pour yourself into something you don't like just for the money (like me). but i think what it comes down to is whether or not you define yourself by your job. you're probably going to have to do SOMETHING to make money, but you don't have to make that your life. i think it's better to be a bit bored for 5 hours a day at a ho-hum job and love your home life (family, music, whatever) than to pour years into studying something like medicine or law just for the money. i know i'll be ok if i have a boring office job as long as i can leave that job at the office and have time for family or writing or whatever.

Juilliard school for musicians then?:rolleyes::)

 

Grace, go where you enjoy being - and perhaps the schools in the US are too expensive (but if you become a citizen here, the land grant universities then get very affordable)..

Well, maybe we are too intense over here? But that does sometimes propel individuals to greatness, although the hyper-competitiveness can be a bit too much.. Hmm..

Anyhow, then schools in the United Kingdom, or Australia sounds both affordable and enjoyable.;) Go where your spirit takes you..

Ah, according to my plan i'll be in a uni next fall. I have really no idea what i'm gonna do there though.

I'm quite interested in nutrition so i might end up studying that..

On the other hand my mum is a teacher at the uni of my city..and she teaches nutrition, hahaha.

God, i so don't want my mum to be my teacher! I could study nutrition in another city though but i don't really want to move yet either.

 

Bah, i'll only have a few months 'till the entrance examinations and i need to study a lot to get in.

 

Another problem is that i'm getting interested in tons of things these days.. like working in radio or tv. Or being a dentist, working in a lab..

being a roadie (there's a school for that too :lol:)

I've also said quite a many times that i'll just get a husband, have some kids and be a stay at home mum.. Or move to the countryside and take care of some cows or whatever..

Those are solutions too! :tongue:

 

I guess i'll make up my mind at some point.

I hope

i just gathered a bit of information about australian schools and from what i've read, they really care about international students. plus, they offer diplomas i'd definitely be interested in.

 

no matter where i go, it'll be a big step and since i am away from home anyway, it won't matter if it is 3,000 miles or 8,000 miles...

 

and nick: i don't think that's too much to ask, but society does. i think you're right in not making huge, unrealistic goals about being a rockstar like a lot of people do, and you're also not willing to pour yourself into something you don't like just for the money (like me). but i think what it comes down to is whether or not you define yourself by your job. you're probably going to have to do SOMETHING to make money, but you don't have to make that your life. i think it's better to be a bit bored for 5 hours a day at a ho-hum job and love your home life (family, music, whatever) than to pour years into studying something like medicine or law just for the money. i know i'll be ok if i have a boring office job as long as i can leave that job at the office and have time for family or writing or whatever.

Well that's what I believe too. If I could be with loved ones a lot and not have to work too much, I'd probably be okay with some "ho-hum" job. But what if a family isn't in the cards? What if all I have to do is my career? Then I'll want something more involved.

 

 

I just don't want to end up miserable and hating what became of my life, and I often have fears of what that would do to me.

 

:\

I've also said quite a many times that i'll just get a husband' date=' have some kids and be a stay at home mum.. [/quote']

 

this is so my plan.

all we need are sexy husbands.

 

this is so my plan.

all we need are sexy husbands.

 

 

That's the talk!

It'd be nicer if the guy was both sexy and rich..yumm

Well, maybe we are too intense over here? But that does sometimes propel individuals to greatness, although the hyper-competitiveness can be a bit too much.. Hmm..

 

haha, i didn't mean intense in terms of competition. i meant intense in terms of hardcore binge-drinking, sex, and partying. that's not saying that europeans don't know how to party, but from what i can tell, education and all that other stuff seems to be separated a bit more, and by college/uni age, the europeans seem to be over that a bit more than american kids.

 

Ah, according to my plan i'll be in a uni next fall. I have really no idea what i'm gonna do there though.

I'm quite interested in nutrition so i might end up studying that..

On the other hand my mum is a teacher at the uni of my city..and she teaches nutrition, hahaha.

God, i so don't want my mum to be my teacher! I could study nutrition in another city though but i don't really want to move yet either.

 

Bah, i'll only have a few months 'till the entrance examinations and i need to study a lot to get in.

 

Another problem is that i'm getting interested in tons of things these days.. like working in radio or tv. Or being a dentist, working in a lab..

being a roadie (there's a school for that too :lol:)

I've also said quite a many times that i'll just get a husband, have some kids and be a stay at home mum.. Or move to the countryside and take care of some cows or whatever..

Those are solutions too! :tongue:

 

I guess i'll make up my mind at some point.

I hope

 

in some ways, i think it's totally mind-blowing that european schools make kids decide exactly what they want to do at such a young age :freak:. how are you supposed to decide what to do for the rest of your LIFE at age 17 or 18?! if i had to make a final decision a few years ago, i would be one stuck, depressed person now. and even though i've decided my major now, it's so open-ended that i would have a lot of potential career options (if i wanted any of them :dozey:).