Cmp 120: The College Distinguisher

Simon Said

Professor Lee

CMP 120

3/28-15

The college distinguisher

      College years are memorable, it is something that will affect the rest of your life. With that being said, jumping on the first available college should not be the case, instead doing a lot of research and distinguishing wisely between colleges should be the top priority. There are several factors to consider when applying to the university that will be the best fit. It is of major importance to define exactly what will maximize the opportunities after college while enjoying time at college and to easier find out what to look at, the factors of academics, costs, campus life and major will be explained and supported.

      The most valuable factor when considering which college to attend is the instant reputation of the academic standard. Find out everything that is of value. Everything from how the employers view the particular college to how alumni have done in the job market post graduation. A private college is more respected in most employers point of view because they often tend to have smaller classes and less student to faculty ratios, which leads to getting more attention from teachers and increasing your opportunities of learning more within your intended major. Considering and researching if the school is accrediting should have a big impact of your decision. All schools degrees does not have value in the job market so therefore it is of big impact in your decision to find out if the school has accreditation.

      Earning a degree that is going to have value when looking for jobs should be a major impact in your decision. Not all schools have accreditation so doing your research in that area will make it easier to distinguish which colleges offers valued degrees. The easiest way to find out if a college or university is accredited is by to going to the schools website or to send an email to the intended school.

      Going to college is about getting a degree and earning money, not losing money. College is expensive and the prices vary greatly. Colleges have more costs than just tuition. For example there are costs of textbooks, food and housing. When adding all those up the debt can be overwhelming. Is a private $60.000/year school what you are aiming for? Keep the point above in mind about private schools being viewed as more respectable academically, the fact is that costs tend to be higher in such schools too. Be aware that there are a lot of ways to get financial aid, scholarships, and loans to reduce your costs attending a college. With all this being said, it is important that you choose a college that provides you with the education needed but that also provides you with good academic standards.

      Having a creative and challenging environment academically is just as important as enjoying the place someone attends school. Enjoying friends, networking and engaging in extracurricular activities is part of the college experience. Do a lot of research on what the school has to offer in form of Greek life, student organizations and different campus activities. The campus location and its surrounding area has to be evaluated in your choice. Do you like to go outside campus for a shopping trip? Perhaps an urban campus would be a better fit. If you enjoy both nature and a city, a suburban campus can be the right choice for you, it all boils down to doing the research and finding out what pros and cons the college has with its campus life. Americans loves sports, and college games create good school spirit. With that, you will find a bunch of different  events to attend. Football games, for example, are a good place to cheer for your school and make friends.