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Zodijackyl
Emu Egg
Joined: Jun 11, 2008
Age: 20
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:33 pm Post subject: I have no idea how to go to college/university. |
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I need some advice, and I have a feeling that many of you have gone through what I'm going through now.
You see... I have no earthly clue how to go to college/university.
What I think I need to do, is go to college first, and from there see if I want to continue on to university. Sounds simple, right? Not for me, it isn't. I have to make everything difficult.
I'm 20. (Developmentally, I think I'm way younger...) I graduated high school three years ago, and I've been working and saving up money. I think I have enough to go now, but money really was never the major issue here. (Well, it was, but it was really a secondary issue because I knew that I could just work and earn the money.)
The major issue is that I have no idea what I want to take, and that I don't know <i>how</i> to do anything. I have no interests outside of music, which is kind of sad because I don't currently play an instrument. I've been told by my dad many times that I shouldn't take a psychology course because they're "useless", and while I disagree, I'm only moderately interested in psychology anyways. The only thing I could even see myself taking would be an English course, but I am not even sure about that. I'm sure my general lack of direction has something to do with low-grade depression, but that is a whole other thing... (Really, it is.)
mtroyal.ab.ca = Mount Royal College in Calgary is the closest college to where I live. I might go to U of C eventually, but for now I'm aiming for Mount Royal. (I can't afford to travel for school, and my family can't afford to pay for it either.)
Now I was talking to my friend last night, and she informed me that most people do not often know exactly what they want to do when they go back to school. They go to college, take a year of general courses, and then figure out what they want to do from there. I could do this, but I'm so worried that I wouldn't know what I want to take after that year was up. How do you decide?
Plus I have no clue how to go about talking to someone at the college, how to choose relevant courses to my "career goal" once I figure it out, how to register, etc. I'm just... kind of dumb when it comes to things like this. I can't make sense of the website, and I don't understand any of the terms that they use to describe their courses.
I dunno. I just feel so useless, being 20, living with my parents, and earning minimum wage. I want to be better than this, but I must've been absent that day in kindergarten when they taught us how to live. It's kind of funny, actually. People go on and on about how smart I am, but I feel like I can hardly function. (Not that I feel sorry for myself or anything. That's the last thing I feel.)
So, basically, what I need is:
1. To figure out what I'm interested in.
2. To have the inner workings of the Canadian post-secondary education system explained to me, and made as simple as possible, since I somehow missed it in high school.
3. To hear how other people have gotten themselves out of situations similar to my own.
4. A plan of action.
You guys can help me with number two and three, and maybe some of the other ones if you're up for it. Be direct, and brutal if necessary. I came here for advice that is compatible with who I am, not to be told that I'm special or different from everyone else... That isn't going to help me. D:
It would be really cool if someone here has BEEN to Mount Royal, but I'm seriously doubting it. |
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pineapple
Deinonychus
Joined: May 01, 2006
Age: 24
Posts: 380
Location: san francisco
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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Are there any college counselors around where you live? I went to one when I was applying for colleges, and it helped a lot. You're right, it can be hard to apply to college when you're the only one doing it. To figure out your interests, try reading the book "what color is your parachute".
_________________
chuck norris does not sleep. he waits.
Go here, be asexy------> http://theonepercentclub.blogspot.com |
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t0
Velociraptor
Joined: Mar 24, 2008
Posts: 473
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:41 pm Post subject: Re: I have no idea how to go to college/university. |
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| In the US, most colleges have an admissions department. They're the ones that decide if you get in or not. I would contact look for something similar at this school. Find out what the requirements are to get in and what they need from you. |
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Icicle
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Jun 11, 2008
Posts: 50
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject: Re: I have no idea how to go to college/university. |
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| Zodijackyl wrote: | I need some advice, and I have a feeling that many of you have gone through what I'm going through now.
You see... I have no earthly clue how to go to college/university.
What I think I need to do, is go to college first, and from there see if I want to continue on to university. Sounds simple, right? Not for me, it isn't. I have to make everything difficult.
I'm 20. (Developmentally, I think I'm way younger...) I graduated high school three years ago, and I've been working and saving up money. I think I have enough to go now, but money really was never the major issue here. (Well, it was, but it was really a secondary issue because I knew that I could just work and earn the money.)
The major issue is that I have no idea what I want to take, and that I don't know <i>how</i> to do anything. I have no interests outside of music, which is kind of sad because I don't currently play an instrument. I've been told by my dad many times that I shouldn't take a psychology course because they're "useless", and while I disagree, I'm only moderately interested in psychology anyways. The only thing I could even see myself taking would be an English course, but I am not even sure about that. I'm sure my general lack of direction has something to do with low-grade depression, but that is a whole other thing... (Really, it is.)
mtroyal.ab.ca = Mount Royal College in Calgary is the closest college to where I live. I might go to U of C eventually, but for now I'm aiming for Mount Royal. (I can't afford to travel for school, and my family can't afford to pay for it either.)
Now I was talking to my friend last night, and she informed me that most people do not often know exactly what they want to do when they go back to school. They go to college, take a year of general courses, and then figure out what they want to do from there. I could do this, but I'm so worried that I wouldn't know what I want to take after that year was up. How do you decide?
Plus I have no clue how to go about talking to someone at the college, how to choose relevant courses to my "career goal" once I figure it out, how to register, etc. I'm just... kind of dumb when it comes to things like this. I can't make sense of the website, and I don't understand any of the terms that they use to describe their courses.
I dunno. I just feel so useless, being 20, living with my parents, and earning minimum wage. I want to be better than this, but I must've been absent that day in kindergarten when they taught us how to live. It's kind of funny, actually. People go on and on about how smart I am, but I feel like I can hardly function. (Not that I feel sorry for myself or anything. That's the last thing I feel.)
So, basically, what I need is:
1. To figure out what I'm interested in.
2. To have the inner workings of the Canadian post-secondary education system explained to me, and made as simple as possible, since I somehow missed it in high school.
3. To hear how other people have gotten themselves out of situations similar to my own.
4. A plan of action.
You guys can help me with number two and three, and maybe some of the other ones if you're up for it. Be direct, and brutal if necessary. I came here for advice that is compatible with who I am, not to be told that I'm special or different from everyone else... That isn't going to help me. D:
It would be really cool if someone here has BEEN to Mount Royal, but I'm seriously doubting it. |
Start by phoning up a university admissions dept and ask them what to do basically, then phone a few more, it should help you build up a general picture of whats out there. Then come back and tell us what they say. 
Just wondering, does Canada have any foundations programs, because they are often a way into uni that we use in the UK. |
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aspiegirl2
Aurtistic Rainwoman
Joined: Feb 24, 2005
Age: 19
Posts: 1207
Location: Washington, USA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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A lot of the time people don't know what they want to do when the first get to college. Most people don't declare a major their freshman year of college. I know some people (mainly freshmen) at my university who are just filling their schedules with General University Requirements (GURs), or the credits that the university requires to graduate. That way you could get a more in depth point of view of possible fields of study from someone who knows a lot about that field. You could see what you like best and take it from there. There are also advisors or career counselors that could help you out. Trust me, you're not the only one they've run into that doesn't know what they want to do in college; they'll have plenty of resources and pointers.
_________________
I am a 19 year old girl who lives in Washington State and was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome at 9 years old. I like to run, play trombone, and draw. I am also a Christian and I also love to pray to God and read His word. |
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lastcrazyhorn
Bat-Chick
Joined: Oct 11, 2007
Posts: 1219
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 5:49 am Post subject: |
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In undergrad I started out as an English major with a music minor. By my second semester, that had switched after I realized that I knew more about music than some of my classmates. *headdesk*
_________________
"I am to misbehave" - Mal
BATMAN: I'll do everything I can to rehabilitate you.
CATWOMAN: Marry me.
BATMAN: Everything except that.
http://lastcrazyhorn.wordpress.com - "Odd One Out: Reality with a refreshing slice of aspie" |
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_BRI_
Snowy Owl
Joined: Apr 29, 2008
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| go to collegue , hang on until you met some guys like you... and then decide by yourself... DON'T QUIT! |
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kit000003
Deinonychus
Joined: Feb 04, 2008
Age: 23
Posts: 395
Location: Pensacola, FL
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| Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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My experience in college is that the first year and a half, they basically make you take specific general education classes..... it is kinda like repeating high school... only worse because you are repeating it...
you can actually graduate with a general associates in arts in the states (thats where you have no earthly idea what you want to do, just meet the basic reqs and then take whatever extra classes you want to make up the rest of the credits) I don't know about canada, but it would allow you to check different subjects out.
The best advice I can give you is to go to the school and get a hard copy of the catalog, it should have a full list of the courses offered and what they are. Then go through and highlight any that interest you. Don't listen to anyone else about whether they can be useful or not, you are the one that has to sit through them. Psychologists make good money in the states you know. You can then sit down with one of the advisors at the school with a list of classes that interest you, and they can decide whether to place you in a specific program or not.
Walk in and talk to the academic advisors at the school. They are the best help you will ever have. |
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Preston
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Jun 05, 2007
Age: 24
Posts: 66
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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Psychologists make good money per se, but there aren't many of them. I think you need a Masters or Doctorate to be one. I haven't done hard research into it, but I've gotten the impression that you don't want to do psych unless you really like it.
Zodijackyl, you could take a class in several different subjects that you think you might be interested in. If it's like the US, you'll have the free electives to do that and not "waste" credits. I changed majors 4 times (officially 3). |
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