subject: Simplifying Your Search For A Good College [print this page] The decision about where to go to college isnt always easy. The problem isnt about having no options; its about having too many of them. Youre overwhelmed by having to decide on something potentially life-altering in seemingly very little time. Lets take a look at why it can get difficult to search for a good college and what you can do to simplify this search.
Having too many options
When youre young, you dont always know how to decide whats good for you. In fact, you might not even know where to start looking! Having options is good, but having too many options isnt. While you might think that having many options could bring you reassurance and satisfaction, it isnt always so. Most often you will find that having too many choices can cause stress and anxiety. You might feel unmotivated and lazy, and might want to put off deciding until later. You see, having the freedom to pursue whatever you want is one thing, but knowing that your entire future could be riding on this ONE decision is quite another.
Trying to make the right choice from a wide sea of choices with so much at stake can make you feel burdened and overwhelmed and could very well make you unhappy.
The solution: The key is to realize that you are better off with fewer options. You dont want to be paralyzed with too many options. Narrow down your options by putting on paper your top five interests that you could turn into careers.
Not knowing what to make of all the information
In the current Internet age, information about everything is readily available at the click of a button. But although finding information is easy, how do you know what to look for? Above all, how much of it do you really understand? It is a universally known fact that when you know better, you do better. But how are you expected to know better when you can barely understand this information? While looking up colleges on the Internet, you are likely to come across words such as accreditation and financial aid, and you wish someone would sift through all this information, keeping aside only that which is relevant to YOU.
The solution: Seek professional help. Why shouldnt you? You are, after all, trying to make a life-changing decision. Why shouldnt you make the most of all the help you can get? People like professional career guidance counselors and advisors help you understand your options based on your interests, and educate you in information vital to you. Some colleges like Stevens-Henager College arrange a student meeting, upon visiting the campus, with a financial planner and admissions consultant who, according to Stevens-Henager testimonials, aim to understand your needs and motivations and help you understand your options better.
The fear of making a mistake
Human beings make mistakes, Period. But to a student who is trying to figure out his or her life at the young age of sixteen and seventeen, making a mistake about your education and spending the rest of your life dealing with its repercussions can sound like a nightmare.
The solution: Youre at an age where you dont always know how to tell the good from the bad. Learn to trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy about something, try to find out why. If you feel really good about something, explore all your options.
Where you go to college is a big decision. But it doesnt have to be a nerve-wracking, dreadful one. No one can really tell you which college is the absolute best for you; what makes a college the absolute best is subjective. You have to find a college that works for YOU and you alone, and not get caught up in playing it safe and choosing a good college because you think everyone knows about it.
