Getting In
Demystifying what it takes to get into higher education offering information on majors, schools, financial aid, admissions and more, served up by columnists that have been there, done that, and survived it all
Things I Learned In College
A week ago I graduated from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Often dubbed "PJs University" because I attended the school along with three other former members of PJs (one of whom graduated with me). Chatham is one of the few remaining single-sex institutions of higher education in the United States. It has been a women's college since it's creation in 1869 but also has co-educational master's and doctoral programs. The undergraduate student population numbers in the high hundreds and is about the same size as the graduate programs. Despite being a small school, through a very well-established and easy to navigate system cross-registration with the nine other institutions of higher education in Pittsburgh (including the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, Carlow College, and Point Park University) is easy, so getting the big college experience was easy to come by. Pittsburgh is America's second college city, Boston being the first. In both Boston and Pittsburgh, colleges and universities are a significant part of the city's culture and students make up an extremely significant portion of the population.
I spent three years at Chatham University, after having spent my freshman year at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. When all is said and done I've taken classes at Chatham, Simon Fraser, Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne, and Athabasca universities as well as the Community College of Allegheny County. I've also frequently attended social events at the University of Pittsburgh and Point Park University in addition to the schools listed above. That said, I've had a lot of experience with colleges and universities. In gaining all of this experience I've learned a lot. I'm going to take this opportunity to share some of the knowledge I've picked up along the way.
Leave all of your prejudices and pre-conceived notions at home
You're going to meet a lot of new people once you get to college. Even if you go to a school that takes most of its students from the local area or the college seems to very homogeneous (for example, a devoutly Catholic school or a historically black college) there will be a lot of people with different backgrounds. But you're all in the same boat once you're at school. See it as an opportunity to expand your horizons.
Make sure you go to a school that you, personally, really like
There's no sense in going to a school that you hate. There's always a chance that once you get there you might change your mind, but your college years are supposed to be amongst your happiest and it's okay to compromise on the small things, but be wary about compromising on something huge like which school you go to. And on the same token, just because it's a reputable or famous school doesn't mean you're going to like it there. I felt more comfortable the first time I set foot on Chatham's campus than I did at Harvard, but I know that for some they may truly feel a better fit at Harvard than somewhere else.
Don't just stick around campus
Even if you go to school in the middle of nowhere, get to know the community around your college. Do things off campus and develop a knowledge of the local area, the local people, and local opportunities to get involved. Once you're out of college this knowledge and these connections may really come in handy.
Do at least one internship
The transition from college life and a 40-hour work week can be described in two words: culture shock--and that's still having done a number of internships. Don't wait until after college to get a sense for the sort of work you'll be doing after college. It's very possible that you'll love studying something but it turns out you just can't see yourself doing it for the rest of your life--that's something you'll want to find out while you can still pick up a minor or a second major.
Join clubs and get involved
Whether on or off campus, do stuff. Joining clubs is one of the easiest ways to make friends with interests similar to yours and they can often be gateways to making connections in your area of interest. I was a founding member of the American Marketing Association's chapter at Chatham and I met a lot of heavy-hitters in marketing while a part of the club. While I wasn't a marketing major, I was still interested in the discipline and it taught me a lot. My other memberships included the Math Club, Crew (the rowing team), International Student Association, Chatham Activities Board, and Green Horizons, Cornerstone (the yearbook)--yet I was an economics and political science major.
Read the syllabus
The easiest way to get a crappy grade is to not pay attention to how much different aspects of the class are worth. It's sometimes easy to get in a funk and treat a paper that's worth 50% of your grade the same as you'd treat a paper that's worth 2% of your grade and then get a nasty surprise at the end of the semester. Likewise, know how much your exams are worth more than a week before you take them, it makes it so you can more appropriately budget your time. As an economics major I had a number of courses where the midterm was worth 35% of the grade and the final worth 50% of the grade--those are tests you seriously want to study for!
Try new things!
In college I learned I liked a lot of new things. I discovered that I really like sushi, I'm a pretty decent improv performer, I'd kill for a nice day so I can rent a kayak and tear up the rivers, and found a calling in emergency medical services. But I also learned that I don't really like crawling around caves on my belly. Most schools have a student affairs department or board in charge of putting on activities and they'll probably advertise activities and events happening on campus and around town, pay attention to these things and try something new! This is also often a great way to make new friends!
Learn how to speak in public and deliver presentations well
This is something that is absolutely crucial in your college career and, as I've learned, is also a useful tool in "the real world." It doesn't matter how brilliant your ideas are if you can't articulate them, period.
There are enough hours in the day to do it all, except sleep
Sometimes college can feel like a sensory overload. This isn't a bad thing, but time management is key. Keep track of what assignments and tests are coming up at all times because sometimes great opportunities come up with little notice. At one point in this past semester I ended up going to the state capitol about 200 miles away on about 14 hours' notice. It was worth it because I went to lobby and I'm a political science major, but if I hadn't been on top of my upcoming obligations I might've suffered academically for going.
Take time out, at least once a week, to put school work on hold and let yourself have a few good laughs
This is a sanity break, if there's food involved it's called a gluttonfest. For me, every Friday night at 11pm I'd go to an all-audience participation improv show in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. For three dollars each night, it was a small price to pay for time to get some good laughs and, like so many of the other things I mentioned, make friends. So find something that'll make you laugh and just have some good times each week, even if it's just you and some friends watching stupid movies in your dorm room.
Keep your eye on the prize
You're there to get your degree. Don't get caught up in petty drama and don't let yourself get derailed. That picture, right there, is of me in my academic regalia taken after my commencement ceremony on May 3rd. I can't even tell you how much of an accomplishment it felt like. It's something you need to experience yourself. Just don't blow it, and especially don't blow it by drinking every night. Seriously guys, it's bad for your health and it gets progressively less pleasant to wake up the morning after unable to get the smell of alcohol off of your breath.
And now I work in an office all day for an organization I gained familiarity with while in college. While I love doing what I do now, college really was an incredible time that really helped me develop people skills, interests, and ultimately generated me a degree in economics and political science, with a minor in history. I freely admit I learned more from the people around me and the people I interacted with than I did in my coursework, and that is the true value of college--the degree in many ways is just the icing on the cake.
I spent three years at Chatham University, after having spent my freshman year at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. When all is said and done I've taken classes at Chatham, Simon Fraser, Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne, and Athabasca universities as well as the Community College of Allegheny County. I've also frequently attended social events at the University of Pittsburgh and Point Park University in addition to the schools listed above. That said, I've had a lot of experience with colleges and universities. In gaining all of this experience I've learned a lot. I'm going to take this opportunity to share some of the knowledge I've picked up along the way.
Leave all of your prejudices and pre-conceived notions at home
You're going to meet a lot of new people once you get to college. Even if you go to a school that takes most of its students from the local area or the college seems to very homogeneous (for example, a devoutly Catholic school or a historically black college) there will be a lot of people with different backgrounds. But you're all in the same boat once you're at school. See it as an opportunity to expand your horizons.
Make sure you go to a school that you, personally, really like
There's no sense in going to a school that you hate. There's always a chance that once you get there you might change your mind, but your college years are supposed to be amongst your happiest and it's okay to compromise on the small things, but be wary about compromising on something huge like which school you go to. And on the same token, just because it's a reputable or famous school doesn't mean you're going to like it there. I felt more comfortable the first time I set foot on Chatham's campus than I did at Harvard, but I know that for some they may truly feel a better fit at Harvard than somewhere else.
Don't just stick around campus
Even if you go to school in the middle of nowhere, get to know the community around your college. Do things off campus and develop a knowledge of the local area, the local people, and local opportunities to get involved. Once you're out of college this knowledge and these connections may really come in handy.
Do at least one internship
The transition from college life and a 40-hour work week can be described in two words: culture shock--and that's still having done a number of internships. Don't wait until after college to get a sense for the sort of work you'll be doing after college. It's very possible that you'll love studying something but it turns out you just can't see yourself doing it for the rest of your life--that's something you'll want to find out while you can still pick up a minor or a second major.
Join clubs and get involved
Whether on or off campus, do stuff. Joining clubs is one of the easiest ways to make friends with interests similar to yours and they can often be gateways to making connections in your area of interest. I was a founding member of the American Marketing Association's chapter at Chatham and I met a lot of heavy-hitters in marketing while a part of the club. While I wasn't a marketing major, I was still interested in the discipline and it taught me a lot. My other memberships included the Math Club, Crew (the rowing team), International Student Association, Chatham Activities Board, and Green Horizons, Cornerstone (the yearbook)--yet I was an economics and political science major.
Read the syllabus
The easiest way to get a crappy grade is to not pay attention to how much different aspects of the class are worth. It's sometimes easy to get in a funk and treat a paper that's worth 50% of your grade the same as you'd treat a paper that's worth 2% of your grade and then get a nasty surprise at the end of the semester. Likewise, know how much your exams are worth more than a week before you take them, it makes it so you can more appropriately budget your time. As an economics major I had a number of courses where the midterm was worth 35% of the grade and the final worth 50% of the grade--those are tests you seriously want to study for!
Try new things!
In college I learned I liked a lot of new things. I discovered that I really like sushi, I'm a pretty decent improv performer, I'd kill for a nice day so I can rent a kayak and tear up the rivers, and found a calling in emergency medical services. But I also learned that I don't really like crawling around caves on my belly. Most schools have a student affairs department or board in charge of putting on activities and they'll probably advertise activities and events happening on campus and around town, pay attention to these things and try something new! This is also often a great way to make new friends!
Learn how to speak in public and deliver presentations well
This is something that is absolutely crucial in your college career and, as I've learned, is also a useful tool in "the real world." It doesn't matter how brilliant your ideas are if you can't articulate them, period.
There are enough hours in the day to do it all, except sleep
Sometimes college can feel like a sensory overload. This isn't a bad thing, but time management is key. Keep track of what assignments and tests are coming up at all times because sometimes great opportunities come up with little notice. At one point in this past semester I ended up going to the state capitol about 200 miles away on about 14 hours' notice. It was worth it because I went to lobby and I'm a political science major, but if I hadn't been on top of my upcoming obligations I might've suffered academically for going.
Take time out, at least once a week, to put school work on hold and let yourself have a few good laughs
This is a sanity break, if there's food involved it's called a gluttonfest. For me, every Friday night at 11pm I'd go to an all-audience participation improv show in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. For three dollars each night, it was a small price to pay for time to get some good laughs and, like so many of the other things I mentioned, make friends. So find something that'll make you laugh and just have some good times each week, even if it's just you and some friends watching stupid movies in your dorm room.
Keep your eye on the prize
You're there to get your degree. Don't get caught up in petty drama and don't let yourself get derailed. That picture, right there, is of me in my academic regalia taken after my commencement ceremony on May 3rd. I can't even tell you how much of an accomplishment it felt like. It's something you need to experience yourself. Just don't blow it, and especially don't blow it by drinking every night. Seriously guys, it's bad for your health and it gets progressively less pleasant to wake up the morning after unable to get the smell of alcohol off of your breath.
And now I work in an office all day for an organization I gained familiarity with while in college. While I love doing what I do now, college really was an incredible time that really helped me develop people skills, interests, and ultimately generated me a degree in economics and political science, with a minor in history. I freely admit I learned more from the people around me and the people I interacted with than I did in my coursework, and that is the true value of college--the degree in many ways is just the icing on the cake.
Hi! I'm Sherissa. :) I'm 20 years old, and I've been in a steady relationship for over three years. I'm currently attending college in Wisconsin in hopes of someday becoming a school guidance counselor or working in a reduced-cost clinic. I love video games, music, art, movies, books, volunteering, and working on computers. I would eat crab rangoon and drink Diet Coke for the rest of my life if I could!