Going Back to College

So, its ‘going back to college’ time – a dreaded time for most of us, but an exciting time for the rest and the holidays are over and you’ve got to begin your search for a college that’s just right for you – an endless, backbreaking search that would leave you most confused to the core. However, your college search doesn’t really have to begin and end with the Ivy League’s and the world-renowned branded colleges. There are so many different colleges out there to choose from – some well known while the others aren’t so famous, but all quite worthy of your attention.

Imagine the future: All those bright young teens right out of high school, gathered on a college campus for a year or more of advanced study to prepare themselves for their future careers. All of them want to end poverty, raise literacy rates, eradicate diseases, reverse global warming, develop ventures for world peace – there isn’t any cause too big for them. They have the energy and drive, they have a fountain of wisdom and connections and experience. Now, all they want is credentials and knowledge to take their leadership a step further.

Don’t you want to be like those bright, young, shiny-eyed kids? Do you want to go out there and do something with your life but the pressure of searching for a good yet affordable college is just bogging you down? Well here are a couple of tips to take that load off you chest:

How to go about choosing a good college?

• Examine yourself and the reason why you want to go college – Before you start your search ask yourself why you really want to go to college. What are your skills and abilities? What are your possible weaknesses? What do you want to become in life? – Do the answers sound real or abstract to you? Talk to friends and family and counselors.

• Your college doesn’t really have to be bigger than your high school – Who said bigger is better? Most colleges have a population that’s fewer than 5,000. College time is the time to explore, since it is a smaller community than high school, it is more favorable to internal exploring. It isn’t about the number of people going to a college, but about the kind of people and communities that actually matter. Most large universities have well established ‘honors colleges’ for these same reasons.

• A renowned college does not guarantee success – Graduates and employers are looking for experience and exceptional skills, not a college thoroughbred. When you’re searching for colleges, enquire about student outcomes, and you will find that there are many so called ‘unknown’ colleges that have outperformed those reputed Ivy League’s and other renowned colleges. Visit the National Survey of Student Engagement for more information.

• College can be affordable – If you think that colleges are exorbitantly expensive because of the tuition, then you will be missing out on a lot. Try looking for other options and ask for advice and help in matters that perplex you, and you will find some very affordable options. Online websites and other financial aid workshops that are sponsored by high schools are freely available. University and college financial aid websites provide information and links too.

Author's Note:

Do you have any questions about career development or lifestyle changes for Baby Boomers, which you think others, like you, would want to know the answers? Please email your questions to me at Anna@AnnaBanks.com.