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Switching Gears?Oct 27 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Could be the best opportunity to leave academic life with a bang instead of a whimper... If you're seriously reading this epinion for a word of advice, chances are the thrill is gone from your academic life for more reasons than one. It takes a big commitment to invest two to four years of your life at an institution in the first place, and if you're looking at the door after rethinking that choice, then it's time to look real hard before you leap again. It's a relationship just like any other: you have to analyze what went wrong between you and your school, and whether or not it's worth saving, or moving on to greener pastures. The most important thing is to find the Right Place this time. The most important thing to consider is whether or not your degree program and credits are transferrable to your new college. You need to remember that college recruiters are low-paid and have a job to sell seats. They will 'yes' you to death just to get you to forward that tuition payment and let the next guy along the conveyor belt sort the mess out. If you need to go down your transcript course by course, then by all means do so, and have written verification mailed for peace of mind. If there's a couple of courses you have to retake, consider the costs of money and time. If you feel good about the sacrifice, then full speed ahead. The next bugaboo is money, honey. It costs a lot more to go to Harvard than to UTSA, and your Federal loan (Stafford or whatever) only goes to $35k or so. If your rich daddy's footing the bill, that's fine, or if you're a vinyl siding sales wizard or strip teaser by night, don't sweat it. If you're in the trenches like most of us, start looking for scholarships, or a cheaper place to go. Nothing will sink your ship faster than busting out your loan program before you bag that diploma. Finally, what's it gonna be like after hours? Are you gonna be satisfied in Hicktown, or do you need the hustle and bustle of downtown LA or NYC? Are you going to need a whole new wardrobe for winter near Canada, or will you simply have to cut your pants legs off above the holes in the knees for all those beach parties? Is your intended school known for its camaraderie or are you gonna have to shell out bucks for Greek-style fellowship? Do you have reliable wheels or is your new home known for its outstanding metro system? Do they have the kind of clubs and activities you like, or are you going to spend inordinate amounts of time in the local beer joint? This is a major jump, so be absolutely certain that you wanna kiss your designated alma mater goodbye. If there was a drastic change in the college's degree programs, or administrative philosophy, or the architectural scheme or the sports program, talk it over with the Dean before bailing out. Lots of times those sudden changes affect the faculty more than the students, and there are major negotiations underway to right the perceived wrong before solutions ever come to light. Maybe they've got something in mind that may help you decide to stick it out. Bottom line: look before you leap/still waters run deep, like in the song. Do your homework on your new home and make sure you're sure about your old home. You don't want everybody going around telling you how they hate to say they told you so.  |
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