What is your opinion about college (read explanation).........?

Question

do you think it's better to go to a prestigious school, even if it means filling up your high school schedule with hard classes, and trying to excel in extra-curricular activities...


.......or do you think it's better to go to an pretty good school (aka 60%+ acceptance rate), do well, and have a more relaxed high school life?

right now i'm on the prestige track..but i'm experiencing burnout or something and I really don't feel up for doing homework all my life for the next two years. I mean, are prestigious schools REALLY that important?

I know people who are on both ends of the spectrum- some who are on that track and are definitely not veering off, and some who just live each day as it is (but they still are successful, if that makes any sense).

any thoughts?

prestigious schools for me are like usc or ucla.

Answer 1

When you look at how your college choice affects your life once you are out, you can start to decide that for yourself.

If you are looking for a career which can be helped by graduating from a high ranking school, then you will want to seriously consider it. However, if you are going in to any career that the degree itself is more important, then the major goal of going to college is to get as much of an education as possible while you are there.

As an example. If you are going in to Law or Med school, the getting in to a high ranked program will help you out throughout your career.

Now, if you are looking at going in to Teaching, or a Computer Science, or an agricultural degree, then finding a school which will allow you to learn what you need while not over stressing, or over charging you, will definately be in your favor.


Once you get out of school, being able to say where you went ends up being a point of pride. Needing to say you went to the absolute best school out there just doesnt play an important role in your career once you have some experience under your belt.

Answer 2

After a few years of being in the working world, it won't really matter what university you went to. In fact, college doesn't really matter unless you want to be a professor or work in the hard sciences/engineering/medicine. If you do go to college, make sure you go for a job right afterwards that requires a degree--if the job you get doesn't require a degree, then what was the point of college? It won't matter in a few years anyway.

I say you need to balance the two, school work and social life. People seem to get so worked up about working hard and getting into good schools that they forget to live life. You're young--live! As you get older you have less friends and the consequences are worse for you mistakes. High school ends, but the work never does. Be sure to enjoy things that are intrinsically good (time with friends) and avoid focusing exclusively on the instrumentally good (working yourself to death to get into a good school, so you can get a good job, so you can make lots of money, so you can have nice things, so you can have more prestige, so you can do better in your job, so you can make more money, etc. etc.)

But also keep in mind that you have a lot of life ahead of you. Don't think that you should just try to extract all the pleasure right now from life. Right now you should be concerned with discovering the talents you have that are worth pursuing. Don't be too concerned with what you want to be when you get older, because you close off doors that don't need to be; be a well-rounded person.

So I would say prestigious schools are not important at all. Going to an ivy league school will not make you smart and going to community college does not mean you are stupid; it is YOU that will determine that. The truth is you can get the same education no matter where you go--just as long as you are willing to work for it. What is more important is if you are an autodidact or not. If you don't know what that means, look it up and you will already be on the path to becoming one.

Answer 3

Probably just matters is who you are and what you want in going to college. Some want to go to a prestigious college for lots of reasons but other people may not care about those same things but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with that. Graduates from certain schools may have an easier time finding jobs. But it can also work against you because not everyone can go to prestigious schools and that potential boss might not want to hire the guy from the elite school. In the end, it's just a matter of knowing who you are and what you want and finding the right fit regardless of what others say. You should try your best so that all avenues are open to you but not to the point of burn out.

Answer 4

I understand that school can be stressful. Hey, I'm a college student at 44, working 50 hours per week and have two kids, so I know what it's like to be stressed out as a student.

Take it from the voice of experience here. The party school may seem fun, but employers do take note of what college you graduate from. While it may seem more easy now to relax on your grades, it may make a big difference in getting the career you want after graduation.

In terms of job offers after graduation, the more prestigious the school, the better chance for better job offers after graduation. It may mean the difference between a 30K job and a 75K job.

Answer 5

The best thing a "prestigious school" could bring you is the INTERACTION with the best people. Learn from each other and be better by being with the best. You do need a very good grade; as it says, the best always be the best in many areas. However, you do need to take care of other soft skills through actively getting into Extra-c activities.
Hope it's useful.

Answer 6

It is really your decision to make if you can handle the work load. If you are getting better than a 3.0 average you are and can. The bottom line is the best school you can get into is the one you should go to. It is not a question of prestige it is of earning power when you graduate. It's plain and simple, Harvard grads earn more than USC or UCLA grads and USC or UCLA earn more than Fresno State grads.

Tough it out now get into USC or UCLA. You'll happy you did. So will your wallet when you graduate with honors four short years from now and get your first real job.

Unless you are billionaires son/daughter. Then it doesn't really matter.

Answer 7

Be PRO-active, not RE-active. Change your attitude - don't worry about what other kids are going through. Who cares? This is your time, time to grab all the knowledge you can to take advantage of this planet the best you can for you and your family. Thing way ahead. Way, way, way ahead. Everything you do now will help you in higher education. Look for the stability you will need. Look for the seconds and minutes, not the days and years. Give it all you got.
Big things seldom come along. One should know the small as well as the big. We may all yearn to make lasting achievements and to be heroes, but life seldom affords us the opportunities to do so. Most of our days consist of small things - the uneventful meditations, the ordinary cooking of meals, washing dishes, the educational studies - and it is from these small things that the larger events of life are composed.
We rarely have the occasion to make grand gestures. The champion gymnast's greatest moment is but an hour out of a lifetime. The works of great artists are viewed for very short times. The master musician's best composition is but one work in a sea of musical tones. If we want to be successful, it is the small things that we should pay attention to.
We must not fall into the trap of waiting so long for the big things that we let numerous small chances slip right by us. People who do this are always waiting for life to be perfect. They complain that fate is against them, that the world does not recognize their greatness. If they would adjust their sights, they would see all the beautiful opportunities swirling at their feet. If they would humble themselves enough to bend down, they could scoop untold treasures into their hands.

Answer 8

Just do your best. Don't let yourself relax TOO MUCH. Stay focused on your studies and what you are learning. Whether you get into that prestigious school or not should be left to God. Just keep trying your best and make sure you stay true to yourself.

I experienced a burnout too so I know what you are going through. But I've just been offered admission to USC so I say just keep at it and it'll work out fine.

Answer 9

If you go to a "prestigious" school it's not only going to be 2 years of hard work but six because to stay in the college you are going to have to work your butt off. in general it won't really matter in the long run what college you go to. As long as your hard working and take initiative you will succeed. Also keep in mind that if you take all these hard classes in hs it's not guaranteed that you will get into the "prestigious" school. my advice is to work hard and have fun at the same time. there needs to be balance. Don't fill your schedule up with all AP classes but rather 2 or 3 AP classes. if you have balance everything will fall into place.

Answer 10

Well it depends on your idea of prestigious school because I want to get into Michigan Tech and it's not really prestigious in the whole picture. But it's still my number one. Even though its not at hard to get in as like harvard or a school like that it I am still pumping my high school with hard classes.