In the beginning of February, I asked you guys to share some of your lingering questions about college. Here are some of my answers.
Before we get started, I want to encourage you to double-check my answers with your counselor on on the college of your choice’s web site. I am doing my best to answer the questions accurately, but PLEASE make sure.

Did I get in? Other people have acceptances and I don’t. OMG Becky! (<Actual quote from student question.)

Calm down. The acceptances can roll out over months. Usually you’ll know by the end of March.

What is college? How is college? 

I’m not sure if this one is serious. How is college? I mean… it’s really stressful and hard and also one of the best experiences of my life. I really loved choosing my own courses (and hours, and break schedule), I loved being challenged to think more holistically, I liked being rewarded for hard work, and I finally could stop taking math!

Is college worth the stress it’s putting me through?

Probably. I mean, college isn’t for everyone. But there are a lot of ways to look at its benefits. First, there’s the fact that a college degree, on average, means more money in your career. For me, I really like having a relatively cushy life instead of #thestruggle all the time. I also like having more choices in careers. Before my degree, it was like “which boring minimum wage job should I go apply for?” But the degree gives a lot more flexibility in terms of what you’re qualified for. I also, personally, just really liked learning and gaining knowledge. Your mileage may vary on that, you know?
There are less tangible benefits, too. You make friends in college, can attend cultural events, get to hear diverse viewpoints and be around people who are unlike you, see lectures and readings and art shows and dance performances and… I mean, it’s pretty awesome, tbh.
On the other hand, if you *don’t* like school and *don’t* enjoy that kind of structure and really want to work with your hands or whatever, then you do you, boo (but I know who wrote this question, and I REALLY think you’re going to like college, actually).

How do you know which classes to take?

Schedule a visit with an academic advisor as soon as you can. But in the meantime, you can also usually look up online which general ed classes are required, and you can choose from among them. If you happen to go to Sac State, you could look here. Otherwise, just Google your college name and “general ed.”

Later on, when you start your major, your department will have more detailed information on that.

Which college would fit me best?

That’s a pretty personal question, and you should make that decision on a number of factors. What do you want to major in? Does the college you’re thinking of attending even HAVE that major (and is it available or impacted)? Does it have a good reputation in that department (you should be able to Google that).
Also, are you comfortable living far away from your parents? (Are you DYING to live far away from your parents?) Do you want to live in a city or in a more rural area? Check the diversity of your campus – one might have a vibrant Southeast Asian community, and one may not. Could you live in a city with no kapoon? Would a smaller school feel more comfortable than a larger one? Do you hate the heat or the cold? Would you be better off in a school taught mostly in small seminars or are you fine with huge lecture halls?

You might ask older students (your friends who were seniors last year) where they are and if they like it. Consider going somewhere that a buddy is going so you have a built-in support system!

It can be hard, but a really great thing to do is pick a couple of your top choices and go visit them. At the very least, read about them online. And good luck!

How much money are you giving me? What’s the catch?

Me? Nothing. But go check your school’s web site to see how much they’re offering you. If it’s through a grant, there’s almost no catch (other than that you can’t just walk away with the money — you have to attend school for a minimum number of units and get a minimum GPA). If it’s loans, the catch is that you pay it back someday, but it’s still a better deal than a credit card, personal loan, or (the HORROR) a payday loan. Work study’s catch is that it’s a j-o-b that you actually have to go work at. But on the other hand, it’s usually on campus, which means nearby and usually flexible with your schedule.

Tell me about the ELM test. 

I am afraid I don’t know that much about it, as I took mine 24 years ago (eek!), and it has probably changed since then. This may have better information for you. 

How would you take an out of state placement test?

I’d look it up on the university’s web site. I looked up the University of Oregon, just as an example, and theirs is an online test.

Do we have to pay for the placement tests? 

I looked it up for the CSU system, and it would seem that yes, you do. It looks like it’s $40 for both tests ($20 each), and there’s no fee waiver. HOWEVER! Please make sure you actually have to take it first. Your EPT test from last year could have exempted you, and your IB score can exempt you.

What do credits/units mean?

Usually it’s something like how many hours per week you spent in class. Most CSU classes are three hours per week and give you three units. So if you took “College Composition” in the Fall of 2017, you’d get 3 units for passing. Your university will have a requirement like “48 semester units in general education” which would mean about 16 total classes (for the first two-ish years).

How do you let them know that you’re going to their school? 

Usually it will say in your acceptance. Often you log on to the “Campus Portal” or something like that.

What’s the purpose of passing my IB exams/coursework with a good score?

The sense of accomplishment, pride, and the learning you’ve done! Oh, also? You can usually get college credit for them, which means that if you look at the question two above this one, that number starts going DOWN. If you attend a CSU, and they require 48 units for your general ed, and you passed my IB English class with a 4 or higher, that knocks 3 units off the total. Now you only need 15 classes to be done with G.E.  Add passing scores in Bio, HOTA and math, and now you’ve knocked an entire semester off your college experience.

If I don’t send my ACT or SAT scores, can they really revoke my admission? 

Yup. They can also do it if you fail a bunch of classes this semester. Basically, if they agreed to let you in on the assumption that you were going to do something (send scores, pass classes) and you don’t, they can revoke your admission.

What would have happened if college didn’t exist? 

Dang, TOK style question today! Well, people would still learn complicated math, study anthropology, debate the meaning of life, and make films. They would just have to do it autodidact-style (that means self-taught). My guess is that all the people who wanted to know more about math would start finding each other, getting together to discuss it, listening to lectures by people who understood it better than them, and eventually paying for the privilege. In other words, if college didn’t exist, we’d probably invent it.

How do you handle the stress? 

Lots of ways: Facetiming your mom or your bestie, working out, dancing, listening to music, meditation, walks in the woods, talking with a counselor/psychologist, drinking more water, writing in a journal, praying, taking tae kwon do, watching jellyfish on Netflix (is that just me?), bowling… You have to find what works for you. The only thing that really doesn’t work is doing nothing. If you feel stressed and you just keep trying to plow through, you’re going to have a meltdown. Take some time out to care for your body and mind.

Okay, that was the first batch, and I’ll do the rest later. Good questions, everyone.

Ms. S