Where to go to College...

[MacAztec]

Well, I am applying to schools and everything right now, and I really am not sure where I want to go. I would like to Major in Computer Engineering or Computer Science.

I have lived in Southern California my whole life, and I love the beach, surfing, that whole scene. There are three things I can see myself doing in the future for College, as I would like to move away from the area and meet some new people after High School.

1) Go to the AirForce Academy. I know that I would get one of the best Educations possible, I would become a very smart, and disciplined person also. I would even get to live a dream of mine, which is being a fighter pilot. Something I have always wanted to do. The thing I don't like is how strict it is. You can hardly ever leave on weekends, you always have to be back on weekends, you must be in your dorm room at 10PM, etc. I don't know if I could do that.

2) Go to a good California school. Something along the lines of UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, Cal State San Louis Obispo, etc. I would enjoy being by the beach, the relaxed atmosphere, etc.

3) Go somewhere in the Mid-West. University of Michigan in particular. Great area, awesome engineering school. It would be cool to live somewhere new for a while. My Dad played football there, so we know a few people that could help me with living. My parents were thinking about building a Condo out there, and I could live there my second year. I could get a job working for a Contracter we know out there, football games would be nuts too. Could be fun.

I'm really not sure what I want to do yet. I have always wanted to be a fighter pilot, just the fact that I am flying a 35+ Million dollar jet would be crazy. I also would like to live by the beach, relax, go to school, etc. Moving to Michigan would be cool too, meet new people, get a great education, nice job, etc.

Decisions...decisions....

any opinions?

 

[macbaseball]

If you've lived in So Cal all of your life you probably wouldn't enjoy the winter in Michigan. Of you California schools list, I would go to Cal Poly or UC Santa Barbara over UC Santa Cruz, just because they seem to have a better reputation. One of my friends jsut went up to UC Santa Cruz and wasn't a big fan of it. The majority of the people from around here go to those to schools, or go down to San Diego. Have you considered UC San Diego? La Jolla seems like a great beach town, although I"m not sure about the surf, or if it's too urban for you.

 

[Sun Baked]

Since it's an engineering school, the quality of the education counts.

Sounds like you have a couple areas where you can get residential and financial help.

It isn't like business and law school where the people you schmooze with are sometimes far more important than the education in placing you on the corporate ladder.

 

[iGary]

Not to be a downer, but if you have not started the road to the Airforce Academy already, your chances are slim. You could always enlist and go from there...

 

[MacAztec]

I have considered UC San Diego, but I visited the campus and I didn't really like the enviroment. I don't know why, I just didn't feel it I guess.

I was thinking that the cold winters in Michigan would suck, but I would be back home for the Summers (in california), at the beach. I don't know at this point really.

While I like California and everything, the weather, enviroment, etc., I am sick of the place. I want to go away from California for a few years, but I'm not sure if I should do it during college, or after college.

 

[macbaseball]

I have considered UC San Diego, but I visited the campus and I didn't really like the enviroment. I don't know why, I just didn't feel it I guess.

I was thinking that the cold winters in Michigan would suck, but I would be back home for the Summers (in california), at the beach. I don't know at this point really.

While I like California and everything, the weather, enviroment, etc., I am sick of the place. I want to go away from California for a few years, but I'm not sure if I should do it during college, or after college.

Why not go to college in the Bay Area. Although you would be in an urban atmosphere (Not sure if you care), you would still be able to surf, and from the people I've talked to, it's a big change from So Cal. Also, you wouldn't be charged out of state tuition. (Not sure of your finacial situation)

Edit:

Have you checked out Berkeley. It's the type of place where you either love it immediately, or you don't. My uncle was one of those people who feel in love with it, and is still talking about his great times there. Also it has a good engineering program, but it's difficult to get into academically.

 

[MacAztec]

Not to be a downer, but if you have not started the road to the Airforce Academy already, your chances are slim. You could always enlist and go from there...

How do you figure? I know 2 people that go there from my school, and both never really planned ahead on applying there. The AirForce Academy wants me to go there, I am pretty intelligent and athletic.

 

[rickvanr]

I suggest at apply at SFU in Vancouver, U of T in Toronto, Queen's in Kingston, and McGill in Montreal.

Top notch school's and financially they don't rip you off like American schools.

 

[iGary]

How do you figure? I know 2 people that go there from my school, and both never really planned ahead on applying there. The AirForce Academy wants me to go there, I am pretty intelligent and athletic.

So you have your senator's nommination?

 

[MacAztec]

Why not go to college in the Bay Area. Although you would be in an urban atmosphere (Not sure if you care), you would still be able to surf, and from the people I've talked to, it's a big change from So Cal. Also, you wouldn't be charged out of state tuition. (Not sure of your finacial situation)

I applied to UCSF, I like the area around there. My financial situation is kinda tight, my parents aren't wealthy, but they aren't poor.

 

[MacAztec]

So you have your senator's nommination?

Sure do, my Grandparents are good friends of Mary Bono, and she wrote me a nice nomination.

 

[iGary]

Sure do, my Grandparents are good friends of Mary Bono, and she wrote me a nice nomination.

Then go - it would be stupid not to.

 

[MacAztec]

Then go - it would be stupid not to.

Well, I feel like the AirForce Academy is way too strict for my liking. This is an average day over there (according to two people I know that go there):

Wake up around 7:15, put on your proper dress attire (which is usually the blue collared shirt, slacks, maybe a jacket, etc.)

Go to the meal hall at 8, wait for EVERYONE to enter before you sit down. Eat their food.

Classes all day until about 2-3.

Train with your marching team and all that stuff.

Dinner, same as breakfast, you wait for everyone to enter and eat and stuff.

After dinner, you can study or do whatever, but you have to be IN YOUR ROOM at 10. Even on weekends.

If your marching platoon does good enough, you get credits, and once you have enough, you can leave on a weekend once every now and then.

NO TVs until you are a Senior in school.

Always in dress attire.

Sounds like you would learn alot, but I don't see myself falling in to the scheduled days like that, wehre you have to go to bed at certain times, eat with everyone, etc. Not my thing I guess...but I don't know yet

 

[eva01]

You want to become a Fighter Jet pilot but your too lazy to go through the training and usual day of going to the AirForce Academy.

Looks like you wont be becoming a pilot any time soon then

 

[MacAztec]

You want to become a Fighter Jet pilot but your too lazy to go through the training and usual day of going to the AirForce Academy.

Looks like you wont be becoming a pilot any time soon then

Exactly. I want to have a fun college experience. Maybe I will tryout the AirForce after college, who knows.

 

[tweakers_suck]

Exactly. I want to have a fun college experience. Maybe I will tryout the AirForce after college, who knows.

After college, you could go to Air Force OCS (officer candidate school). I almost went that route, but decided to stay in the Los Angeles area.

You could still become a pilot assuming your eyes don't suck like mine do

 

[Chundles]

Come Down Under!!

I live a 1 minute walk from the beach and a 25 minute walk from the Uni. It's great!! Ultra-relaxed atmosphere, a long way away from the interfering parentals, long hot lazy summers, short sharp winters and the chance of skiing on the weekends in the mountains about 5 hours away (5 hours is not a long way). Our mountains may be small but there's nothing like them or the party atmosphere anywhere else in the world.

Don't limit yourself to domestic unis, give one of ours a go.

 

[puckhead193]

Come Down Under!!

Talk about coming home on the weekend! Why do u want to be near the beach? WHat about the 10 billion schools in the boston area.... or my friend goes to GW in DC, he likes it, that's all he talks about

 

[devilot]

If money is an issue, you have to realize that out of state public universities cost almost as much as a private uni in state... add to that, if you want to attend a private uni in another state, that ramps up the price tag to an even more ludicrous standing.

Berkeley. Sigh. I <3 the city. But I personally, couldn't connect with the people I met there (even though plenty of my other buddies figured I'd be perfect for Bezerkeley since I can be wacky/weird/crazy ).

To the OP, listen to your gut instincts.

You probably wouldn't do well w/ the strict regulations at the Air Force place, so don't lie to yourself saying you could just 'get used to it.' You knew right off the bat that UCSD wasn't right for you. I wish I had listened to my gut instincts because I knew I wouldn't be happy at Cal, even though all of my family and my own stupid pride was pressuring me to go to Cal. (That said, Go Bears! And I still try to watch the Big Game each year. )

 

[jefhatfield]

Well, I am applying to schools and everything right now, and I really am not sure where I want to go. I would like to Major in Computer Engineering or Computer Science.

two very different majors so that could greatly influence your decision

in california, cal and stanford are tops in computer science...as for computer engineering, i haven't heard of any name that stands out as the "leader" in that field

i went to cal poly as a business major back when it was primarily an agriculture school but these days, its engineering program is very good on all levels and it would be easier to get into than cal, and way cheaper than stanford

as for the air force academy and its strict rules, i would search out an alumni of the air force academy and ask them....i have two friends who were in the air force, one enlisted for 6 years and one officer, and they both hated the lack of freedom they had from the military lifestyle

actually there are also two more airmen i kind of know, both pilots, and while they like flying, they are both extremely ambivalent about our president's complete lack of strategy and direction in iraq...the air force will probably have some pilots retire early due to this war...and as we know people are not knocking down the doors of the army recruiter, either