Higher Education

So I'm in the position of feeling the deep and complicated need to go to college in a country where the cost of college is often prohibitive, and where the standardized education system makes big problems for people like me who are very focused in their interests. But personal stuff aside - I want to attend a place of higher learning. I've been going to the local Junior College for ages now, and while it's considered one of the best in the country, I still feel that it's lacking in some respects. Besides, I want to move and live someplace else for a while.

I've been thinking of a school in Boulder Colorado called Naropa, but I've heard some... rather mixed reviews on it so far. The things that are drawing me to it: test-optional status for entry (I've never bothered with SAT/ACT or any of the others, nor did I attend high school/secondary), and the focus on self-directed, eastern-inspired learning styles. Unfortunately that also seems to walk hand in hand with education standards that are considered pretty damn low - and could therefore make getting into a good post-grad school harder (though I suppose the GREs would take care of any ambiguity as to my abilities, should I really decide to go that route).

But I figured that since we have a varied and eclectic group of people on the forums here, I might as well go ahead and see what all of you have to say on the subject. I'm interested in hearing what you have to say about schools you attended and your experiences there, your thoughts on the worth of attending higher education, your opinions on Naropa specifically - if you know something about it, your thoughts on schools you've heard of that are good or that you might want to attend, thoughts on the education system of your area or country versus other areas or countries. Basically just a wide discussion on the whole kit and caboodle. Aaaannnndddd.... GO.

Just some advice from a current masters student who's in the process of applying to phd programs. At least in my field and most other fields that I know of your GRE scores are like the SAT scores of graduate school. Unless your field has a subject GRE test then it might be weighted more i.e. chemistry has a subject GRE test. They are more like a way of weeding people out since graduate schools receive far more applications then they can ever accept. They might make a small amount of difference for masters programs though, but not really for phd programs so much as long as you meet that programs minimum requirements. In most cases the general advice for getting into good phd programs is to get as much experience doing research as you can during your undergraduate program or masters program, have a great gpa here the standards of the school you went to really matters, and make sure you get fantastic letters of reference.

Locksley wrote: So I'm in the position of feeling the deep and complicated need to go to college in a country where the cost of college is often prohibitive, and where the standardized education system makes big problems for people like me who are very focused in their interests. But personal stuff aside - I want to attend a place of higher learning. //
But I figured that since we have a varied and eclectic group of people on the forums here, I might as well go ahead and see what all of you have to say on the subject. I'm interested in hearing what you have to say about schools you attended and your experiences there, your thoughts on the worth of attending higher education,//
Basically just a wide discussion on the whole kit and caboodle. Aaaannnndddd.... GO.

I follow a study water management at the estate of Van Hall Larenstein and I guess that I can say that higher education is certainly a good way to create a wide grip for jobs, also the conditions are most of the time more healthy. However, understanding what lower education does is just as important as higher education. Or a losing a leadership position is irreversible. For if your knowledge is no guarantee, have fun with the path of learning, but keep an eye open for future possibilities! Can come in handy.

may the force be with you,

~ Aqua

Morning Locksley,

I attended one of the top public universities in the US, often calling itself a public ivy. I transferred in after attending two junior/community colleges and found the studying to be of a much higher quality, yet still not living up to the navel gazing standards claimed. Some of my classes did not seem worth the thousands of dollars I was spending for each credit. However, many of my classes expanded my horizons giving me new perspectives on life or new life skills I now apply at work. Ultimately, I think most of us would agree that college seems too expensive for the material gained, but with that said, would also agree that college has opened many doors previously closed off. Be mindful of your purpose for attending; some attend for careers, others for personal growth. The cost/benefit may come down to your choice of subject area, depending on your reason for attending. It sounds like you are in the same situation I was with little outside money to help, and the majority of payment coming from grants, scholarships, and financial aid (debt). That is ok, repayment is based on income and often gives 20-30 to repay. Don't squander your time, enjoy your studies, broaden your horizon, and for the love of God try to study abroad or get a good internship and you'll do great things.

EDIT: As far as grad school, is the school you are thinking of attending accredited? This plus your GRE, GMAT, LSAT etc (depending on area of study and school applying to) are the most important factors in the grad school accepting your undergraduate studies.

I wouldn't worry too much about the grad school 'respecting' your undergraduate school of choice. Here is some anecdotal evidence. My cousin, a beautiful mind to say the least, knew he wanted to get into theoretical physics in high school. So, his dad being a teacher connected him with one of the better schools in the area's physics department for a guidance discussion. While talking with the professor, my cousin was told, "don't worry about where you get your BS, just worry about how well you do." He took this to heart, stayed close to his family so he could focus on studying, got through Calc 5 (a foreign language I'm pretty sure) and graduate with top honors; this all from a smaller school in Bellingham WA that hardly anyone outside of the PNW has heard of. Upon graduation my cousin was offered a few job opportunities, but decided to forego them for the all expenses paid graduate program at OSU where he know studies and researches high level nano physics. He didn't go to MIT or Standford, but still ended up doing what he loves because he focused on the important aspects of his education, the quality, his grades.