NextStepU - Helping students find the right path!

Hey NextSteppers! It's Laura, the intern at NextStepU Magazine :)

Ever since I started interning here, I've been thinking a lot about my transition from high school to my "next step." The one thing that I really wish I had had was someone that I could talk to who had been through the whole experience already to help me answer some questions that I didn't feel comfortable asking that random tour guide. As an only child, I didn't have the opportunity to watch an older sibling go through the process and I got pretty lost in all the information that seemed to come at me from all sides.

So, that's where this forum comes in! I want to help all of you in the NextStepU community who may be in that same confused boat that I was in. This forum (which I cleverly and originally titled "Ask a College Student") is here for you guys to ask questions about the college process that I hope to be able to answer and help make your lives a little bit easier. I am open to anything: questions about applying, touring, stepping out of your comfort zone, college life, living in a dorm, living with roommates, homework, whatever. (Exceptions include, of course, personal information and questions that make you stop and say, "hmm, maybe that's not exactly appropriate for a public forum.")

And with that, I turn this over to you! Feel free to send me a message through the community boards (my username is InternLaura) or through e-mail at writer@nextstepu.com. I look forward to hearing from you all!

hello friends,

welcome to this forum site

have narrowed down my college choices to 2, but it's going to be hard to make a decision.
What made you choose your college?

Also, what are some tips you have for getting along with the guys/girls in your hall, and your roommate?

---

Debra Fine

First question: There were several things that went into my decision to choose a college. Like you, I had it narrowed down to two different places and I went up until the last weekend to mail in deposits before I actually decided (there was a lot of freaking out involved). The most important thing I would advise is to visit those two places again. It doesn't have to be an official tour or anything, just get a feel for the campus and remind yourself what you liked (and didn't like) so much about the school. I remember when I went back to visit the final two schools I was looking at, I had a sort of "a-ha!" moment when I went back to the campuses. The ability to sort of step back and actually take in the environment that I was going to be a part of for the next four years was sort of lost on me when I first went on my tours (there's only so much information one person can handle!) Once I was able to really get a "feel" for the place I was able to decide where I thought I would best be able to fit in and get the most out of my experience. It may sound kind of silly but trust your gut and don't rely on just the numbers alone.

Second question: Ah, the roommate question. OK, so like I mentioned before I'm an only child so the whole living-with-someone-else prospect was really daunting for me. Like, what do you mean I have to share a bathroom with another person?? Anyway, living with other people can definitely be a challenge but the best advice that I can give is to be as accommodating as possible. The idea of "picking your battles" seems most appropriate to me because no matter what, when two (or more) people are in close proximity for long periods of time, there are going to be some disagreements. There are moments when you need to make your voice heard and others when you need to just let it go. (Example: I picked my battle when my roommate had so much crap piling on her side that I needed a machete to get to my bad. I left it alone when she had that friend over I didn't like). However, I don't want to make it seem like living with other people is going to be all about avoiding disagreements because that's not true at all! Living on campus has been probably the single best decision about college that I've made. It's a seriously liberating experience living with other peers who share your interests and values and can relate to you so much more than your parents can. (Want to stay up until 2 am watching MTV? Do it. Want to cover the ceiling with princess wall paper? Done.) So, condensed answer: living with your best friends rocks, but sometimes you disagree. Pick your battles and everything will be fine. :)

Final question: Don't let your worry of over commitment stop you from doing anything! Seriously, college is the best time to explore absolutely everything that you want to do because it's basically a fresh start over from high school. You don't have to worry about what kinds of activities you were associated with in high school because no one knows you! So go ahead and try out for soccer and the glee club (those are coming back now!) and the newspaper and Spanish club just because you want to. Once you get into the swing of things (figuring out your schedule, how much time you need to devote to homework, making time for friends, etc.) you can figure out whether or not you can handle being involved in everything. If you can't handle it, let it go. If you can then you don't have to regret not trying something. No one is going to ridicule you for not having time to do something; everyone has mountains of homework and activities on their plates and they're all trying to figure out how much they can do too.

Thanks so much for your questions! I hope my answers have been helpful for you.
Best of luck in your college career!! You're going to have a great time :)

Laura