Help Me Choose a School to Finish My Degree Please!

[JN8642]

WARNING! LONG POST!

So I’m 25 and this spring I'll finally be going back to school and finishing my degree and I'm really excited! It should take me roughly two years I expect. The only problem is I don't know which to choose (There are eight). Each school has the degree I was originally working towards so that's not an issue; I'll be visiting each school as well soon to check them out in person. I love the sound of each school and I asked the counselors a lot of questions.

I'd just like to know what you guys like and why. The area itself is important too since if the area is depressing, then I'd probably have a depressing time, so I'd like to know what people think who have lived in the area.

I've read a lot about each school, the area that each is in, and have been to a few of the areas. Also so everyone is aware, I do have family within reasonable distance of each school so please no "Oh you shouldn't be that far from your family" advice.

I've been accepted to a handful of them but am waiting to hear back from others.

CUNY Brooklyn - So I grew up in Queens, in fact I go back there a few times a month, so being here won't be too new. I personally love Brooklyn, I go to shows there all the time and the music scene is great. I love the look of the school and the general ages of all the students vary so me living in a dorm wouldn't be weird. I can easily become a NY resident again so that I'd get the free tuition but I don't want to let that be the reason I'd choose CUNY, I have one life to live and I want to experience the world and am prepared for some good ole debt haha.

University of Oregon - This school is in Eugene, a lot of people outside of the people I've talked to at the university have said that this is a fun area for people 18-34. There's a lot to do if you like the outdoors (hiking is a huge hobby of mine), great music, fun city, and there's a great variety of people that live there and that it isn't expensive as well. It would probably be a better idea if I lived in a student apartment or a shared house as the age range in the dorms is on the younger side and I don't want to be the weird dude in his mid twenties in the dorms. Also I know it's a huge party school, and I'm still into that but not with people who are fresh out of high school, I'm fine if a bunch of them are, but I don't want to be the ONLY person there over 21 hahaha.

Willamette University - This school is in Salem, OR. This school looks great and it seems like it's a tight knit school spirited community which I'd love to be a part of and the age range is vast so dorms wouldn't be weird for me or anyone (Which is nice too since the housing section on the areas Craigslist is kinda barren). Again I saw that there's a lot to do if you like the outdoors. The town itself doesn't seem all that great(The surrounding towns do though) but the schools the most important part.

Linfield College - This is in McMinville, OR and sounds similar to how Willamette is except more tight knit and the overall area seems better since it's not far from Portland. Age range seems good too so dorms would work. It’s probably my top choice to be honest.

University of Nevada Reno - I love Reno, I used to live there and had the most influential period of my life there. I have a ton of close friends in the area, and my brother lives only a half days drive away in Vegas. As awesome as Reno is, parts of it also kind of suck if you know what I mean. The age range is definitely on the younger side so I'd live off campus definitely. The program I'm after is great at UNR but I generally didn't like the school when I was there but again, the important part is the quality of the program.

University of Alaska Anchorage - Real quick, I like living in new places where I don't know anyone, I've done it a lot, and it’s a great part of the adventure. So the program is great, but from pictures, both the school and Anchorage itself look very dreary. People I know that have lived or been there say it's great though, there's a lot to do besides outdoor activities, and supposedly the city is nice. I guess I'll find out when I visit. Dorms seem like the best option.

University of Montana – This is in Missoula. I love Montana; I was living out of my car north of Missoula shortly due to some stuff that happened when I lived in Washington. Very friendly area for the most part minus a few outspoken racists who didn’t take kindly to me telling them they were wrong (It turned out fine haha). The campus looks awesome, great program, everyone I spoke to there have been amazingly helpful, and dorms seem fine as well as living off campus.

Colorado Mesa University – This is in Grand Junction, pretty much the same thing, program seems spectacular, great area, dorms or off campus seem fine, relaxed atmosphere. I worked at a ski resort in the area, fun place in winter but easily a 10/10 in the spring/summer.

I’d say my overall order of preference by school/program/area, combined (Prior to visiting each school) would be:

1. Linfield College
2. University of Oregon
3. Colorado Mesa University
4. University of Montana
5. CUNY Brooklyn
6. University of Alaska Anchorage
7. University of Nevada Reno
8. Willamette University

Feels kind of weird posting about this on TB but hey, the Off Topic section is pretty great for stuff like this!

 

[Stumbo]

I'd choose UoO.

Being older Is an advantage on many ways.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

I went to a university undergrad. I have since worked at a college. I would recommend choosing a college for undergrad (but you only have one on your list) simply due to the rather different environment it creates for undergrad education (the absence of grad students makes a great cultural change in undergraduate courses.) That is, unless the only place you can get the program you want is at a university. Roughly, and allowing for it being simplistic, colleges educate undergrads, and universities educate grad students, while churning out a supply of undergrads (who have very minimal access to professors, who are focussed on research and grad students; the grad students do the bulk of the teaching of undergrads, not always well.)

 

[Killed_by_Death]

CUNY always makes me giggle

Didn't Neil Young attend there for a bit?

 

[viribus]

I've lived in Eugene since 1990. My sister worked at UO in the Knight Library for 24 years, just retired. New off-campus student housing is going up all over the place. Eugene is large enough to have whatever you want, whether it's movies, plays, concerts, UO Sports with world-class football, basketball, and baseball facilities. And we're Tracktown USA.

The city is largely politically to the left or progressive, but get out in farm & ranch country and it's more likely to lean conservative.

Unfortunately downtown Eugene has a serious homeless problem. Or they're sometimes called travelers. They live on the streets, panhandling, shooting up, relieving themselves, and generally annoying people who need to go downtown for employment or business.

Generally high tolerance for "outsiders". Not a lot of people of color here, but not overt hostility either (in general). Many very good brewpubs.

Two hours to Portland.

 

[hondo4life]

I started college when I was 24. It was the worst three years of my life. Ten years later, and I just started working on my junior year for the second time. This time, I am doing it better. 100% online, half time, no annoying kids, and I keep my full time job. I will not let a school's unrealistic financial aid policies and thousands of snotty 18 year olds determine my future and my quality of life.

 

[craigie]

In skimming your post I didn't see what you are studying. If it's an arts degree you may wish to consider which fast food chains are in the area so you know your job prospects on gradation.

Just kidding. Good for you for investing in yourself!! I went back as a mature student and it's the best thing I ever did.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Have you been in contact with advisors for your area of study at each school?
You should try to find out how well the classes you've already taken will mesh with their programs.
You also want to see which schools are a good fit for you.
You need to visit their campus' and talk to their people.
It may be a process of elimination more than a process of choosing one.

 

[eJake]

Dude go to CUNY for free then two years later you can use all that money you saved to go adventure. In my not so humble opinion paying a bunch for school is a poor investment for artists. I made it all the way through a 4 year degree (2 years community college in Chicago then 2 years at University of New Orleans) only spending about 20 grand and it still feels like too much.

College is awesome, get a degree, but if you're set on being an artist think about how much money you'll be making before you go into good old fashion debt.

 

[Justinvs]

First the disclaimer: I'm a collage drop-out and quitting school was among the best decisions I ever made. Having said that...

I voted for U of M. Being a Montanan I'm prejudiced, but it is a good school and the cost is fairly reasonable, as are living expenses. FWIW, my daughter briefly attended U of O, but Eugene was just too much of a culture shock and the tuition too high (despite a huge scholarship she earned) so she is transferring to Boise State instead.

 

[Lobster11]

I went to a university undergrad. I have since worked at a college. I would recommend choosing a college for undergrad (but you only have one on your list) simply due to the rather different environment it creates for undergrad education (the absence of grad students makes a great cultural change in undergraduate courses.) That is, unless the only place you can get the program you want is at a university. Roughly, and allowing for it being simplistic, colleges educate undergrads, and universities educate grad students, while churning out a supply of undergrads (who have very minimal access to professors, who are focussed on research and grad students; the grad students do the bulk of the teaching of undergrads, not always well.)

Between my undergrad, MA program, PhD program, two post-docs, and my current job of 25 years, I've been around colleges and universities of all stripes and sizes, and this is the advice that I ordinarily give -- the one main exception being if your goal is to continue on to graduate school at a research university, in which case there are distinct advantages to attending a research-oriented institution as an undergraduate.

However, the people seeking such advice are usually coming straight from high school and planning for four years. Since you are considerably older (and presumably wiser) and would only be completing the last two years, I'm not sure the same advice applies. The differences between a small school/college and large school/university are much more pronounced in your first couple of years than afterwards. At a big university, your classes in the first two years are likely to be very large (like, many hundreds), and many are likely to be taught by graduate students. You might not even meet an actual professor in your first two years, and nobody will know you by name. As you move into more advanced classes in your later years, though, classes will become much smaller and will usually be taught by professors. So, I wouldn't treat the small-vs-large or college-vs-university issue as an important factor in your case.

I don't know what kind of information these schools are feeding you about "age ranges," but I strongly suspect that at any of these schools you'll find that nearly everybody living in the dorms is 18-20 years old -- i.e., just out of high school, and mainly freshmen and sophomores. You'll probably feel like an old fart living in the dorm. At many/most schools it is common for students to live in the dorms for their first two years, but then move off-campus thereafter. So, as you evaluate the potential living situation at the various schools, I would ignore the dorms and focus on the availability and cost of apartments or other housing options.

Actually, now that I've said that it occurs to me that there might be a potential advantage to choosing a university that has graduate students: Graduate students will be closer to your own age than most undergrads, and might well turn out to be the people you wind up hanging out with or sharing an apartment or house with.

Just a few thoughts off the top of my head. Let me know if I can help in any other way....

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

consider which fast food chains are in the area so you know your job prospects on gradation.

Don't you mean "prospects on degradation"?

 

[jmattbassplaya]

WARNING! LONG POST!

So I’m 25 and this spring I'll finally be going back to school and finishing my degree and I'm really excited! It should take me roughly two years I expect. The only problem is I don't know which to choose (There are eight). Each school has the degree I was originally working towards so that's not an issue; I'll be visiting each school as well soon to check them out in person. I love the sound of each school and I asked the counselors a lot of questions.

I'd just like to know what you guys like and why. The area itself is important too since if the area is depressing, then I'd probably have a depressing time, so I'd like to know what people think who have lived in the area.

I've read a lot about each school, the area that each is in, and have been to a few of the areas. Also so everyone is aware, I do have family within reasonable distance of each school so please no "Oh you shouldn't be that far from your family" advice.

I've been accepted to a handful of them but am waiting to hear back from others.

CUNY Brooklyn - So I grew up in Queens, in fact I go back there a few times a month, so being here won't be too new. I personally love Brooklyn, I go to shows there all the time and the music scene is great. I love the look of the school and the general ages of all the students vary so me living in a dorm wouldn't be weird. I can easily become a NY resident again so that I'd get the free tuition but I don't want to let that be the reason I'd choose CUNY, I have one life to live and I want to experience the world and am prepared for some good ole debt haha.

University of Oregon - This school is in Eugene, a lot of people outside of the people I've talked to at the university have said that this is a fun area for people 18-34. There's a lot to do if you like the outdoors (hiking is a huge hobby of mine), great music, fun city, and there's a great variety of people that live there and that it isn't expensive as well. It would probably be a better idea if I lived in a student apartment or a shared house as the age range in the dorms is on the younger side and I don't want to be the weird dude in his mid twenties in the dorms. Also I know it's a huge party school, and I'm still into that but not with people who are fresh out of high school, I'm fine if a bunch of them are, but I don't want to be the ONLY person there over 21 hahaha.

Willamette University - This school is in Salem, OR. This school looks great and it seems like it's a tight knit school spirited community which I'd love to be a part of and the age range is vast so dorms wouldn't be weird for me or anyone (Which is nice too since the housing section on the areas Craigslist is kinda barren). Again I saw that there's a lot to do if you like the outdoors. The town itself doesn't seem all that great(The surrounding towns do though) but the schools the most important part.

Linfield College - This is in McMinville, OR and sounds similar to how Willamette is except more tight knit and the overall area seems better since it's not far from Portland. Age range seems good too so dorms would work. It’s probably my top choice to be honest.

University of Nevada Reno - I love Reno, I used to live there and had the most influential period of my life there. I have a ton of close friends in the area, and my brother lives only a half days drive away in Vegas. As awesome as Reno is, parts of it also kind of suck if you know what I mean. The age range is definitely on the younger side so I'd live off campus definitely. The program I'm after is great at UNR but I generally didn't like the school when I was there but again, the important part is the quality of the program.

University of Alaska Anchorage - Real quick, I like living in new places where I don't know anyone, I've done it a lot, and it’s a great part of the adventure. So the program is great, but from pictures, both the school and Anchorage itself look very dreary. People I know that have lived or been there say it's great though, there's a lot to do besides outdoor activities, and supposedly the city is nice. I guess I'll find out when I visit. Dorms seem like the best option.

University of Montana – This is in Missoula. I love Montana; I was living out of my car north of Missoula shortly due to some stuff that happened when I lived in Washington. Very friendly area for the most part minus a few outspoken racists who didn’t take kindly to me telling them they were wrong (It turned out fine haha). The campus looks awesome, great program, everyone I spoke to there have been amazingly helpful, and dorms seem fine as well as living off campus.

Colorado Mesa University – This is in Grand Junction, pretty much the same thing, program seems spectacular, great area, dorms or off campus seem fine, relaxed atmosphere. I worked at a ski resort in the area, fun place in winter but easily a 10/10 in the spring/summer.

I’d say my overall order of preference by school/program/area, combined (Prior to visiting each school) would be:

1. Linfield College
2. University of Oregon
3. Colorado Mesa University
4. University of Montana
5. CUNY Brooklyn
6. University of Alaska Anchorage
7. University of Nevada Reno
8. Willamette University

Feels kind of weird posting about this on TB but hey, the Off Topic section is pretty great for stuff like this!

Choose the best program you can get into at the cheapest price while remaining close to family and having as many of your hours transfer (and figure the hours thing out before accepting).

 

[JN8642]

First the disclaimer: I'm a collage drop-out and quitting school was among the best decisions I ever made. Having said that...

I voted for U of M. Being a Montanan I'm prejudiced, but it is a good school and the cost is fairly reasonable, as are living expenses. FWIW, my daughter briefly attended U of O, but Eugene was just too much of a culture shock and the tuition too high (despite a huge scholarship she earned) so she is transferring to Boise State instead.

What about it was a culture shock if you don't mind me asking.

 

[JN8642]

In skimming your post I didn't see what you are studying. If it's an arts degree you may wish to consider which fast food chains are in the area so you know your job prospects on gradation.

Just kidding. Good for you for investing in yourself!! I went back as a mature student and it's the best thing I ever did.

Nah no art, I'd love to teach art history though but I'm working to be a English language teacher or a professional translator.

 

[JN8642]

Between my undergrad, MA program, PhD program, two post-docs, and my current job of 25 years, I've been around colleges and universities of all stripes and sizes, and this is the advice that I ordinarily give -- the one main exception being if your goal is to continue on to graduate school at a research university, in which case there are distinct advantages to attending a research-oriented institution as an undergraduate.

However, the people seeking such advice are usually coming straight from high school and planning for four years. Since you are considerably older (and presumably wiser) and would only be completing the last two years, I'm not sure the same advice applies. The differences between a small school/college and large school/university are much more pronounced in your first couple of years than afterwards. At a big university, your classes in the first two years are likely to be very large (like, many hundreds), and many are likely to be taught by graduate students. You might not even meet an actual professor in your first two years, and nobody will know you by name. As you move into more advanced classes in your later years, though, classes will become much smaller and will usually be taught by professors. So, I wouldn't treat the small-vs-large or college-vs-university issue as an important factor in your case.

I don't know what kind of information these schools are feeding you about "age ranges," but I strongly suspect that at any of these schools you'll find that nearly everybody living in the dorms is 18-20 years old -- i.e., just out of high school, and mainly freshmen and sophomores. You'll probably feel like an old fart living in the dorm. At many/most schools it is common for students to live in the dorms for their first two years, but then move off-campus thereafter. So, as you evaluate the potential living situation at the various schools, I would ignore the dorms and focus on the availability and cost of apartments or other housing options.

Actually, now that I've said that it occurs to me that there might be a potential advantage to choosing a university that has graduate students: Graduate students will be closer to your own age than most undergrads, and might well turn out to be the people you wind up hanging out with or sharing an apartment or house with.

Just a few thoughts off the top of my head. Let me know if I can help in any other way....

I only asked CUNY, UO, UAA, and Linfield about the age ranges in the dorms, the rest they just told me the general age range of the student body. You're right though, especially at UO(Pretty much it's all 18-20). The other three told me that everyone was about 18-24 mostly in the dorms. I used to go to the University of Southern Maine and the age range in the dorms there was literally 18-30ish, was kinda weird but chill at the same time but I know that's rare in college haha. An apartment or house with grad students sounds a lot nicer though to be honest.

The only core class I did not take was math, always was awful at it. A little nervous about a giant class for my math since I'm guessing it'll go at a real quick pace and I'll probably need to make tutoring appointments everyday but I'll figure it out.

 

[JN8642]

I've lived in Eugene since 1990. My sister worked at UO in the Knight Library for 24 years, just retired. New off-campus student housing is going up all over the place. Eugene is large enough to have whatever you want, whether it's movies, plays, concerts, UO Sports with world-class football, basketball, and baseball facilities. And we're Tracktown USA.

The city is largely politically to the left or progressive, but get out in farm & ranch country and it's more likely to lean conservative.

Unfortunately downtown Eugene has a serious homeless problem. Or they're sometimes called travelers. They live on the streets, panhandling, shooting up, relieving themselves, and generally annoying people who need to go downtown for employment or business.

Generally high tolerance for "outsiders". Not a lot of people of color here, but not overt hostility either (in general). Many very good brewpubs.

Two hours to Portland.

Not to ask such an upfront question, but is it a stuck up city? When I was 22 I visited LA when I was moving for an old job and the people my age and others as well seemed really stuck up. People back in Queens and Reno were a lot more down to earth. Sorry, I know it's a broad question to ask.

I think I know what you mean by travelers, the "by choice homeless" I hear them being called a lot lately. We had a wide mix of them and the "real thing" (I suppose you'd call it that) back in the Reno area.

 

[Rickengeezer]

I'd say UOregon is the only world class research university on your list. Such places provide potential opportunities you simply won't get elsewhere, but they are large and it is up to you as an undergraduate to be ambitious and take advantage of it. Easy to be another face in the crowd otherwise. Getting involved in research at such a place that is relevant to what you want to do can be really important, regardless of what it is you want to do.

Eugene has an aging hippie vibe--it's not snobbery, but there is an element of "more organic than thou" to it. However, with so many undergraduates, I'd guess the student body is pretty diverse and you should be able to find your niche.

 

[buldog5151bass]

At age 25, you will not get much from dorm life. None of those schools stick out academically. I would go with whatever school:

1. Is cheapest
2. Has a better career services office to help you get a job after you graduate.
3. Is where you think you want to live.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

At age 25, you will not get much from dorm life. None of those schools stick out academically. I would go with whatever school:

1. Is cheapest
2. Has a better career services office to help you get a job after you graduate.
3. Is where you think you want to live.

Yeah career services is a huge thing to consider. Also, picking a city that you might considering staying in semi long term to work your first job is great advice. It'll make an easy transition to gain your much needed entry level experience.