Still figuring out college stuff. Help me out.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

It's time for me to start applying for colleges. I'm sticking to colleges in Texas, and while I haven't done a lot of research into schools, I've got UT in Austin, ASU, and North Texas State in my mind as good options so far.

But the thing is that now is the time for me to decide my major and minor. I've always thought of myself as working in a news-related environment, such as working for a newspaper, on TV for the news, or on the radio. Something that involves reporting news and/or getting out there and getting the public opinion. I love being on camera, writing, working with videos and stuff of that matter with computers, trying to be the first person with the latest news, and stuff like that (I'm lead anchor, a main video editor, and a director in my multimedia class). But I'm letting the talk of journalism jobs becoming much much harder to find nowadays get into my head and now I'm reconsidering. My choices for both major and minor right now are: Journalism, Radio-Television-Film, Public Relations. I think I've given a good idea of what I wanna do when I'm done with school. If I need to be more descriptive for you to help me out, just tell me.

I'm still getting used to the fact that I'm gonna be a college guy this time next year, so help me out. If you have any tips on which colleges can help me out, or what other major/minor choices can help me out, please say so. Thanks.

[Sp Ginobili 20]

We're in the same boat. I'm so stressed just applying.

[The Reckoning]

UT has a good communications school, but dont declare your major until your sophomore year when you have some core classes out of the way. Focus on be top 10 percent and getting in first.


and if you don't get into UT on your first try, absolutely do the CAP program at UTSA. That school is eaaaaaasy.

Take your UTSA gpa and subtract it by one. That will be your UT gpa. Good luck!

[newacc]

Sample your first year from majors you might be interested in. You don't need a major right away, but I do recommend taking a stand before or at midway through your second year.

You don't need a minor but if you feel like you have to have one, then you can choose in your third year.

Don't feel constrained by the system that's in place. If you need more time, take a 5th year.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Also, my parents believe it would be good for me if I got my basics done in town at the junior college (SWTJC) before I leave for real for college. How wise would that be? How much harder would it be to get in a university like UT after that?

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

We're in the same boat. I'm so stressed just applying.

Me too. It feels like there's so much more that I should have known about before now and I'm falling behind.

[Mavs_man_41]

Also, my parents believe it would be good for me if I got my basics done in town at the junior college (SWTJC) before I leave for real for college. How wise would that be? How much harder would it be to get in a university like UT after that?

very wise choice. won't be quite as overwhelming, and the classes should be easier. your grades will be much better for it

[kbrury]

Also, my parents believe it would be good for me if I got my basics done in town at the junior college (SWTJC) before I leave for real for college. How wise would that be? How much harder would it be to get in a university like UT after that?

You'll need to have a 3.0 GPA to just be considered so pretty much need to be at a 4.0. CC is a cheap option though but are you in the top 10%? If you are I would try your best to just go to UT while you'll be automatically accepted.

I was accepted into UT but got pretty much a free ride from UTSA so I figured I would transfer in two years, but Business school is really hard to get into at UT so idk how its going to go for me lol.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

You'll need to have a 3.0 GPA to just be considered so pretty much need to be at a 4.0. CC is a cheap option though but are you in the top 10%? If you are I would try your best to just go to UT while you'll be automatically accepted.

I was accepted into UT but got pretty much a free ride from UTSA so I figured I would transfer in two years, but Business school is really hard to get into at UT so idk how its going to go for me lol.

CC?
And yes I'm in the top 10%, I'm 41 out of around 530. I do want to go straight to UT, but my parents definitely think I should stay here a year, and I really don't think it's my decision when it comes down to it.

[IronMexican]

CC = community college

[kbrury]

CC?
And yes I'm in the top 10%, I'm 41 out of around 530. I do want to go straight to UT, but my parents definitely think I should stay here a year, and I really don't think it's my decision when it comes down to it.

Community college

I take a couple classes during the summer every year at my community college here in SA and it was very easy and fast. I think my classes were only 4-5 weeks but if you have to go to CC you should be fine if you stay at a 4.0.

[tlongII]

Dude, I would put just about anything as your major. It doesn't really matter until late sophomore early junior year. Just put something that is easy to get into and adjust as you go through school. :tu

[CubanMustGo]

CC?
And yes I'm in the top 10%, I'm 41 out of around 530. I do want to go straight to UT, but my parents definitely think I should stay here a year, and I really don't think it's my decision when it comes down to it.


You are right on the edge. The leg passed a bill this summer allowing UT to reduce the top 10%, I think it's around 8% now. Only UT is doing this, the rest of the state schools are still top 10%. Check into it. Might be a year or two before it gets implemented.

One reason to think about your major now is that there are schools that are stronger in certain majors than other. You might want to apply to a school known for whatever your proposed major is as opposed to selecting a school just because it's a name you're familiar with.

[ashbeeigh]

If you get in to a great school a la UT do not, do not do not pass. You'll regret it.

This is all my opinion of course, if money is an issue then go to community college route (but also make sure the classes transfer that is an issue at times). But if it's not and you can go straight to the typical four year school then do it. The freshman experience is something that cannot be relived. Living on campus, going to the parties, having a good/bad roommate...that's all stuff you won't get if you transfer to the bigger schools later on (you'll probably end up being a commuter by the time you transfer).

Don't decide on a major right away, like a lot of people have said. Sample a lot of things. Get a feel for what the school is like. UNT is a great music school, UT is great all around and Angelo State? I don't know anything about them except that the time I was looking there I heard the food sucked...but that was close to 8 years ago now... also visit visit visit visit. Don't just send off the application, get accepted and send in your deposit. Talk to people who have gone there left for some reason or another and also graduated. Like, TLU, for example..it's not that hard of a school to get in to..but the acadmeics are rigourous and lots of freshmen ended up leaving after the first semester because they couldn't keep up. If i remember correctly my graduating class started with 360 something and we graduated like 250...

In the end, college really does end up shaping a lot of who a person grows up to be. It's a huge decision. Take it slowly and listen to your heart and what you think is the best for you.

[kbrury]

Idk if your interested in the school but Texas State has a great college of Journalism if I remember correctly.

[NoOptionB]

First 2 years of basics go by so fast it doesn't really matter.

I was one of these guys that would have been embarrassed, but now that I think about it - it would not be a big deal.

[coyotes_geek]

CC?
And yes I'm in the top 10%, I'm 41 out of around 530. I do want to go straight to UT, but my parents definitely think I should stay here a year, and I really don't think it's my decision when it comes down to it.

You might want float this idea by your parents. Go straight to UT, but then come home during the summers and knock out a couple of classes at community college on the cheap. I'll second the notion raised earlier about it being difficult to transfer in. The odds of you graduating from UT are better if you start at UT.

Regarding a major, while it's true that you don't have to decide right away you should keep in mind that a lot of programs cap how many students they're going to carry in their program. There is a possibility that you could get squeezed. Even if you don't declare right away, I'd suggest you at least come up with a short list and make contact with each of them to inquire about their policies on changing majors into their program.

[tp2021]

If you're thinking of going to UT but also want to know about possible CC classes, Austin Community College campuses are all over. There's a bus on the Drag that will drop you off about 2 blocks from one. And UT and ACC know each others' catalogs well since almost every UT student has taken an ACC class during the summer. It's cheaper, and everything I've taken transfers; if it won't transfer, one of your advisors will let you know way before it happens.

[Udokafan05]

Also, my parents believe it would be good for me if I got my basics done in town at the junior college (SWTJC) before I leave for real for college. How wise would that be? How much harder would it be to get in a university like UT after that?

CC are great way to save some money. I transferred to Texas State this spring, and there is a difference in difficulty, but as long as you dont have a bad GPA in CC, you should be ok.

[td4mvp21]

Dude you sound just like me my senior year. I was Editor-in-chief of the school paper and involved in all sorts of writing/media stuff. I was eyeing UT and wanted to do something with Journalism or media.

Technically, as others have said, you don't have to pick a major now. It's cool if you do but you don't have to. You can always put one down on your application and then transfer. Just make sure you don't start taking upper division courses for the major until you're positive that's what you want to do.

The job situation/salary is something to consider. The pay is not that great for reporters or most jobs in the news/media field (unless of course you make it big, then the salary increases). If you really want to go that route though you'll probably be happier doing something you like even if the pay isn't that well. Maybe you could major in Business and minor in Journalism/Public Relations/Media and start your own company? Or get a job for a sizeable company in that area?

As for schools, UT is a great one for what you're interested in. I don't know much about the other schools you listed because I did not look into their programs. If you have the funds to go to UT and are comfortable going off, I say do it. You will not regret it. I got in to UT's business school but a)didn't really have the means to pay for it and b)was not ready to go off to college. I do regret not finding a way to make it happen quite often. I do not even like to mention where I go now :lol

[J.T.]

It's really not your parents decision where you go to school, as much as they want to twist it and try to make you sound like the bad guy for not going to a JC. It's your education, brah. The most important thing about college are the classes themselves, but there are other benefits like learning to live on your own, meeting new people and learning to make decisions for yourself. Yeah, you can save some money and stress by taking easy classes at a JC on the cheap, but if you get accepted to UT or another great school like that, go there.

In this situation the questions you need to ask yourself are 1) Do you want to screw yourself out of a full year of actual college experience? JCs are great for people who don't want to spend $40 grand for that first year but most of them still feel like high school. 2) Do you want to live under your parents roof for another year? Depends on how home life is for you. If I had to live with my mother while attending college I probably would've hanged myself by the time my first spring break hit.

[phxspurfan]

Make sure to get in on that Sexual Explosion freshman year. Like they say at my alma mater... http://collegeprowler.com/boston-university/guys--and--girls/


edit: Just kidding. Don't go out and study hard.

[J.T.]

Also, stay in college as long as possible.

Real life fucking blows.

[The Reckoning]

fuck it.

dont go to college (but dont tell your parents), get your brokers license, start on your insurance license and get a nice early start on real estate.

in four years, by the time you'd be scrounging for a job if you went to college, you'll be bankin'!

[Cant_Be_Faded]

yeah it's at the corner of take a prep course and fuck off

i'm not a guidance counselor

[J.T.]

yeah it's at the corner of take a prep course and fuck off

i'm not a guidance counselor

the hangover

[tHe210rObInHoOd]

I was accepted into UT Business school out of high school but ended up staying in San Antonio for the wrong reasons. I ended up doing the ACCD/UTSA route and it's one of my biggest regrets in life. Yea it was easy... it was cheap... and I have a good job, but you only have one chance to enjoy the college the experience. My advice is to go straight to UT while taking classes at ACCD until you figure out your major. That way you won't miss out on the college life, and you'll still be saving money.

HOOK EM HORNS!!!!!

[Dr. Gonzo]

Also, stay in college as long as possible.

Real life fucking blows.

This

[Bender]

Also, stay in college as long as possible.

Real life fucking blows.

Bluto agrees:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FfTknygc1iM/SmplCuEcXNI/AAAAAAAAAJk/KcFq4k9JZ9A/s320/bluto.jpg

[stretch]

stay the hell away from utsa

look at the dumbassery of the utsa people in this forum, and you have your answer why

[Destro]

If you get into UT go...don't go to community college and don't think about "saving money" while you are in school. At UT you get a great education and have a great college life that transfers miss out on. The dorm experience is important as is getting acclimated to the school with several thousand other kids who just moved away from home. Unless your parents went to high ranked colleges don't listen them, they really don't know what they are talking about...

on journalism, i talked to the head of media at ABC on wednesday, he says he is looking for people with a mix of search engine-optimiztation along with jouralism skills, He said it isn't enough anymore to be a good reporter/writer, you got to have other skills that are useful. He added that he tends to hire people who majored in chemistry, engineering, biology, and philosphy over people major in journalism becasue they have a subject speciality. Most journalist don't know shit about anything but journalism, they make uninteresting writers. He also said he wouldn't hire anyone without a masters, so plan on staying in school for a while

[lebomb]

stay the hell away from utsa

look at the dumbassery of the utsa people in this forum, and you have your answer why


STFU T shirt fan without a high school diploma.

[The Reckoning]

one more lesson of advice from The Reckoning without sarcasm attached:

don't go to college thinking its going to be the best time of your life. go to college (UT - you wont regret it) ready to work your ass off, so you'll have fun after school doing something badass rather than posting on spurstalk a thousand times a day reminiscing about your "glory days" that werent so glorious in the first place.

[tp2021]

You don't have to choose between a JC/CC and a big school like UT. You CAN take lower-division classes in your major your first semester, and take the local reqs, like US History and such, over the summer at ACC. You save money AND get to go to a big university.

[monosylab1k]

UNT has a pretty good journalism program. The downside is living in Denton.

[monosylab1k]

Also, UNT has it's own radio station. The call letters are KNTU, which is odd because it's UNT, not NTU. But it beats having your radio station letters be KUNT.

[Dr. Gonzo]

KUNT would've been better.

[J.T.]

Also brah, mass communication might not be a bad idea for you either. It's easier than eating a piece of chocolate cake. All the classes are easy and teach similar subject material, so by the time you're taking senior level classes you can pretty much just sit in the back row and masturbate or listen to your ipod or play online poker on your laptop and still be able to get Bs on every test strictly based on prior knowledge.

Somehow I got out of college while only actually reading books my first year and not really studying much after getting to San Marcos. I'd just say don't go to Texas State. Good school, but you will become an alcoholic/pothead/cokehead/pill popper/tripping hippy/heroin addict pretty fucking quick going to school there.

[baseline bum]

If you're really dead-set in saving money, you could probably go to UT in the fall, take the spring off and go to JC instead, go to JC in the summer, and come back to UT the next fall. Isn't it standard to allow students to take 1 semester off without having to re-apply? (my school allowed you to take 1 quarter off)

I'd just go straight to UT if I was you and got in. UT is going to be world's harder than JC, and you'll be in for a hell of a shock if you get used to doing JC level work and then all of a sudden have to step your game up bigtime junior year. You'll be competing against much stronger students at UT. You'll have access to world-class libraries. Having UT on your diploma will give you greater earning power.

[baseline bum]

3. Choose a Major that you think you'll love.


3. should be amended to Choose a major that you think you'll love and will give you a good chance to find work in what looks to be an extremely competitive job market for many years to come.

[ShoogarBear]

First, if you really like something, do it. If you major in something you aren't really interested in just because of job opportunities, chances are you won't be happy and won't do very well it it.

In most cases, doing well in whatever major you pick matters just as much, if not more, than what the major actually was. When it comes to eventually getting a job (most?) employers would rather hire someone who excelled in a field unrelated to the business than someone who was just mediocre in a related field. Lots of business nowadays appreciate smart English or History majors, figuring they will be able to pick up whatever else is required to do the job (obviously some technical areas are exceptions).

A Bachelor's degree doesn't lock you into a career.


Dude, I would put just about anything as your major. It doesn't really matter until late sophomore early junior year. Just put something that is easy to get into and adjust as you go through school. :tu

Unfortunately, it's not like the old days. A lot of colleges now (especially the big ones) don't allow for easy switching between majors.

[Bender]

Unfortunately, it's not like the old days. A lot of colleges now (especially the big ones) don't allow for easy switching between majors.
I didn't know that. I'm showing my age I guess.

[SpursNextRomanEmpire]

Ive been applying too, got A&M down so far.. gotta do UTSA this weekend

[tp2021]

Unfortunately, it's not like the old days. A lot of colleges now (especially the big ones) don't allow for easy switching between majors.

Well, I have already switched majors twice.

[DMX7]

CC?
And yes I'm in the top 10%, I'm 41 out of around 530. I do want to go straight to UT, but my parents definitely think I should stay here a year, and I really don't think it's my decision when it comes down to it.

If you want to go to UT, then start at UT. Otherwise, you'll waste your strong high school record since that won't be much of a factor in your application to transfer there. The communication school actually is fairly easy to transfer to but if you're a business student, trying to transfer regardless of your record is going to be very difficult.

[Mavs_man_41]

1. Apply early for everything
2. If money is an issue, find the best local JC.
3. Choose a Major that you think you'll love.
4. Keep an open mind on Majors, chances are you'll change.
5. Do not, I repeat, do not take out unnecessary loans.
6. Lean on your parents as much as possible.
7. Get to know your career counselor and financial aid counselor.
8. Get some work experience in sales part-time.
9. Have fun.
10. Last, but not least. DO NOT GET A GIRLFRIEND!!! THEY ARE DREAM KILLERS AND REQUIRE TOO MUCH TIME. INVEST IN GOOD CONDOMS AND FUCK AS MANY GIRLS AS YOU CAN. THEY WILL NEVER BE EASIER AT ANY POINT IN YOUR LIFE.

I was all good until that last one. I guess I just fucked myself. Wonder how much damage she can do in the next 2 years until I graduate :(

[spursfan09]

I don't get this whole "college is the best time of your life" thing.

First of all I always miss out on spending time with my friends on a Saturday night because I'm usually studying for a test, or doing some kind of project. Also, I have to work for 10 dollars an hour just to be able to have at least a little spending money. I don't have parents to pay for my school, so I have to borrow money and make sure I pass my classes the first time around since I can't fall back on mommy and daddy to pay for another semester because I partied alittle too hard.

Anyways all of that said, I know college is a decision I made for myself. The fact that I don't get to spend time with my friends and the fact that I'm putting myself in debt are a sacrifices I'm making now so that I can have a better life later. It's definitly not the best time of my life. The only thing I lucked out on is the fact that my dad can pay bills for my car and cell etc. When I have to start paying those that will suck :lol

[The Reckoning]

sounds like lakaluva had a bad experience.

college girls arent as easy as most people think, and most are just a tease with a disease. my advice is to stay away from them and concentrate on your work (unless, like everyone here seems to wishfully think, they throw themselves at you.)

truth is, alot of them go to school to get their M.R.S. degree, so watch out for them.

meet and hang out with a bunch of rich kids because at some point one of their daddies will offer you an internship to their fortune 500 company if you make a good enough impression.

if you absolutely want to meet a girl, make sure you date an outgoing, smart one who focuses on making money someday...they'll have no problem going dutch.

and never ever, make an important decision based on a girl.

[makedamnsure]

I go to St. Edward's University (that other school in Austin ha) and I'm really blessed in the sense that I got enough grants and scholarships that my parents are only paying for me to live (which is essentially what they'd pay anywhere no matter where I went).

If I were you, I would just go straight into UT. There's nothing like the first few weeks of college and experiencing everything for the first time. Besides UT is no joke and transferring in probably wouldn't be in your best interest academically. There's a reason why so few kids actually end up using the CAP program to transfer to UT. I have a friend doing CAP at UTSA and she told me that only 20% of kids actually end up being able to transfer to Austin. A lot just don't/can't make the grades.

I also know a lot of kids that didn't declare their first year. And use up those AP credits! You'll be so glad when you're done with English and the rest of your friends are still taking those classes. CLEP as much as possible too. Every single credit matters!

Good luck applying. I know how stressful it is having just done it last year. If you need any help or have any other questions, let me know.

[baseline bum]

First, if you really like something, do it. If you major in something you aren't really interested in just because of job opportunities, chances are you won't be happy and won't do very well it it.

In most cases, doing well in whatever major you pick matters just as much, if not more, than what the major actually was. When it comes to eventually getting a job (most?) employers would rather hire someone who excelled in a field unrelated to the business than someone who was just mediocre in a related field. Lots of business nowadays appreciate smart English or History majors, figuring they will be able to pick up whatever else is required to do the job (obviously some technical areas are exceptions).


In this job market? I know quite a few people who majored in things they liked like art history, got decent grades from a good school, and work in shitty hourly jobs. If you have a 3.7+ or something in an unrelated field I can see that, but if you're a 3.0 student I don't see how you're going to be competitive when you're going against a bunch of 3.0 students in major.

Don't get me wrong; if you hate doing algebra and trig, don't go into EE where you're going to be doing Fourier transforms constantly. Still, this romanticized idea of college as a place to find yourself has seems to have watered down our educational system. Look at how we compare to India: I mean, look at what they do at IIT. Based on random sampling of videos from MIT's OpenCourseWare vs. IIT's youtube channel, MIT's freshman calc classes (18.01,18.02) seem a lot less rigorous in comparison to IIT's one semester course (Math 1).

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Well, the School of Journalism is no longer showing up as a school option on applytexas for UNT. I don't know if it's an error or if that's their way of saying they're no longer accepting people in that school. Which sucks for me, because that's the place I was starting to prefer.

[ashbeeigh]

Well, the School of Journalism is no longer showing up as a school option on applytexas for UNT. I don't know if it's an error or if that's their way of saying they're no longer accepting people in that school. Which sucks for me, because that's the place I was starting to prefer.

Did you go to the UNT website to see what the status of the school is? Have you spoken to an admission rep about applying there? They are usually the best point of contact. I know quite a few recent grads (1-3 years out of college) that are now admissions reps that are very cool people. Give someone at the admissions office a call and see what the deal is ASAP.

[SpursBabe99]

Awww cute you're like really worried and just like turtleneck sweater mode right now! Really, all of those schools are freakin awesome! You'll def start w/ a bunch of basics and throw in a few you're interested in. I've got my associates and gonna make the transfer to UTSA this spring and have really set my mind on my major NOW. So you have some time to think about it and see if any classes open your mind to something you hadn't thought of before. You'll be fine! By the time you know it, you'll be turtleneck off and partying it up w/ new friends, having new experiences, classes w/ those gem awesome professors you find, and living it up!