supercollegelife: funny facts, rant, photos, help, stuff...

[Nutfine]

Spending the semester abroad in Spain. So far it's been great but school is definitely a lot different here -- my GPA will be taking a hit. Also, I'm living with two guys in a small room in a host stay and it's taking it's toll. I don't think I've slept a complete night without waking up at least once during the night in weeks here. Not sure what it is exactly but I'm getting exhausted.

Also, having roommates who are late risers and overall pretty unproductive is not very conducive to doing anything.

Edited February 25, 2014 by Nutfine

[conqueror]

are the americans in this thread comfortable saying what they are studying (or studied) and how much student loan debt they've racked up? i've always been morbidly curious at how fucked the system is over there.

Edited March 9, 2014 by conqueror

[Broark]

I'm really over college at this point.

I'm graduating in May, so this is pretty much the final stretch.  Since I'm so close I have very little motivation.  I'm going to end up with a degree in global studies (essentially international relations / international business) with a focus in East Asia.  I think the only beneficial thing I've actually picked up is learning a good bit of Chinese. Hopefully that proves to be of some value as I really don't know what else I've gotten out of college.

I'm just feeling really lost at this point.  I'm interning at a local chamber of commerce and it's making me realize I never want to work in the government.  It's a thankless, based-on-who-you-know/blow career that I have zero passion for.

Hell, all I really want to do at this point is open up my own shop, but that's a bit farfetched.

[Schoon]

are the americans in this thread comfortable saying what they are studying (or studied) and how much student loan debt they've racked up? i've always been morbidly curious at how fucked the system is over there.

Currently studying architectural engineering, 5 year program.

I'm accumulating roughly 30k a year in debt.  Luckily for 1 + 1/2 of those years I'll be working at a (hopefully) payed internship to help lighten the blow 

Edited March 9, 2014 by Schoon

[herpsky]

I'm really over college at this point.

I'm graduating in May, so this is pretty much the final stretch.  Since I'm so close I have very little motivation.  I'm going to end up with a degree in global studies (essentially international relations / international business) with a focus in East Asia.  I think the only beneficial thing I've actually picked up is learning a good bit of Chinese. Hopefully that proves to be of some value as I really don't know what else I've gotten out of college.

I'm just feeling really lost at this point.  I'm interning at a local chamber of commerce and it's making me realize I never want to work in the government.  It's a thankless, based-on-who-you-know/blow career that I have zero passion for.

Hell, all I really want to do at this point is open up my own shop, but that's a bit farfetched.

U went to UT? U should be able to get decent employment in TX? Just work for one of those ATX IT start-ups and douche it up!

[Broark]

U went to UT? U should be able to get decent employment in TX? Just work for one of those ATX IT start-ups and douche it up!

Nah, I'm at St. Ed's. The last thing I want to do is be a UT startup douche and hate myself for the rest of my life.

[xchen]

are the americans in this thread comfortable saying what they are studying (or studied) and how much student loan debt they've racked up? i've always been morbidly curious at how fucked the system is over there.

Studying software dev at a local 4 year university in the suburbs of Atlanta. It's definitely no one's first choice school but I'm 2 years through school with no debt. Every semester I write a check for tuition and will continue to do so until I finish. Probably worth noting I took several years off and went back a year ago.

[xerrox]

Just got into Tisch for film prod., but having second thoughts (did ED so it's legally binding). Kinda wanna live the USC life, which would involve me transferring. Anyone have experience transferring to a new college for sophomore year? Is it weird socially?

 

Dude ED is NOT legally binding. I mean it might be too late now, but there are definitely ways to back out. Schools won't press too hard if it's for financial reasons, and it's not like NYU is known for being particularly generous with aid and scholarships.

[saffronrevolution]

it might not be quote legally binding but ED contracts are a fucking hassle to break. and apparently it reflects super poorly on your school if they're broken (if you care about that at all). college admissions have a lot of wrath tbh. i had a friend a few years back who broke an ED contract with princeton via questbridge (a low income scholarship program). he instead elected to go to stanford, and princeton admissions got pissed and contacted his school, making it expressly clear that their students would have to show "immense interest" if they wanted to get into princeton from now on (as if they had great chances to begin with). as in no one else from that school is getting into princeton. basically the exact same thing happened this year with another kid i know who chose to go to MIT rather than williams, which he was bound to. williams made a pretty signficant deal of it also. so yeah, you can back out, but there's pretty serious repercussions for those around you

Edited March 10, 2014 by saffronrevolution

[herpsky]

Doing a bit of research on scholarships.

 

Do most Ivy League and top 20 schools give you free money to cover the difference between EFC (estimated family contribution) and the actual cost of attendance? Not including any merit based $ but talking only about need based.

[xerrox]

it might not be quote legally binding but ED contracts are a fucking hassle to break. and apparently it reflects super poorly on your school if they're broken (if you care about that at all). college admissions have a lot of wrath tbh. i had a friend a few years back who broke an ED contract with princeton via questbridge (a low income scholarship program). he instead elected to go to stanford, and princeton admissions got pissed and contacted his school, making it expressly clear that their students would have to show "immense interest" if they wanted to get into princeton from now on (as if they had great chances to begin with). as in no one else from that school is getting into princeton. basically the exact same thing happened this year with another kid i know who chose to go to MIT rather than williams, which he was bound to. williams made a pretty signficant deal of it also. so yeah, you can back out, but there's pretty serious repercussions for those around you

 

I didn't know they were that intense about it, but it makes sense. I think finances are the only angle where it won't really piss off the college admissions gods. So for Questbridge, where they literally cover the entire cost of attendance, I can see why Princeton would be upset.

 

Herp, pretty much. I think the financial aid packages at some places involves loans, but if the school claims to be need blind and meets full demonstrated need, then most of the aid should be in the form of grants. The EFC is where they can get you though, since it's a calculation that they make. Mine went up like $15k my senior year.

[herpsky]

Herp, pretty much. I think the financial aid packages at some places involves loans, but if the school claims to be need blind and meets full demonstrated need, then most of the aid should be in the form of grants. The EFC is where they can get you though, since it's a calculation that they make. Mine went up like $15k my senior year.

That was the case @ my university. I remember paying little for a couple of years because of my parents' financial hardships or whatever.

[boy better know]

it's not just obscene tuition, it's kids getting degrees in worthlessness with no desirable skills or mobility

 

i'm not saying everyone should study STEM but you should think twice before majoring in art history with no relevant internships and poor grades

[herpsky]

it's not just obscene tuition, it's kids getting degrees in worthlessness with no desirable skills or mobility

 

i'm not saying everyone should study STEM but you should think twice before majoring in art history with no relevant internships and poor grades

Yeah. That's totally true. As far as undergraduate education goes, what majors (besides getting BBA) do you find useful? Science majors are pretty useless unless you pursue an MS degree and work in pharma or biotech. With bio you usually end up working at a university with little upward mobility. Architecture seems useful but I'm a total layperson in that field so I don't know. It seems professional schools are probably the only way to launder the useless majors unless you decide to pursue a Ph.D and want to become a professor. It's not bad if you can land a tenure at a renowned private university but the chances of getting that is oh-so-low.

Edited March 11, 2014 by herpsky

[boy better know]

full disclosure: i got a BBA and i'm starting a BSc in computer science next semester

 

i think most STEM programs are good, although some of them aren't really applicable they do teach you skills you can leverage on early in your career

 

i'm in canada and it's kinda crazy to see kids brainwashed into going to university even though you'll probably be making more money as an electrician or plumber after 18ish months at a trade school

[fobsquad]

i'm in canada and it's kinda crazy to see kids brainwashed into going to university even though you'll probably be making more money as an electrician or plumber after 18ish months at a trade school

you might make more money for the first 5-10 years, then the kids with degrees will start getting promotions and moving up in the company. it's a low ceiling to be a career electrician/plumber/mechanic, even if you are licensed to work on industrial/govt contracts

 

full disclosure: i do both electric and plumbing work on the weekend for local small businesses. it pays for rent and food while my main job pays for school and jawnz

[fobsquad]

Science majors are pretty useless unless you pursue an MS degree and work in pharma or biotech.

certainly biotech, but some areas of the pharmacy industry are in danger of a major overhaul over people wanting to be more green and "chemical-free," as they call it

[Thatboyo]

The problem is also that a lot of ppl just throw their summers away jerking off instead of doing an internship

[Lab]

Yeah. That's totally true. As far as undergraduate education goes, what majors (besides getting BBA) do you find useful? Science majors are pretty useless unless you pursue an MS degree and work in pharma or biotech. With bio you usually end up working at a university with little upward mobility. Architecture seems useful but I'm a total layperson in that field so I don't know. It seems professional schools are probably the only way to launder the useless majors unless you decide to pursue a Ph.D and want to become a professor. It's not bad if you can land a tenure at a renowned private university but the chances of getting that is oh-so-low.

 

Idk, my master's degree definitely helped me get jobs. Jobs that won't cover the costs of med school though. 

[Kaf]

im a literature major. i also go to US military academy, so besides the irony, its kinda useless for career. i dont know what i will do when i get out of army, probably use connections to land cool managerial position where i kick my feet up or some shit. naive or whatever, but owell. maybe law school on army's dime. id like to party at some point.

[xerrox]

Not to pump up Penn or whatever, but they actually post really comprehensive career data. This is for the College of Arts and Sciences, and they break down employment offers by major. Take out the finance/consulting and it's really all over the place, but some pretty interesting jobs. I mean it's not entirely indicative because people who are unemployed are less likely to respond, and Ivy League and whatnot.

 

http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/files/2013CASFinalReport.pdf

 

I think the biggest takeaway is that if you're going to do liberal arts you gotta be focused on your career outside of the classroom, market yourself well, and build a portfolio/do cool internships...which is easier said than done, but it's not necessarily a black hole.

[mr.invincible]

just got accepted to my second masters today

 

dual M.ARCH/MS.RED 

 

good lookin out appleseed. 

 

#blackcardera

[mr fluffernutter]

let us delete our posts

Edited March 14, 2014 by mr fluffernutter

[Schoon]

question for mr.invincible (or anyone else who can advise):

 

I'm currently studying arch. engineering, which I'm really enjoying, but looking at my future curriculum it doesn't look like I'll be learning as much as I'd like about the design aspects of architecture.  Do you think it would be realistic (or even possible?) to enter an m.arch program after obtaining my bachelor's?  I'm thinking that going that route would be the best for me, plus I'd have a technical background to fall back on.

[boy better know]

^ my friend was accepted into one of the best M.Arch programs in the US with BA in psychology

[Denton]

question for mr.invincible (or anyone else who can advise):

 

I'm currently studying arch. engineering, which I'm really enjoying, but looking at my future curriculum it doesn't look like I'll be learning as much as I'd like about the design aspects of architecture.  Do you think it would be realistic (or even possible?) to enter an m.arch program after obtaining my bachelor's?  I'm thinking that going that route would be the best for me, plus I'd have a technical background to fall back on.

 

yes, realistic and possible

[mr.invincible]

question for mr.invincible (or anyone else who can advise):

 

I'm currently studying arch. engineering, which I'm really enjoying, but looking at my future curriculum it doesn't look like I'll be learning as much as I'd like about the design aspects of architecture.  Do you think it would be realistic (or even possible?) to enter an m.arch program after obtaining my bachelor's?  I'm thinking that going that route would be the best for me, plus I'd have a technical background to fall back on.

 

totally and i would have gone that route too. 

 

i think the only downside to that is the contents for your admission portfolio, which you can easily make up for if you do one of those summer programs at UCBerkeley, GSD, UCLA, or even here at Columbia. I suspect being in engineering you wont get alot of designs out. However,  If you don't do the summer programs it's not a total rejection. Ive seen many portfolios with just sketches and other random shit. but definitely visit archinect.com and search around as you are preparing to apply.

Edited March 15, 2014 by mr.invincible

[Schoon]

The issue of developing a portfolio was exactly my concern for going that route.  At first I was considering minoring in architecture but the workload would be astronomical considering how fast-paced the curriculum at my university is.  A summer program seems like a very good solution.

 

I've been browsing archinect.com for a month or so now.  Since i'm nowhere close to being an actual architect right now I can't contribute much to the threads, but reading through them is helping me get a sense of how the academic and professional worlds of architecture function.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone!

[roundhouse]

it's not just obscene tuition, it's kids getting degrees in worthlessness with no desirable skills or mobility

 

i'm not saying everyone should study STEM but you should think twice before majoring in art history with no relevant internships and poor grades

+1

people forget that the fields not directly related to material production was historically exclusive to the aristocrat/gentry class. who else besides ballers can fund a life that devotes it's time to studying art and literature? it's so redundant of undergraduate ba's saying how useless their degree is; of course it is! even my young cousin who sells shitty non-rare magic cards on ebay knows the current society is geared towards economy and industry. the order from above is: make, don't think.

 

a firm i interned at a while ago relegated all these inexperienced BA's to the sales division because they so convincingly spoke of their 'superior analytic and communication skills.' mediocre grades in a psychology or journalism major just says you can get sit still and get through assessments. what's not evident to them is the fact that undergrad material is so easily obtainable and self taught, specially with online communities focussing on them. i gatecrashed this political science seminar once and was introduced to this really senior guy doing a masters; a friend told me how he was one of the smarter dudes in the cohort even though he took some unrelated studies 15 years ago.

a boy scout sash is more valuable than ba and (some) bsc certificates. we need more people who can build skyscrapers for oil princes and not know why.   

 

[roundhouse]

sex.money.+rep ------ divine trinity