How Not To Choose A College

how not to choose a college

With college acceptances pouring in for seniors, and juniors beginning to narrow the list down to the golden ten, it’s likely you’ve already sat through the lectures about how to choose a college that is a best fit for your future. But what are the elements to avoid? Here are a few reasons to be weary of choosing that particular school – for that particular reason.

Don’t Follow You-Know-Who. You have dated #SoAndSo for four years; six if you count the months spent checking their Facebook wall in middle school. But following your love life to college is possibly the worst reason to choose your alma mater. Deciding on which college to spend the next four years of your life should be a truly individual decision. Factoring in your high school romance will only result in making huge compromises on your future – a future that may not even include your current sweetheart past freshman orientation. As much as it may hurt to be separated from your current boyfriend or girlfriend, it is important to make a pragmatic decision based on your own personal and academic goals. In the worst case scenario, you will just have to be apart a few weeks at a time until Fall Break…and Thanksgiving Break…and then the long Winter Break (college has A LOT of breaks.) Tolerable, and you will each have space to grow and become your best selves. Great case scenario, you will grow apart relatively pain free and end up meeting a lot of really interesting and attractive new people, but you and your ex can still spy on each other via Instagram. Win win!

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The Graduate: MA/PhD in Classics

MA PHD in Classics

Lauren is Pursuing an MA/PhD in Classics at UC Berkeley.

The Graduate is a new blog feature considering college majors, graduate school, and a look into career options beyond higher ed. To view a more comprehensive list of professional tracks and career paths, check out our sister site MajorCrush.org.

Name: Lauren Miller

College/ Major: Williams College ’15, Classics and Comparative Literature

Graduate School/ Program: UC Berkeley, Classics MA/PhD

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The Waiting Game: College Acceptances

waiting for college acceptances

You, on college acceptance day…

February can be a short, but cruel, month – followed by a long, excruciating March – while you are waiting to hear back from college admissions. Trying to envision your life after senior year is nail-biting: this is the rest of your (foreseeable) life we are talking about. Unfortunately, the struggle is real – there is no telling what your April inbox holds. So take a break from checking your mail obsessively or scrolling though the ivy-speckled Instagram account of that dream alma-matter, and channel your anxiety into these 10 ways to keep it cool instead.

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The Graduate: Majoring in Speech Pathology

Lauren is a Senior at Southern Illinois University.

Lauren is a Senior at Southern Illinois University.

The Graduate is a new blog feature considering college majors, graduate school, and a look into career options beyond higher ed. Are you a young college or graduate student who wants to be featured next? Tweet us @PetalAndSass or email petalandsass@gmail.com for more information!

Name: Lauren Graham

College: Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville ’16

Major/Minor: Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology

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The Art of Speaking in 5 Steps

the art of speaking

So much depends upon what comes out of your mouth. Whether you are sitting in a sticky leather upholstered chair on a hot day being grilled by a chipper college admission counselor, or trying to impress the mom of your significant other with your knowledge of Phil Collins tunes, the way you turn a phrase – in one sentence or less – can send out all the right (or wrong) signals about who you are as a person and what your intentions are.

Fortunately, language is something you can work on, and everyone can improve somehow, whether it’s through diction, word choice, tone, or perhaps even more importantly – the ability to know when to stop talking and just listen.

Adjusting speech patterns, elocution and diction doesn’t happen overnight – but the more aware you are, the more likely you are to develop your speaking skills. Here are a few places to start.

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