OT: College Advice

Anthony5967

Registered User
Dec 24, 2015
7,704
5,332
Strong Island, NY
I am in my second year now. Currently at the Suffolk County Community College campus in Brentwood. Not bad. Stayed local because I felt if I went away my grades could slip. Been doing real well, met a lot of people. I also made sure I joined the school paper. Once you show people you are comfortable being an outgoing person it makes everything so much easier. Make attending the classes fun. I took two classes at 6:30am since I have been here. Got up at 4:45am on Mondays/Wednesdays one semester. Teaches you to be responsible too. I see some have posted this too, but many teachers will hand you a syllabus and expect you to plan your time to finish the work accordingly. The days of teachers telling you to do work are over. Luckily for me this is easy but make sure you PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
 

Blueblood9

Registered User
Dec 11, 2011
2,164
457
Nashville, TN
I can only tell you from my experience. I was an average student and played a sport and worked part time so no time for more ec's.

I killed the Sat's so that helped me. I was and still am to some degree an introvert. I got accepted to a few different colleges in varying sizes and varying city/towns.

For me it came down to a large D1 school which is basically the town and a small college under 5k students in the middle of Boston.

My degree is in civil engineering and both universities had great engineering programs. For me I decided on the smaller school in the big city because it fit me more and I fell in love with the city.

Whatever you do choose just remember this. It was told to me by my coach and I pass it on to everyone I know that goes to college. Have fun party be you but remember this. Think of it as a job work 9 to 5. If your so lucky to not have class on a weekday don't take it off use it to do your homework. This will keep your nights and weekends free to do with it you wish be it party or join a club or whatever.

I don't regret my decision one bit but do think what might of been if chose differently especially when that school just won a national championship.
 

Blueblood9

Registered User
Dec 11, 2011
2,164
457
Nashville, TN
Right, you have to have all these great grades and all these EC's, and then you leave school, and the people hiring don't care. All they want is experience that you literally can't get because you're too busy having perfect grades and EC's for an education that doesn't get you anything.

This generation is ****ed.

That's why I'm in the process of starting my own business. I have no faith in this job market.

My college had a mandatory Coop program. I had to work for 3 semesters full time in my field with no classes. It gave me a leg up and is one of the reasons I chose my school. If it wasn't for the co-op program I wouldn't be where I am as I was always a better worker then a student.
 

Beer League Sniper

Homeless Man's Rick Nash
Apr 27, 2010
4,716
1,511
City in a Forest
Went to SUNY Binghamton. Played Rugby and did Electrical Engineering. Had a blast, and left college with minimal student debt (I make my final payment later this year).

I live in Atlanta now (wife and I bought a house in Grant Park), but have you looked into Georgia Tech? I know it's probably a bigger school than you wanted to go to, but they consistently rank as one of the best value colleges in the entire country (basically calculates cost of earning a degree vs average salary of graduates), and in-state tuition is insanely low.

College is totally what you make of it. Just choose a good school that's going to leave you with a minimal debt load.
 

silverfish

got perma'd
Jun 24, 2008
34,644
4,353
under the bridge
You can always make a big school feel small, or a small school feel big.

It's all about what you do there.

UB has about 20K undergrad students, but it never felt like a "medium-sized" school to me (outside of football games). It always felt like a small school because I found my niche group of friends and things to do and that was that :dunno:
 

PlamsUnlimited

Big Church Bells
May 14, 2010
27,459
1,888
New York
You can always make a big school feel small, or a small school feel big.

It's all about what you do there.

UB has about 20K undergrad students, but it never felt like a "medium-sized" school to me (outside of football games). It always felt like a small school because I found my niche group of friends and things to do and that was that :dunno:

Never found a niche at UB. I had my friend groups but they were relatively all secondary as my primary was my bar league team split between UB and ECC that lit up the club teams from around Buffalo.
 

PlamsUnlimited

Big Church Bells
May 14, 2010
27,459
1,888
New York
:(

Was probably a bit easier (said than done) for me being in the SoM maybe? As they really push group projects on classes.

Maybe. I liked UB a lot itself but hated about 85% of the population there. My last year there (graduated in May '16) it was really bad. 6/10 students wore some type of flat color button shirt or a polo with salmon colored pants or really, really crappy looking chino type shorts and boat shoes, and had the haircut where you shave the head down to like a 1 or a 0 and then leave the top longer and set it to one side and everything was a protest on a poster or cramming ads to join clubs or something into your face at every large opening in a building.

I liked group projects though because they got kids to actually work together and sometimes do some pretty extraordinary stuff. But you could tell who would be invested in it and who would just **** off and longboard every day and come late or not provide some type of merit to the project.

Most of the time if not at work or doing assignments I was at the hockey games at NTC because my friends were the guys who did the PA and commentated the games on the radio so I got some exposure there for my live sports news/radio. Loved the winter time there though. Broom hockey tournament was fun though my team was really unfair because it was my hockey friends and friends from HF who also played, we won one year by shutting out every team.
 

silverfish

got perma'd
Jun 24, 2008
34,644
4,353
under the bridge
Maybe. I liked UB a lot itself but hated about 85% of the population there. My last year there (graduated in May '16) it was really bad. 6/10 students wore some type of flat color button shirt or a polo with salmon colored pants or really, really crappy looking chino type shorts and boat shoes, and had the haircut where you shave the head down to like a 1 or a 0 and then leave the top longer and set it to one side and everything was a protest on a poster or cramming ads to join clubs or something into your face at every large opening in a building.

I liked group projects though because they got kids to actually work together and sometimes do some pretty extraordinary stuff. But you could tell who would be invested in it and who would just **** off and longboard every day and come late or not provide some type of merit to the project.

Most of the time if not at work or doing assignments I was at the hockey games at NTC because my friends were the guys who did the PA and commentated the games on the radio so I got some exposure there for my live sports news/radio. Loved the winter time there though. Broom hockey tournament was fun though my team was really unfair because it was my hockey friends and friends from HF who also played, we won one year by shutting out every team.

re Bolded: I don't think this is limited to UB at all :)

re red: This, I've found, is the best preparation for the "real world". What you don't realize in college is that these lazy people you have in your group project also graduate and get a job somewhere.
 

Roo Returns

Skjeikspeare No More
Mar 4, 2010
9,255
4,783
Westchester, NY
Griffin, take this all with a grain or pillar of salt, but here's some suggestions socially/emotionally/career wise/etc. based on my experience

1)Make sure the school is a good fit not only academically, but to your personality-I come from a community of success and overachievers where the school you went to was like a bragging right. I chose to go to a larger school in DC based on prestige, not who I was. It was a mistake. I like driving and didn't have a car because having a car in DC proper is $$$$. I dressed like a metalhead at the time and everyone was either a preppy, or a very small group of hipsters who I wasn't cool enough for. My friends were ok and I have one really close friend who lives in NY now from those days, but none of my friends ever wanted to explore more than occasionally. I ended up doing not everything, but a lot alone. Visit the place and get a feel for it.

2)Don't Let Girls Ruin Your Experience-There were two girls in college I really liked. Both were a waste of my time (one was a Flyers fan, we watched a Flyers/Sens playoff game together so insert joke). Get to know lots of girls (or guys or both lolol whatever your preference is) talk to them, go on dates, but don't ever let them distract you from your mission. After thinking that my dating life was over after the Flyers girl, I met a really great girl in my 20s (we're still very good friends) and the reason we're not still together is because it was the wrong time back then. I also met a wonderful girl four years ago, and I'm finishing the battle damage of not raising a Cup with her.

3)It's not just about the grades-I was a very black and white person in those days. It was go to class, come back to dorm, watch hockey/WWF/play video games, and then do school work. That's all I did. I worked part time here and there but it was just a job not career. Get great not good at Excel (Pivots, Lookup, Logic), Power Point, and even something like R or SQL or Python. Those skills are very important and you should be able to use the school for it. Secure internships, join clubs, network.

4)Don't Waste Summers-Because my social and dating life stunk for most of college, I could always come home and the old gang would be in town and we'd work summer jobs like lifeguards, camp counselors, retail, and go to baseball games, concerts, and party hard. It was awesome and some of the best summers of my life, but career wise it put me in the passenger seat. If you're gonna have fun, at least do something that is progress.

5)If you're not feeling it, transfer ASAP-My biggest college regret is not transferring. DC wasn't a good match for me, at that point I needed to be in NY/CT but I "toughed it out" bad choice.

6)Stay up to date with connections-LinkedIn, Facebook..keep up with people and treat them with kindness, you never know when you may need a favor.

7)Stand up for yourself and don't be afraid to be disliked-Be good and kind to your family, close friends, but if anyone in school or even your old HS friends or g/f are being disrespectful, diffuse the situation immediately and speak up. It's better to be a $^&Q^ and respected because there will be people in the work world or even socially who will try and use a weakness down the line and exploit it to get what they want. Remember, at the end of the day years down the line, no one cares how many beers you drank or how cool your t-shirt is, it's all about being able to make good $ and be happy with your career.
 

bernmeister

Registered User
Jun 11, 2010
27,572
3,657
Da Big Apple
The advice stated in preceding posts seems all useful

As to OP, just a general observation.
Unless you have a specific commitment to a particular line of work/company/opportunity, etc., you mentioned business.
You have to do a cost benefit of what going as far as possible education wise works/is too much for you.
Is a bachelor's enough?
Masters?
Ph.D?
what area of specialization.
May not need to commit now, but not too early to get a rough idea.

I have chosen my own unique path, but
as for someone generally

consider expanding your horizons
go for jdmba
combo degree, likely to max options to stay employed

there will always be different currencies
there will be disputes
disputes will require legal resolution
attys who specialize in that stuff

that is one possible general outline
for you to choose your own path
 

Kakko

Formerly Chytil
Mar 23, 2011
23,600
3,137
Long Island
Only speaking as a sophomore in college myself, but really happy with my decisions so far.
Pick a school that feels right for you, not just whatever places higher on arbitrary rankings. I turned down some far "better" schools for where I am now, because I felt I'd be happier here. Really glad I made that decision. Doing great in school and earning good opportunities, which I'm not sure I'd have managed somewhere I didn't feel as at home.
At the end of the day, your college experience is what you make of it, and you should find somewhere you'll be happy and able to excel.
 

Griffinbw

Registered User
Feb 19, 2016
1,691
437
Atlanta
Update

Hey guys, sorry to bump an old thread but I figured I'd give those of you who offered advice an update on how this whole things been progressing.

I've submitted applications (minus rec letters for the moment) to:
Babson
Haverford
Gettysburg
Wake Forest
Texas Christian
And Georgia,
With Babson being my first choice. Thank you guys again for all the help through this crazy process. Came in handy a ton on tours and in interviews.
 

Brooklyn Rangers Fan

Change is good.
Aug 23, 2005
19,237
8,238
Brooklyn & Upstate
Hey guys, sorry to bump an old thread but I figured I'd give those of you who offered advice an update on how this whole things been progressing.

I've submitted applications (minus rec letters for the moment) to:
Babson
Haverford
Gettysburg
Wake Forest
Texas Christian
And Georgia,
With Babson being my first choice. Thank you guys again for all the help through this crazy process. Came in handy a ton on tours and in interviews.

Good luck!
 

SML

Registered User
Mar 13, 2002
3,939
5
Visit site
No matter what school you choose, think about what it is you're going to study. Now picture if whatever that is can be done better through automation, AI, or by someone who makes a tenth of what you need to live on over the phone. If the answer is yes to any of those questions, do something else. The world is changing very very quickly. Don't be the guy who spends 200k on a degree that makes you the equivalent of a blacksmith or a typewriter repairman.
 

SnowblindNYR

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Nov 16, 2011
51,727
30,179
Brooklyn, NY
Lots of responses maybe this was mentioned. I didn't appreciate my college because it wasn't anything special but when I went to get my MBA and saw how much money I spent I certainly appreciated it. If you can't get into a top notch school I suggest Baruch College, at least for undergrad. It's pretty well respected for finance, in NY (I assume that's where you live, if not forget this advice) and you won't be in debt. Then if you go for your MBA when you have a good job under your belt apply to the NYU, Columbia, Wharton, and University of Chicagos of the world.
 
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LaffyTaffy

Brooklyn-Belarussian
Feb 1, 2016
2,893
1,949
Brooklyn, NY
Lots of responses maybe this was mentioned. I didn't appreciate my college because it wasn't anything special but when I went to get my MBA and saw how much money I spent I certainly appreciated it. If you can't get into a top notch I suggest Baruch College, at least for undergrad. It's pretty well respected for finance, in NY (I assume that's where you live, if not forget this advice) and you won't be in debt. Then if you go for your MBA when you have a good job under your belt apply to the NYU, Columbia, Wharton, and University of Chicagos of the world.

I am currently a Freshman in Baruch for Finance and Investments so if you do end up going the CUNY route feel free to find me on campus and I can help you assimilate and join some good Finance Clubs. Also we can catch games at Van Diemens or Fitz (Diemens is a Rangers Bar and the Fitzgerald is the general Baruch nightly hangout). Bump this post in March/May and let us know!
 

SnowblindNYR

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Nov 16, 2011
51,727
30,179
Brooklyn, NY
I am currently a Freshman in Baruch for Finance and Investments so if you do end up going the CUNY route feel free to find me on campus and I can help you assimilate and join some good Finance Clubs. Also we can catch games at Van Diemens or Fitz (Diemens is a Rangers Bar and the Fitzgerald is the general Baruch nightly hangout). Bump this post in March/May and let us know!

How are you watching games at bars at 18? :laugh:
 

CasusBelli

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Jul 6, 2017
12,765
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If you want to go into finance, you want a degree in engineering, math, physics, statistics or computer science from a top-20 school. If you go to a top-15 (i.e., "target") school, you can get away with a humanities major (ideally philosophy or political science) and a >3.75 GPA. I had the good fortune of graduating with an engineering degree from a top-five school in the US, and my engineering classmates and I had a much easier time getting into Wall Street than the humanities guys did, let alone ones from non-target schools. And, oh yes, business / finance is all about your network.

Ultimately, you want to be able to think quickly on your feet, which is why Wall Street firms prize mental agility (hence the infamous brain teasers and personality assessments in junior position interviews). Quantitative degrees teach you to think in a structured and logical manner. Remember that, if you're smart, your employer can always train you / teach you the necessary knowledge for the job.

Feel free to message me if you (or anyone else for that matter) want to discuss further. I'm always happy to help. :)
 

Fugazy

Brick by Brick
Jun 1, 2014
9,396
1,922
New York
Update

Hey guys, sorry to bump an old thread but I figured I'd give those of you who offered advice an update on how this whole things been progressing.

I've submitted applications (minus rec letters for the moment) to:
Babson
Haverford
Gettysburg
Wake Forest
Texas Christian
And Georgia,
With Babson being my first choice. Thank you guys again for all the help through this crazy process. Came in handy a ton on tours and in interviews.

Best of luck to you! I'm familiar with Babson and Gettysburg, two excellent schools.
 

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