University Enrollment: College Preparation
Understanding College
College Connection
Knowing That You’re Entering A 2- Or 4-Year
Relationship, What Do You Want In A College?
By Alice Keesing
Your best friend’s skinny jeans might look awesome on her athletic frame, but will they do the same for your 5-feet-0-inches? It’s the same with colleges. Personal fit is everything. You’re not looking for the best college—you’re looking for the right college for you.
When the college hunt gets serious in your junior year, you need to start thinking about who you are and what suits you best. This is also the time to dream, says Dennis Kajikawa, a former Campbell High School counselor who now heads up the state education department’s counseling program. He says, “Students need to ask themselves, What is my dream? From there, you craft the plan to obtain that dream.”
And, OK, the other thing you need to fit that dream into is your family’s budget. Once you know your financial window, you can start picking some good college candidates. Here are some things to think about.
Stay or Go?
A survey of Hawai‘i students graduating from public high schools last year showed that 72 percent of them planned to attend college in the Islands. But Moanalua High School college and career counselor Gwen Mau stresses how important it is to stretch your wings and consider college abroad if it’s possible.
“Hawai‘i is such a small place,” she says. “Having a world view is very important these days because we’re such a global society.”
Those students who do venture to the Mainland tend to migrate west of the Rockies to hotspots like Oregon State, Pacific University, University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of Washington, Washington State and Santa Monica College. One advantage of going to a local gathering spot like this is that some of these schools bring their freshman orientation sessions here to the Islands—you can be registered and signed up for classes before you even wave aloha at the airport.
Street Smart? Nature Lover?
The college that’s exhilarating for a street-smart city dweller won’t work for the nature child who likes to sit and contemplate the lapping waters of a lake. You can find colleges in all environs, from the heart of bustling cities to the green, green pastures where the cows moo.
Regardless of where you might attend college on the Mainland, it is an education in the four seasons. And, undoubtedly, during a cold winter snap or a blistering hot summer, you’ll miss Hawai‘i’s big blue skies and tradewinds. But, take one counselor’s advice: Give it at least a year. You might find you acclimate beautifully.
Oh, right! The academics
Does the college offer a major in your area of interest? Look beyond the major title and check out the classes that are offered. Find out how many professors there are in your field of interest and see if you can talk with a few of them.
What if you don’t know what you want to study? In this case, it may be better to attend a bigger college with a diverse range of majors rather than a small college that specializes in just a few areas. Studies also show that students commonly change their major two or three times—so even if you have something in mind, check if the college has other programs that might interest you.
The Classroom
How do you learn best? Are you going to be happy in biology class with 500 other bodies where you can sponge up information from your classmates? Or will you learn more in a small group where you can ask all the questions you like?
The Extras
What can you do when you’re not hitting the books? Research the clubs, activities and athletics. Are there fraternities and sororities? Are there study-abroad opportunities?
Yes, but what about the dorms?
This is likely your first solo flight, so it’s OK if some of your most burning questions have nothing to do with academics, but rather with the intricacies of dorm life. What if you discover your dorm-mate is the biggest slob ever? Who exactly will you be sharing bathrooms with? This is a good time to talk to the experts: the students who have already done it. Many high schools will arrange for alumni to come back and talk to you about their college experiences. Take advantage of it.