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Hey everyone! My name is Kristen, I'm 20 and I'm a college junior studying pharmacy. I've been blessed with a really good life, and part of the reason for that is because I've learned to see GOOD in everything that happens to me. I love giving advice, and I've been told that I do a good job at it, but I'll let you decide! Feel free to ask me anything... don't be shy, that's why I'm here. I've been through a lot... moving from one country to another, leaving and finding new friends, break ups, boys, middle school, high school, college, self esteem issues... pretty much most things that people need help with.
I usually spend a good amount of time answering your questions, so I would really appreciate it if you leave me an honest rating along with some feedback (good or bad!) It really does help me improve my advice... and in the end, that's good for YOU! Talk to ya soon! :)
advice
Alright, I am a sophomore in high school but I have been researching information on various colleges. There a quite a lot of terms & other stuff of that sort that don't exactly make sense to me. Therefore, I'm hoping maybe some people who are in college or who know this information could help me, I'd really appreciate it.
Ok, this is about financial aid...
*What is the difference between: Federal Grants, State Grants, Institutional Grants, & Loans?
*Generally how do most people do college? For example do most people start off taking basic REQUIRED classes & THEN take majors of their choice?
-->Just any personal information or advice on college & searching for the right college in general would be so helpful!
Thanks for your time!!!
Hey! I'm almost done with my sophmore year in college right now, so I can probably help you out with this! Ok, here we go:
1) Anything that is a GRANT is something given to you that you do NOT have to pay back! Federal are given to you by the federal government, state grants are given to you by your state, and institutional grants are given to you by your college! The difference between them doesn't really matter... all you need to know is that it's free money that you don't have to pay back! A LOAN on the other hand is an amount of money that you DO NEED TO PAY BACK (usually you have to start paying them back 6 months after you graduate/drop out of college)! Once you fill out the FAFSA (you have to fill it out before every one of your college years), the government and your college will determine how much money to give you... grants and loans! You will pick what you want and don't want after they make you an offer! Of course you will take all the grants, but you may or may not need all the loans they offer you!
2) Usually the first 2 years of college, you take "core classes," which are classes that your university requires you to take no matter what your major is in order to graduate! They will give you a list of all the courses you need to take, and you will be able to pick when you want to take them, with what proffessors, and so on! If you know what you want to major in, you may take a few classes for your major, usually starting during the second year. If you don't know what you want to major in, usually the university lets you take "core classes" the first 2 years, after which you have to decide what your major will be.
3) Ok now for some general advice... first thing you have to decide is whether you want to stay close to home or go far away! A lot of people think they want to move far, but they later decide to stay close! From my own experience, and from what I've seen happen to other people, it's best to stay close... 4 hours away at most! Also, keep in mind that most colleges are cheaper if you live in the state in which they are located! So if you're from California, it will be cheaper for you to go to a college in California!
Also, decide on the size of school you want! Some schools have 2,000 people... others have 40,000! I go to one with 10,000 and I really like that, because it is big, but not too big! You also have to decide whether you want a school that is secluded... in the middle of nowhere, or if you want to be in the middle of a city!
Last, but not least, if you know what you want to major in, or if you have a general idea, you need to make sure that the school you choose has a good reputation for that major/field, and also make sure that they offer it!
Sorry, this is soo long but I couldn't answer this well with 2 sentences! You have plenty of time, so keep looking, decide what you want and don't want, and use all your resources! Talk to your guidance councelor and get help from her/him, and visit the schools of your choice to make sure you like them! It seems like a long process, but it's not that bad at all! Don't worry and don't be scared, you will love college! :)
(Rating: 5) Thank you so much for all the information. I find it really useful.I really appreciate it because it cleared up a lot that I had questions about. Again, thanks soooooo much!! Your advice was great!!