First off, college is a personal decision. Yes, listening to your friends’ and family’s opinions can be helpful, but do not let anyone overshadow the fact that your opinion is the final word. Because, after all, it is where you will spend the next four or more years of your life, affecting the years to come beyond college. You can talk to family and friends all day long about a college, but unless you examine the success of past graduates of the school, you may not know the facts about the school.

What exactly makes a university a good one? Is a degree from Harvard any more meaningful than one from Texas Tech? These are important things to ponder. Some people might say, “You’re too smart for that school,” or “Why would you go there  (to a less prestigious school) when you could go here (to a low acceptance percentage school)?”

While perception of a school is also important to think about, schools are always different when you experience them first hand, as it is a personal decision. Consider Stephen F. Austin, for example. With its high acceptance rate, it can be said to be a not as intellectual of a school. In reality, SFA’s education department is more well known and credited than the agricultural department at Texas State. So before you turn down a school because of a perception, consider the specific department and its worth.

A factor that may not be as highly stressed, but should, be is location. This may not be as important for certain degrees. For an education major, though, if someone is looking for a job in Dallas and has a degree from UT, they may not be as likely to get a teaching job as a person with an Education degree from SFA. Why is this? Because each school has its own connections to surrounding areas, and must be taken into account.

Now, perhaps the hardest part of this turning point in one’s life is leaving your loved ones behind. What if your best friend  or boyfriend/girlfriend chooses to attend University of Northern Colorado and you are left to choose between keeping the friendship intact, or getting the degree you want? It is not selfish to choose a different school. The decision of choosing a school affects the rest of your life; don’t let one person lead you to a decision that costs you success. Look for options and consider them equally.

Some of these factors are more important than others, and the most important one depends on the person. When it comes down to it, though, it may be true to say that wherever you go, you will find your niche, Like high school, it will take time to adapt to something new, but once you have found your hobbies and niche, the road to success became easier.