I live in Canada and im doing my last year of high school. Im having this debate with my mom as to whether or not I should attend college or university. What are the pros and cons of both of them and if you attend either one, what do you think of it?
I always thought they were different words for the same thing. I guess I wouldn't know though, if you point out the differences I'll be able to help you with the pros and consPlease Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Pros 1)College trumps HS in every aspect. 2)Want a decent job? need a degree, meretocracy still isn't the leader in most high paying jobs. 3)Away from home...i mean seriously..need better reasons. 4)Might actually learn something....always a good thing right? 5)Spring break *wink wink* Cons 1)Raping up the ass tutions 2)Raping up the ass other spending....say goodbye to money after joining a college.
Basically the difference is in approach. College is hands-on, learn-by-doing type of teaching while University is more of the academic side of learning. Pros to college: cheaper, done sooner Pros to university: respected for the letters behind your name, better jobs available (according to 'experts'), sampler year Cons to college: no sampler year, you dive right in and hafta know what you want to do Cons to university: more money, a lot of usless info, takes longer
The following applies around here in Quebec/Ontario 1. Attendance College: You may miss 15% of classes University: Optional, but you might want to attend... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! 2. Tuition College & University: OUCH. 3. Course material College: Deeper than high school, many reports to write. Teachers usually give good, clear instructions on what to study and what to write down. University: In-depth, reports. Teachers usually only repeat what you see in their notes (which are condensed so bad you usually *do* need the three hours they say to understand the material) and never give you a clear idea of what will be on a test. If you can skip college and you think your study habits are good, go for University right away.
Many do Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Some keep working while doing their Univ classes part-time (aka night school).
Don't think it's necessary. Alot of the people attending University either end up as teachers (A job you do not want) or never really put their degrees to use. It can be a waste of youth, money and energy if you do not know what you're doing (ie there on a whim). Before you choose university, you have to *really* consider the possibility that this could end up happening to you. Plus if you're not commited, expect the distractions to take hold of you. College is a bit cheaper and will help specialize you for a specific field of work. Not going at all means that you'll probably become a working class slave. Attending university or college means that you'll become a working class slave with more money than you would have had. So here's what I recommend: 1) If you're really motivated, go to university and look into all possible career paths. It *could* pay off. Just remeber who you're competing against. 2) College will earn you a nice little degree. Find a place where your degree is in demand and you'll make money. 3) There are highly specialized fields that pop up all of the time, paying lots of money because they can't find anybody to work for them -- MRI technicians, brainstormers, you name it. They will train you, too! If you can find one of these jobs, then go for it. Look at the last century. All of the opportunities that popped up with only a few seizing them. Just look around.:m:
Actually, I went to college (a 4 year liberal arts school) and it was a more expensive education than a lot of the universities in the area. It was a good experience for the most part.
Thx for the input guys. One of my big concern is that if I go to college and get a job, then I might not have time to learn new things. I still want to keep learning new subjects and reach Topology and all that good stuff before im 25 or 26. But if I start working then I dont think ill have enough time to expand my brain. On the other hand if I go to university, then yes I will learn but then most of it will not be applied, hands on stuff....well it could be if you go to a expensive university but in a moderate university I dont think they have real jet engines to open and look into...Im into propulsion, electrical etc...So what could be the best plan for me?
have you considered an apprentiship??? i'm not sure if thats even available, but you might look into it. Other than that I would suggest college. (maybe fanshaw?)
I'm in the same boat as you, dude. As much as I may sound like I know what I'm talking about.... I don't. Nobody knows what's best for me - not even myself. Life is a F**kn risk. Take one. But then the wise man reaches his decisions slowly. So is it really necessary to learn the things you want at university..let alone in a set period of time? Maybe you're holding yourself from that conclusion. Or maybe not. If thats the case, then I think you'll have to resolve this one yourself. Like I said, nobody knows what *you* wan't If you're asking us what we would do with those kind of personal preferences..then I'd say take them as far as you possibly can. If you really want to then go to university. As a risk, it's worth the money. All risks are worth taking. I'd go - enjoy myself - and not hold back for the possible mistakes.
If you're interested in the things that you say you are, maybe you should join the Air Force. See a little of the world, learn some stuff, drink beer and run around with babes when you have liberty. Consider this. You go off to college now and you might get stuck with Nico as a room mate. All day and all night you'll have to listen to all that shit about capitalism this and socialism that and corruption of the American Dream and on and on and on. Oh my God!
Go to college Go to college, we university grads need more assistants. (I hope that answers your question)
Jet engines, here's a place to go: http://icpac.indiana.edu/education/college_profiles/134307.xml/programs_of_study
Has anyone in history ever stayed home and studied some serious stuff and became a smart inventor in the future?
Of course. Even Einstein started out as a patent clerk. The thing is, these days this route is getting less and less likely. Back to the original question. If you're into jet engines and the sort, it sounds like you're interested in engineering. I guess the first question is, are you more interested in opening one up and physically working on it (and following someone else's instructions), or are you curious about the theory of how it works, how you could make it go faster, or run more efficiently? University programs will focus on the theory. In fact, they'll hammer the theory into your skull until it keeps you awake at night. There are also a lot of programs and competitions that you can get involved in that will develop your practical skills. At my school there's teams that put together a "formula one style" race car, a solar powered vehicle, robots (for various competitions) etc., but all that is extra cirricular. One option that many students are considering these days is to begin with their first two years at a community college. There are programs out there where these years count as credits towards your degree. The classes are smaller and the tuition is cheaper, and if you find out it's not for you, you can stick it out for only two years, get your certification, and get a job, with university as a option later on down the line. Go talk to you high school's guidance coucillor if you want to find out more.
Xerxes: And the slowest means possible is rotting in the back of some classroom waiting to get your degree. Univeristy is the clinical way of manufacturing the intellect and trying to prove with a piece of paper that an idiot is not one. Community college rocks. Faster, cheaper. GFrontier: Wasn't Einstein rejected by some holier than thous that let him to discover the marvels of the universe as a patent clerk? The ideal job was a lighthouse keeper, accoriding to him. Silence and no highbrows looking their fucking noses down trying to harness the untamable. Fuck. You. All. I hate school.
You can potentially take an advanced undergraduate/introductory graduate-level Topology course after the following sequence: Calculus I -> Calculus II -> Multivariable Calculus -> Topology. (Although, I suggest you take an Advanced Calculus course before taking Topology, it helps greatly.) This could potentially be achieved in your second year at a University, and if you go to a College, I doubt that Topology will be offered. You will have to ultimately decide between the following two choices: 1.) You want to understand the principles behind why a jet engine works, which can lead to designing them if you choose an Aerospace Engineering degree, which would cover propulsion and basic Electrical Engineering. 2.) You want to work with jet engines first and foremost, and learning how they work is a secondary concern. If choice 1 sounds appealing to you, then go to a University and major in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Mathematics (so you can pursue your Mathematical interests). If choice 2 sounds appealing to you, find a College that will allow you to work with jet engines in a hands on setting, and possibly go to a University later to learn the principles, or teach yourself the principles of flight you are interested in. If one enters a University with that attitude, one will most likely not complete their degree. The cries of someone who apparently tends towards the Liberal Arts side of the spectrum. I doubt that any Mathematician, Physicist, or countless other professionals in the Sciences can be correctly classified as idiots because they hold a University degree. Yes. But he was a highly motivated individual who undertook studies on his own, and even he benefited from a University education, even if indirectly, since he developed the General Theory of Relativity with assistance from a Mathematics Ph.D., Marcel Grossmann. It shows. Most who do not do well in school develop a hatred for academia.
