Best of luck @timeagain1! Something tells me you’re gonna do great.
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Yes, lots of students are undecided when they enter college. What concerned me was OP’s statement that seemed to convey that preparing oneself to earn a decent living was somehow contrary to their own mindset, their view of the world. It might be just how OP wrote it, but I have known young people whose attitude was that earning money was somehow “dirty”, capitalistic. That’s why I recommended that they not borrow to attend college, because if that is their mindset, then the debt will never be repaid. And for this student, working a part time job and earning a paycheck might be invaluable preparation for life, might help them find a direction.
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Good luck @timeagain1 , let us know what happens!
Whitman, why not, ey?
(Stanford is likely to be a giant time sink so not sure you should even as a joke - that time would be better spent earning money or with friends having fun.)
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A friend of mine is a dentist (I am not suggesting you become a dentist). He closes his practice for two weeks every year, and gets sent somewhere in the world where there is either limited access to dental care, or where only rich people can see a dentist.
He puts in 14-16 hours a day for two weeks treating children, adults, pregnant women, elderly people whose dental issues are so severe that they are suffering from other health care issues- malnutrition, chronic pain and infection, etc. Yes, you have to be “financially independent” to be able to do this, but in his mind, this is his way of giving back to society.
I could tell you similar stories about adults who are involved in initiatives like this, both in the US and overseas. Some of them would make you cry. The graduate engineering student who invented an oven which runs on solar power, because women in parts of the world walk MILES every day to find firewood-- and often become victims of violence along the way. They don’t have a lot of trees but they have more sunshine than they know what to do with! The bankers who volunteer with organizations which help small business owners facing bankruptcy restructure and get back on track- these owners cannot afford “professional help” so often file for bankruptcy even when their businesses could be saved and provide a living for their families.
Etc.
So doing well and doing good are not in opposition to each other. Keep an open mind.
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Thanks for that perspective, I hadn’t thought of it that way before.
Definitely
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I agree that the Stanford app will take a lot of time and that you should use the time to do something more productive or more fun.
I am definitely rooting for your success wherever it is that you land.
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I didn’t think @timeagain1 was saying the choice was doing well vs. doing good. I thought the choice she’s describing is doing well vs. doing something she’s genuinely interested in. They are somewhat different things.
Anyway, I do agree that it’s good to keep an open mind about what careers are like.
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Long thread but I think I’m caught up, thanks for being so responsive and really painting the full picture of your situation. If I’m gleaning it all correctly, you are LGBTQ, from the San Bernadino area (not a very LGBTQ friendly part of CA), very low income/no family support, and were late to hit your stride in HS but thinking to pursue a psych major. I REALLY don’t think CSU Fresno or Chico are great picks for you, also pretty LGBTQ unfriendly areas. Humboldt is good for that but how on earth are you getting there? It’s far away and planes/busses are expensive. I think Sac is a reasonable option, and I would suggest adding Sonoma State (heard GREAT things about this one from a friend with two kids there, hidden gem), and Monterey Bay.
But realistically with your finances, I do think CC to UC (or elsewhere) is your best path. Surely it’s possible that you can work, save up, make new friends during your first semester or year at CC, and move into shared housing within a year? (out of the family home) You’d be so busy, you’d barely be at home during that year.
FInally, do you have any nice relatives ANYWHERE near a CC or CSU that would let you live with them for a year while you attend the local college? That would be another cheap option.
Good luck to you, you will have choices; but like other commenters, I worry about you taking on debt at such a young age.
I don’t know about Fresno but by all accounts I’ve heard Chico /Chico State are totally fine for lgbtq+.
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I am not recommending it. The area is very conservative, even if the campus is an island.
SF State would be a great option other than eventually you have to leave the dorms, and the cost of housing is expensive there.
I am not familiar with the southern CA CSUs so that’s why I’m not commenting on those.
Again, Chico town (not just the campus) from what I’ve heard is totally fine. The more rural areas of the county sure could be an issue but that’s the case in a lot of California anyway, and would OP be going there much is the question (what are the attractions out there). I’ve know a few lgbtq kids who went to Chico and none had any complaints.
We’re going to have to agree to disagree. I personally love downtown Chico. But I would not let my LGBTQ child attend school there.
Voter registration has Butte County as a whole split about evenly between democrats and republicans.
There will be tolerant and intolerant people everywhere - even at work. It’s just one of those things. OC is quite conservative but by all accounts has a healthy lgbtq population.
I think the students needs to figure where they can affordably study. Hopefully wherever it is, they’ll find a welcoming community.