What should I know about college?

What do I need to know before entering college?

• So I'm a freshman at West Ranch High School in Southern California and I have no idea where to look / what to look for for college and after. I plan on going to UCSD, UCLA, Berkley, Caltech (don't want to get my hopes up), or MIT (??... or maybe not). What I need to know is basically... everything. I feel like I'm screwed because I don't know what to take or do when I go to college. What is this major / minor and those Bachelor's / Master's / Phd / Doctor degrees? I plan on becoming an enviromental engineer (don't know specifically which one) and I need a lot of help. No one taught me this stuff and now I'm panicking because I might not know what the hell to do when I get out of school. What do colleges look for? Clubs? Grades (which ones?) Oh and I take marching band. What kind of SAT score do I need to get into those schools and what's the best / worst scores of SAT? I think it was out of 2000 or something? I take one AP (APHG) and I plan on taking more. When do I need to apply for colleges and how? Do I need a resume or a application? - I know... I'm stupid. What do I need to do when I go to college? I heard I need a major and minor but what is that and how many years of college do I need to get a good job? Again, what do all those degrees do (and what are they)? What kind of school do I need to go to and how many colleges do I need to go to? A lot of people go to multiple schools for some reason...why? Do I need to go to colleges, universities, graduate school (what is that), and more? For what? I take these classes currently: Honors English 9A/B - B+ for 1st semester and around A- to B+ ish for 2nd Honors Geometry 9A/B - B for both semesters (Regular) Biology - A for both semesters Concert Band and Marching Band - A for both AP Human Geography - B and B Of course I will improve next year (hopefully) - is that enough for any of the colleges listed? Thank you and... I know, I'm a retard.

• Answer:

  I didn't know any of that stuff either when I entered High School (graduated '08). Don't worry, you'll learn the vast majority of that right in school. I'm not sure how your school system works over on the West Coast, but we had an academic counselor we could talk to. To answer some of your questions: 1. Grades are the most important thing, especially now that grants and scholarships are being cut you wanna make sure you keep your GPA up. Math and Science courses will be the most important, although obviously your goal is to do well in all subjects. Every school has their own GPA/ACT/SAT requirements which you can check on their websites. You're clearly a great student so keep the good work. 2. Around Junior year is when you'll start applying to colleges. Most universities have online applications that'll guide you step-by-step in what information you need to provide. Fairly easy, if lengthy process. Don't worry about it right now. 3. In college, same thing except the classes will be tougher and there will be more distractions and more chances to screw up, especially if you live on-campus. 3. Typically it takes 3-4 years to get a Bachelor's degree ("Undergraduate"), then an additional 1-2 years to get a Masters ("Graduate"). Further education is variable. These days even a Bachelor's is usually just the beginning and you'll need at least a Masters to get a good $70k+ job. You could potentially start working full-time right after your Bachelors and do Masters part-time. Or stick all the way through and start working once you finish Masters. It'll be up to you. 4. Your "major" is your main course of study (so it might be Engineering or Environmental Science or something else for you). "Minors" are additional, optional, courses of study that you can do. People usually do those either for personal enrichment or to give their degree a little more "flavor." 5. People change schools for several reasons: Some people don't get into the school of their choice right away so they go somewhere else for a while and then reapply and get admitted later. Other people go to a cheaper place first to save money and then transfer over after two years so that their degree still comes from the more prestigious place. Some people get bored of their major and switch to something else. 6. You can go to as many colleges as you want though there's a limit on how many credits each college allows you to transfer into their school. Of course you'll keep whatever credits you've earned, you just may not be able to use them all towards completing your degree requirements. Expect to go to 1-3 universities to finish all the through to your Masters. 7. Other things: Keep your nose clean and stay out of trouble. It's one thing to wind back and relax but don't let someone else's irresponsible behavior jeopardize your ambitions. Watch who you hang out with because you'll become like them. This can be both good and bad so pick your friends accordingly. Also, get on good terms with at least a few teachers so they can write you letters of recommendation. You shouldn't kiss up to them but do show them you are interested in their subject. *Whew, hope that helped. And congratulations on going into the environmental field!