College Decision Choosing a College Is a

College Decision Choosing a college is a big decision. It is not always an easy decision, particularly when one is in high school. It can be difficult for a teenager to see "the big picture" and to effectively plan for the future. One's choice of college can have a major impact on the rest of one's life. The decision has to be made carefully, after much consideration, and with as much information as possible. When I left high school, I went to college right away.

The college I selected was not right for me, and I did not enjoy the time I spent there. I did not select the college for the right reasons. I thought the classes would be easy, and I was not prepared to work very hard. The college was also the least expensive option available, and that made it an attractive choice. Unfortunately, the fact that the classes were easy did not assure me of excellent grades. I did not approach my studies with the right attitude.

I assumed everything would come easily to me and I did not put forth sufficient effort. Since I told myself the classes were easy, I should have excelled in them. Instead, I did poorly because I did not apply myself and I earned a low grade point average (GPA). After a period of unhappiness, I transferred to another college. I liked it immediately, but soon realized I would have to work harder than ever before to bring up my GPA.

I planned to apply for the major in nursing and initially my grades were not good enough. I studied hard and brought up my grades. I was accepted into the nursing program. I am very grateful that I realized what I needed to do before it was too late. If I could make the decision again, I would have planned to attend a college I liked from the beginning, rather than choosing a college based strictly on cost and perceived ease of academics.

While I certainly have to think about money, it did not have to be the only consideration when selecting a college. I did not even check into financial aid options, and I know now that it would have been possible to attend my first choice. I wasted money applying to a school I did not really want to attend.

I wasted time being at a school I did not like, and it was difficult for me to focus on my studies the way I needed to because I was always thinking about going to school somewhere else. I knew that I wanted to be a nurse. If I had the decision to make over again, I would have tried to talk to recent graduates of nursing programs and get their ideas about choosing and financing their education.

I talked with family and friends about my college choice, but it would have been really helpful to get the opinions of people who were actually in the field to which I aspired. From this experience, I learned that it is important to consider a number of factors when making a big.