So, there isn't really a planned theme this week, but if anyone wants to go along with the topic of my blog today, go ahead and maybe this week we can see about actually implementing a weekly theme.
I believe all of us are in high school (if I remember correctly), so I thought it'd make sense to talk about what we're planning on doing in the future (namely college or other post-graduation activity).
I'm a junior in high school, so I'm currently trying to pick out some colleges that I would like to go to. Oberlin (which is actually where I live) is my top choice school, followed by Williams College in Massachusetts. A few others I'm considering are Smith, Carleton, Kenyon, and Vanderbilt. I've wanted to go to Oberlin since I was in third grade and had to learn about the town history, which is closely intertwined with that of the college's history. I think what originally enamored me with the college, and made me want to go there since I was a kid, was the fact that it was the first college in the country to accept both females and African-American (The town itself was the 99th stop on the Underground Railroad -- the last stop in Ohio until you made it to Canada, if you were headed there). But in general, Oberlin has an environment that I fit into very well, namely: liberal. And opinionated. Oberlin very laid back (many students forgo the traditional cap-and-gown at graduation in favor of odd-ball outfits and such). Williams, which is my second choice school, by comparison has always been described to me as somewhat conservative (or at least conservative by my standards). Despite this it remains my top choice, and I am thoroughly excited to visit the campus to learn more about it.
This Spring Break my mom, my sisters and I are going on a college road trip of sorts. I'm not entirely sure of all the schools we're visiting, but I know that my mom plans to take us to Swarthmore, Haverford, Princeton, Williams, Smith, and possibly Cornell. (She almost tried to suggest Yale, but...no). I'm really looking forward to actually seeing other campuses besides Oberlin's, which I've grown up in and am ridiculously accustomed to (not that I can find my way confidently through any of the buildings -- except perhaps the Dean's office and the conservatory). I know that if I don't get accepted to Williams or Oberlin, my next choice would be a school where I think I'd be able to get a good education, as well as fit into the social environment, so I'm hopin to gain a lot of insight from this trip.
This week I'm going to be trying to come up with questions and things I'm looking for at the colleges i visit. I think most importantly -- from an academics standpoint -- is that the college have a strong English and Writing program. I plan on being a writer (even if it happens to be freelance) when I "grow up" so I really want to go to a school with a good Creative Writing program (although, I did get accepted to a Kenyon Summer Writing Program run by the Kenyon Review). Right now, all of my career aspirations are centered around reading, writing, or both. I would really like to go into journalism or publishing, or library science, and I intend to major in English wherever I go. That said, I really *love* learning (I mean, I'm a nerd, so I suppose that's a given), so I want to take a variety of courses across all fields. I'm really interested in taking Anthropology, Astronomy, Linguistics and Religion courses wherever I go, and I think that I might minor in French (J'aime la langue).
That's all for today! I believe I will be on the road, or else away from reliable internet next Monday, so I might post my next entry on Sunday, but I'm not sure yet.
Are we still going to do recommendations? I like them, so I'm going to recommend The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC (it's also available as a podcast on iTunes), because Rachel Maddow is intelligent, quick-witted, funny and all around a good TV personality. The show has a tendency (understatement) to sway towards the liberal side of things, but even if that's the lens she examines news from, she is insightful regardless.
Till next week:
DFTBA!
When you tour colleges, don't forget to ask about how good the food is and what their meal plans are like. It was always the first thing I asked at college info sessions. It seems like a minor detail, but that college may be where you'll be eating for the next 4 years.
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