teejay 96 asks: Hi, I am writing from Africa. I am in my last year of high school and I do not know what college I am going to attend. I’m still trying to pick between Australia, Canada, the Middle East, and Europe. How do you suggest I compare my choice universities in these areas so as to pick the right college for me?
Hi teejay 96 –
What a coooool situation to be in! No matter which of those places you choose, you’re going to have an amazing experience that will change your life and grow you in ways you can’t imagine!
Now as a dog, and a dog who lives in one country you aren’t even looking at (and has never been to any of those places), I can’t offer ANY opinion on where you should go! It sounds like you’ve already looked into the quality of the colleges, so what you’re going to make your decision on is something else.
So I have two thoughts. First, what sort of world would you like to live in for the next few years? Canada and Australia offer relatively stable, British-American-style modern societies; the Middle East is the most turbulent and probably most exciting place in the world right now; and Europe is, of course, the base of most Western Civilization, and has the most amazing possibilities for tourism and seeing great art and culture anywhere. So… it’s up to you!
But second, I want to tell you about one of my favorite people in the world. This girl was a very good student and athlete, with only one big problem; she had (still has) a horrible condition where, at random times, she will start vomiting uncontrollably, and often needed (needs) to be hospitalized to keep her from dying. She was in your situation, looking at colleges, and did something absolutely brilliant. She read about the schools, and found about ten or so that sounded good to her. Then she visited them all, and asked her guides to show her the dormitories, and in particular, the bathrooms in them! She wanted to see how many students there were per toilet, and how far it was from the bedrooms to them. And in the end, she picked the school that offered the best situation for that!
Now this may sound almost comical, but it was really the smartest thing she could possibly have done. Every school is going to have some good teachers and some not-so-good ones. Every school will have students you hit it off with and ones you don’t. But what that girl did that was so right was to pick a school based on What Was Most Important To Her Life. So, Teejay 96, what matters to you? Do you want a sunny climate? Do you want everyone to speak the same language? Do you want to learn lots of world history and immerse yourself in the great cultures of humanity? Or is there something particular to you, like to that girl, that’s going to make all the difference?
Wherever you go, you’ll get a great education in the subjects you choose. But what ELSE will you get? That should be the basis of your choice.
Good Luck! I envy you!
Shirelle