| Author: Susan Curtis |
The stairway to college is made up of steps that will take you to the higher education that's right for you...and (yes) ONLY you!
How high school and college diverge. The high school experience moves students through the school system in groups. Where do you fit in? How are you viewed? Athlete? Actor? Academic wiz? To survive and excel in high school, you find that you must meet the expectations for people who are much the same. Yet, in college, and in much of the world after college, the key to excellence, and the route to happiness, is often to carve your own path. How do you feel when you read this classic poem by Robert Frost?
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
Selecting a college or university is not about following the path of everyone else, is it? Ivy League? Or not. Big 10 Football? Or not. While college has become more expensive and competitive, the path you choose may surprise all those around you.
Don't let this idea frighten your parents or shock your friends. Here's the core: Trust the voice inside of you. Small classes: do they appeal to you or stifle you? Trust your emotions when visiting this type of school. A sprawling college campus: Does it welcome you or bore you? Trust your intuition over every choice. And when you meet with two diverging paths, feel proud of the decision to take the one less traveled. |
Author Bio:
Susan Curtis is Editor of Stairway to College: Navigating the College Admissions Process www.stairwaytocollege.com As a college coach, Susan has helped young people build their self-knowledge, identify their unique strengths and select the steps to achieve their academic and career goals. She helps students position themselves for success in all aspects of their life. Founding faculty member of the Living Purpose Institute, she also teaches workshops to adults and college bound students. |
| You can search for this article using: Robert Frost was Right: Choosing the Road to the College that's best for you. |
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