The short answer is that I didn't get into Stanford, and I couldn't justify the cost of other schools. I'd already had the liberal arts education so I didn't need to do that again. I wasn't sure what I wanted to study, didn't want to be doctor or a lawyer, but I also wasn't ready to drop out all together. The state school was cheap, had lots of graduate programs so I knew there would be something interesting to do. And I could always transfer out after a year or two with a perfect GPA.
But once I got there and compared notes with my prep school friends who were already in their junior year at various big name schools, I realized I had a good thing going and that transferring out wasn't so attractive after all. If I really needed a pedigree later on, I could acquire one in graduate school.
The long answer (?) is that while one half of my family is highly educated, the other half is comprised of tradesmen and small business owners with little formal education. I had a choice--I could have gone to Harvard, had that been my goal. I had all the prerequisites and could have traded on family connections if need be. I had the option, and I opted out. That's a lot easier than standing outside the gates and saying "I don't need this," even though they never would have let me in anyway. I am not that strong.
re: professors
It's much easier to find and get the attention of good professors when you are a big fish in a little pond. They will find you. Obscure departments are better than big name ones, but even a comp-sci department will have plenty to offer once you get past the hazing. At a no-name school, you trade duller classmates for better access to the faculty. There were a few good students at my university to be sure, but outside the upper level and graduate classes, the mediocrity was astounding. At least I didn't go in expecting big things! Elite schools can be really disappointing that way.
re: exciting things
This wasn't my route, but two years at a Jesuit monastery somewhere in Europe could be pretty exciting. You could learn Latin and the local language, work alongside the monks (?), and quiz them on their studies. Philology, the precursor to modern linguistics, is very interesting but has high barriers to entry (multiple classical languages). Fields like that are self-selective.
Italy has lots of small scale yet sophisticated manufacturing, so that would be an obvious direction were you so inclined. Lots of legal hurdles but it can be done. Take that back to college and you'd be in a class by yourself.
>It's much easier to find and get the attention of good professors when you are a big fish in a little pond. They will find you.
I spent what was ostensibly my senior year of high school attending a mediocre 20K student state university near my hometown. Then, after high school graduation, I went to a slightly better private university.
At the state school, it wasn't hard to be noticed by professors in even large lecture classes. I was known as one of the people who showed up to class regularly. And, with little study, I was able to regularly get one of the highest grades in my classes. This is not a testament to my abilities in any sense -- it is evidence of the abysmal level of intellect and interest displayed by the student body as a whole.
Professors in several departments asked me if I would consider their field for a major because _I was obviously so interested and talented_. What made them think this? I showed up to class, filled out multiple-choice tests well, and occasionally stopped by for office hours with a interesting question. My level of competence would make me average at a better school, and this was indeed proven out when I went to engineering school.
What I did find was that the honors program at this school was actually quite good. The best professors taught honors classes, and much attention was paid to those students. So, there are niches of goodness, even in places like this school. Furthermore, some of the faculty were indeed quite good in their fields, so there was opportunity to learn from competent folk.
The easiest way to find awesome professors is talk to upperclassmen and grad students in your major. Grad students have to meet and talk with profs a lot more than undergrads, so they usually get a better feel for profs.
Comments
Wait, tell us more!
What made you stop going to the elite school?
Did you have any tricks to help you find those excellent professors?
What other exciting things?
The short answer is that I didn't get into Stanford, and I couldn't justify the cost of other schools. I'd already had the liberal arts education so I didn't need to do that again. I wasn't sure what I wanted to study, didn't want to be doctor or a lawyer, but I also wasn't ready to drop out all together. The state school was cheap, had lots of graduate programs so I knew there would be something interesting to do. And I could always transfer out after a year or two with a perfect GPA.
But once I got there and compared notes with my prep school friends who were already in their junior year at various big name schools, I realized I had a good thing going and that transferring out wasn't so attractive after all. If I really needed a pedigree later on, I could acquire one in graduate school.
The long answer (?) is that while one half of my family is highly educated, the other half is comprised of tradesmen and small business owners with little formal education. I had a choice--I could have gone to Harvard, had that been my goal. I had all the prerequisites and could have traded on family connections if need be. I had the option, and I opted out. That's a lot easier than standing outside the gates and saying "I don't need this," even though they never would have let me in anyway. I am not that strong.
re: professors
It's much easier to find and get the attention of good professors when you are a big fish in a little pond. They will find you. Obscure departments are better than big name ones, but even a comp-sci department will have plenty to offer once you get past the hazing. At a no-name school, you trade duller classmates for better access to the faculty. There were a few good students at my university to be sure, but outside the upper level and graduate classes, the mediocrity was astounding. At least I didn't go in expecting big things! Elite schools can be really disappointing that way.
re: exciting things
This wasn't my route, but two years at a Jesuit monastery somewhere in Europe could be pretty exciting. You could learn Latin and the local language, work alongside the monks (?), and quiz them on their studies. Philology, the precursor to modern linguistics, is very interesting but has high barriers to entry (multiple classical languages). Fields like that are self-selective.
Italy has lots of small scale yet sophisticated manufacturing, so that would be an obvious direction were you so inclined. Lots of legal hurdles but it can be done. Take that back to college and you'd be in a class by yourself.
++1;
>It's much easier to find and get the attention of good professors when you are a big fish in a little pond. They will find you.
I spent what was ostensibly my senior year of high school attending a mediocre 20K student state university near my hometown. Then, after high school graduation, I went to a slightly better private university.
At the state school, it wasn't hard to be noticed by professors in even large lecture classes. I was known as one of the people who showed up to class regularly. And, with little study, I was able to regularly get one of the highest grades in my classes. This is not a testament to my abilities in any sense -- it is evidence of the abysmal level of intellect and interest displayed by the student body as a whole.
Professors in several departments asked me if I would consider their field for a major because _I was obviously so interested and talented_. What made them think this? I showed up to class, filled out multiple-choice tests well, and occasionally stopped by for office hours with a interesting question. My level of competence would make me average at a better school, and this was indeed proven out when I went to engineering school.
What I did find was that the honors program at this school was actually quite good. The best professors taught honors classes, and much attention was paid to those students. So, there are niches of goodness, even in places like this school. Furthermore, some of the faculty were indeed quite good in their fields, so there was opportunity to learn from competent folk.
The easiest way to find awesome professors is talk to upperclassmen and grad students in your major. Grad students have to meet and talk with profs a lot more than undergrads, so they usually get a better feel for profs.