help prepare for the long road ahead....

[fivespeedsteed]

3 questions:

1: first off college. anyone in va this is your question im a senior in HS right now, and i have been accepted into lynchburg, and radford. lynchburg is private, and about 2.5 hours away, costs over 30,000 a year. radford is about 6 hours away, and costs allot less because its private, like 16 some a year.... i have allot of friends going to radford also. what do you recommend? anyone gone to these schools? the academic programs are about the same towards what im looking for. going to radford would help my parents allot, its half as expensive, and i could drive home on holidays, instead of my parents driving 2 hours each way to pick me up and drop me off.

2. neither of these places let you take your car with you your first year. however radford, one of my friends going has a house near there, that i can keep my car at. its maybe 5 to 10 minutes away, therefore i could get to my car somewhat easily. My girlfriend will be going to Philadelphia school of the arts in Philadelphia. i know everyone will probably crap on this idea, but i was thinking of going and visiting her sometimes. not every weekend, or even every other weekend for that matter. just like to split up long blocks of school between when we are home on holidays. its a 7 (est mapquest) hour drive. depending on my classes and how many days i had off, i think that could work. ?

3. say i do decide to go to radford, and i can take my car. what would i need to do in order to keep it safe while sitting in my friends driveway? I've stopped chasing all the little things that break and now im just staying focused on the essentials. i was thinking of getting a locking gas cap, and definatly fixing my broken door lock actuator. id rather lock it up and not leave him the key. i also have a nice 175 dollar custom fit car cover, which i would use.

i know all this sounds retarded, but i have been thinking allot lately about how hard it is going to be to do any of this, where i want to go to school, and mainly my relationship. i do love this woman to death, and id like to keep it going, but i somehow don't feel like we are going to make it. i just wanted to get some of this off my chest.

please offer your thoughts as to what to do with the girl, car, school everything. i want to hear a mustanger's opinion..

 

[srothfuss]

1: i have been accepted into lynchburg, and radford. lynchburg is private

Go to the school with the accredited program. If they are both accredited - than go to the school that'll give you the most money.

2. neither of these places let you take your car with you your first year

It's probably a good idea to leave your car at home with people you can trust. It could get stolen or worse. Strange things lay ahead in your college career and not having to worry about the car is going to make it more enjoyable

3. say i do decide to go to radford, and i can take my car.

I'd make it not start and put it up on blocks... But then again, I've had a Mustang stolen from a college parking lot before so I am jaded.

 

[fivespeedsteed]

good point. leaving it at home would be nice....

 

[Cwalk]

Im from Danville which isnt to far from Lynchburg. I would suggest going to Virginia Tech. Radford is a great school. Not saying anything bad about it at all. But I just think you would have so much more fun at Tech. And admission would be close to the same as Radford. I dont know if you would be able to take your car as a freshman. But as a freshman at Virginia Tech you wont miss it much trust me. Plus you can always network and meet someone who will let you park it at their house. Just my two.

 

[fivespeedsteed]

i cant get in there im sure.... 2.8 last year, and like 960 on my SAT's. this year i have like a 3.6

the reason its down to these 2 is becasue lynchburg would be a nice relaxing school in the mountains to go to, and radford would be were all my friends are going. i honestly know more than 6 people who are all my good friends that are going..

 

[UMDSmith]

I wont bull**** you. Go to the cheapest college for your bachelors degree and bust your ass. Makes it easier to get your masters from a decent school if you come out looking like the top dog.

Degree's are nice, but not worth as much as you think, especially bachelors. Masters is where you should be VERY selective.

 

[mustanggt5pt0]

Since no one commmented on the girl yet, I will.

I am a freshman at Iowa State where my girlfriend is also a student. We dated our senior year of high school and now into college. Our relationship just plain sucked the first 2 or 3 months as we both adjusted to our new situations with so many things to do, people to meet, the time comittments and the list goes on. We have finally found a happy medium, we still feel like a couple, but have time for other people and other obligations. I can hang with the guys, she can hang with her girls etc.

I will have to say that a long distance relationship will not work, and won't be fair to either of you. If my GF wasn't going to IAstate I would have broken up because it would have been too difficult to keep on the same page with each other, and again not fair to either of us when we could find someone new that we liked just as much.

To sum it up: Don't limit yourself, there are plenty of FYT's (Fine Young Things) walking around!

 

[fivespeedsteed]

thanks for that advice, i never thought of it like that.. you pretty much summed up why i wasnt thinking it wasnt gonna work....

 

[Bad92GT]

buy a dog.. we can all agree on that lol.. leave the car home, if the girl wants to stay with you, she will.. and run with the school with the better education

 

[TheUser]

1) I don't live in VA, but I'd definitely choose the cheaper one. I went to a community college and got my gen ed out of the way and then transferred to a local university (I graduate in May - finally). Anyway, what is your major? In my opinion, you may not NEED the excellent school with the excellent degree, depending on your major. People at my work (where I will be staying after I graduate) have the same job I will have (Management Trainee), with a degree from a lessor college (non university), with less credit hours to graduate with a business degree. To be a management trainee at my work (which is what I will be), they don't even care what major you have, as long as you have a 4-year degree. My point is this: Decide what you THINK you might want to do, although you'll probably have no idea right now (I was gonna be a computer programmer and then I changed to Gen. Business major). If you're thinking doctor, lawyer, etc maybe you'll be better w/ the better college, but like someone said, go w/ the one w/ the accreditations. Also, it would be nice to go w/ your friends so you'll know people. Also, file for financial aid. You never know what you'll get and it could save you or your parents a lot of money. I've gotten financial aid for about half of mine and paid the rest on my own.

2) If you won't need the car, leave it at home. I would not park it in anyone's driveway, especially a college friend. He may not do anything to it, but some punk kids that come over might. Don't risk it.

I think you'll find it hard to keep your g/f if you're both going to be meeting new people and stuff, especially with her being so far away. I'd suggest staying friends, but agree to be open and meet new people while at college.

 

[Strippt88]

Store the mustang, dump the girl, spend as little as possable on the degree- I work with a guy with a Masters in Anthropolgy here at the railroad. Smartest guy I've ever met- says it was a complete waste of time and money, and wasn't talking about the women!

 

[TheUser]

My finance teacher just told us today:

So you're going to graduate and get out in the real world...you'll learn that everything we've taught you over the past 4 or 5 years is wrong. So what are you to do? Quit? 95 million people drop out...I saw them on my way to work this morning - they were picking up limbs.

It was the funniest thing....but I know it's true. Most of the stuff I've learned will not matter at all in the "real" world. There are easier ways to do the things that they make us do and a lot of it is common sense. However, that is not to downplay a good education (although it sounds like it). Take classes you're interested in when you have the opportunity. The fact is that a bachelors degree today is much like a high school diploma of yesteryear...without one, you'll have trouble finding a decent job.

Needless to say, I'll graduate in May after 5 years of hell. Most of the crap I've learned I'll never use, but some of it I will. It's the effort that counts. In the end, find what you like to do and go for that.

Good Luck!

 

[iwashmycar]

I wont bull**** you. Go to the cheapest college for your bachelors degree and bust your ass. Makes it easier to get your masters from a decent school if you come out looking like the top dog.

Degree's are nice, but not worth as much as you think, especially bachelors. Masters is where you should be VERY selective.

good advice here..

I will have to say that a long distance relationship will not work, and won't be fair to either of you. If my GF wasn't going to IAstate I would have broken up because it would have been too difficult to keep on the same page with each other, and again not fair to either of us when we could find someone new that we liked just as much.

i dont agree with this at all.
EDIT: well actually if you can just go find somebody you like "just as much" it definately doesnt stand a chance

I am now a senior at Kent State, so i've been doin this for 4 years. Kent is 2 1/2 hours from home/the girlfriend (goes to OSU)/ my job that lets me work when i want...

Basically every time i go home its a 300 mile round trip. The stang has never had any problems, and I put 20K+ miles a year on because of it.

You probably DONT want to park it at any campus house....all that "hidden" area is still very walkable usually and who walks there?....the drunks.

Now i am fortunate enough to have been able to have my car at Kent each year:

1st year...had to park it (it was a 94GT then) 2 miles away at a stadium. At least it was lit and had one little guy in a truck who drove around, but I still read about break-ins in the paper all the damn time.

2nd year...could park it on campus, but still was a 5-10 minute walk away (i couldnt see it)

3rd year...same on campus but I lived closer. The on campus parking seemed the best to me because it was extremely well lit, cops are around, and its just not a theft-friendly parking area.

YOU WONT cover your car. I say that because NOBODY really does and if you do it sticks out like a sore thumb and I feel that somebody would want to check it out more. Lock it, hide the radio face, and maybe a sunshade (i used one).

Now 4th year: I have an apartment...cars comming and goin all day long...gotta park away from them because theyre all chick who could give a crap less bout my doors. The drunk people are worse too. At least I can watch it but I cant even set my alarm because it goes off all the time from people driving by.

Next year for grad school (also in Kent) im getting a house with a garage


Now the GF. We have been togeather for 6 years, and the 4 years in college 2 1/2 hours away isnt so bad. It kinda gives us space, and I do make an effort to see her when i can and she comes to visit me too. At first she will be upset about it because shes so used to hangin out. I guess you may be too, but like in my case I am in Architecture which makes me do a tremendous amount of work, and my GF is at OSU full-time and also works alot. It keeps us occupied. Of course at the same time we get to go have fun and meet other friends inbetween all the work, but it makes the time we do spend togeather really nice.
I plan on asking her to marry me sometime in the near future and be engaged during the latter part grad school.

Honestly with all the work my major gives me I dont feel I have had one of those "true college experiences". Dont get me wrong, I stay out and party as much as most when i can, but its more limited IMO. My GF also isnt really hardcore into partying either. She usually only has a few drinks at the bar at her restaurant when she gets off work with her friends (waitress)

Trust is HUGE with these types of relationships..

hope this helps a bit..

-adam

 

[WilwoodFiveO]

Fivespeedsteed Im not in college yet im a junior but my brother now a junior went to lynchburg and he hated it (he didn't return after freshman year). Im not trying to tell you it sucks but this is what he and 3 of his friends that went there all said. When i used to visit my brother at school i liked being there very small town but very populated. The college dies down alot on the weekends but can also be exciting if you know where to go (Liberty college is 5 minutes away *its an all girls school if you didn't know*) I also have talked to his friends that have gone to radford and loved it. That's a nice area too.

as for the girlfriend thing i have been seeing a girl an hour away for the past 2 years. I do whatever it take to see her whenever i can. If you really love the girl, you can't do anything but to see her ( i think you know what i mean). I don't think you should ask people about a girl problem thats in my opinion is kinda between you guys.

Lynchburg allowed my brother to take his mach I to school and he got a spot right out side his window. I also know that when his friends were at radford they had cars too. But i would still fix the door lock actuator and i think the gas cap is a little over board.

From what i have heard i say you try to find a school maybe in MD or Northern VA just so you can be inbetween your girlfriend and your rents. But My vote goes to radford for being a very nice school (party school )


- Cody -

 

[fivespeedsteed]

thanks guys for the honest remarks. i do really like this girl, im just hoping by asking i get stories like iwashmycar's that make me feel better about it.

appreciate you tellin me about your bro at lynchburg, im def. leaning torwards radford now...

 

[Foxfan88]

you could always learn a trade or two. alot cheaper and you can make just as much money alot faster depending on what you do.

 

[iwashmycar]

you could always learn a trade or two. alot cheaper and you can make just as much money alot faster depending on what you do.

very true..

...sometimes its the only way though. I want to be an Architect. So far im pretty damn good at it and this is the only way to get where i want to be. I see it as being good to take care of it as soon as possible.

my .02