As the year comes to a close for seniors across the county and around the nation, students have finally decided where they will be spending the next few years of their lives to further their education. The deadline for housing and enrollment deposits for colleges and universities across the country occurred Friday May 1st, and thousands of rising college freshmen made one of the biggest decisions of their lives. Many students across the nation took to twitter to tweet about their future Alma mater using the hash tag “National Decision Day”.

Everyone has their different reasons for choosing their institution for the next four years, but what compels them to make this decision? For many seniors, this choice is often Intimidating, but for others it’s easy. Some have had their minds made up since the day they were born while others are still trying to figure out what would be their best fit.
College is not always about the biggest name and the best sports teams, although that is not to say that it’s a great incentive when picking a school. However, choosing a college is solely about the individual and the big picture. When choosing a college, answer this question: “Where do I see myself in 5 years?”

Often times when a person is choosing a college, the environment factor plays a large role in making a decision. This proved true in many North Point seniors in their college making process. Taylor Rice (15’) will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall and the college environment was a great factor in her decision. “It has the city feel but is not overwhelming,” says Rice (15’), “They also have a campus hospital which is a work environment I would like to work in the future.” Just like the importance of the environment factor, future career goals are also a large factor in choosing a college or university as well.

Senior Bobbi Foote (15’) plans on attending Florida Gulf Coast University next year and would like to be a special education teacher. “I choose Florida Gulf Coast because it offered a major in special education and they have a school specifically for special education,” Foote (15’) explains. “I also loved their cheer leading program and the campus made me feel at home.” When picking a college, it’s all about the individual. Sometimes people will choose a college from a moral perspective.

This was the case for senior Corey Rious (15’), who will be attending Morehouse College in the fall. “I chose Morehouse because in my life I was lacking a male role model,” he says. “I felt as though Morehouse College would help me learn not only what it means to be a man, but a successful black man.”

While the college search can be very stressful, it has proven some of the most rewarding experiences for seniors who find more out about their interests and what their purpose truly is. Sometimes seniors also find that going straight to college is not for them or they would prefer working and going to school.
It all depends on the perception of what the individual sees for themselves.