NationStates Jolt Archive


What do you do when you have dilemmas?

Ladamesansmerci
22-01-2007, 07:25
You come to NSG for help. This is a biggie for me, so please help!

I don't know which university to go to. I currently have 3 choices, listed in the following.

1) University of British Columbia: located in Vancouver, a rather large university, research based, and close to home. It's going to cost me $17,000 a year to live and study there. The main problem I have with the university is that it is too close to home, the student body is mostly Asian with stupid business assholes who are spoiled brats and drive BMW's. It's also in Vancouver, a city I rather dislike.

2) University of Alberta: located in Edmonton/hick central, it's also a large university that's going through lots of construction and renovation. It will cose me $15,000/year to live and study there. My best friend will be going there next year, and is threatening kidnapping or something very close if I choose not to go there. They also have no PST. It's just going to be all around cheaper there.

3) University of Waterloo: located in Waterloo, Ontario, west of Toronto, it's the university I want to go to the most, except I probably can't afford it. It will cost me about $20,000/year to live and study there, but it's also far away. It has the best engineering faculty in Canada, which is what I'm going into, and Waterloo is the 7th most intelligent community in the world, which means I won't have to put up with many dumb people. But it's just too expensive, and the university probably won't give me much money either.

So, in the end, which university should I pick? I am so stuck on this. Help!

(Poll coming)
Almighty America
22-01-2007, 07:30
Nuts to your friend. Go to Waterloo. Worry about the costs after you graduate.
JuNii
22-01-2007, 07:30
You come to NSG for help. This is a biggie for me, so please help!

I don't know which university to go to. I currently have 3 choices, listed in the following.

1) University of British Columbia: located in Vancouver, a rather large university, research based, and close to home. It's going to cost me $17,000 a year to live and study there. The main problem I have with the university is that it is too close to home, the student body is mostly Asian with stupid business assholes who are spoiled brats and drive BMW's. It's also in Vancouver, a city I rather dislike.

2) University of Alberta: located in Edmonton/hick central, it's also a large university that's going through lots of construction and renovation. It will cose me $15,000/year to live and study there. My best friend will be going there next year, and is threatening kidnapping or something very close if I choose not to go there. They also have no PST. It's just going to be all around cheaper there.

3) University of Waterloo: located in Waterloo, Ontario, west of Toronto, it's the university I want to go to the most, except I probably can't afford it. It will cost me about $20,000/year to live and study there, but it's also far away. It has the best engineering faculty in Canada, which is what I'm going into, and Waterloo is the 7th most intelligent community in the world, which means I won't have to put up with many dumb people. But it's just too expensive, and the university probably won't give me much money either.

So, in the end, which university should I pick? I am so stuck on this. Help!

(Poll coming)Difficult choices all around.

can you really NOT afford to go to UoW? if so, then it's shouldn't be a choice. if it is, then realize you need to buckle down and work your tail off (PT Job) to help pay for it.

I think tho. that you answered your own question. you Hyped up the UoW more than the others... so apply for the Student loan and Good Luck.
The Psyker
22-01-2007, 07:31
The last one intailes geting laid alot and sponging a living off of someone else right? If so I'd go with that;)
Ginnoria
22-01-2007, 07:32
Sounds like you have your mind made up already ... don't let money stand in the way, go find scholarships and loans. If you want it badly enough, I'm sure there's a way.

BTW, keep in mind that engineering students are mostly, like myself, ugly male nerds. You'll probably end up being courted by hundreds of them.
Kiryu-shi
22-01-2007, 07:35
If it were me, there is no way I would go to UBC, it sounds way too similar to my highschool, and I would really want to live farther away from home. Waterloo sounds amazing, but I can see the appeal of being with your friend. I would rank Waterloo first, if you can find away to go, then Alberta, and last, BC.
IL Ruffino
22-01-2007, 07:36
Waterloo.
Poliwanacraca
22-01-2007, 07:36
When I have dilemmas, I make dilemmanade! ;)


More seriously, I'd lean towards the most expensive one, despite the price. From your description, it sounds like you'd be significantly happier there than you would be at either of the other two schools.
Free Soviets
22-01-2007, 07:39
when i have a dilemma about which school to go to (and it's come up several times), i usually just make a choice based on pure whim and hope for the best.
Delator
22-01-2007, 07:40
Are these Canadian dollars or U.S. dollars? :p
Ladamesansmerci
22-01-2007, 07:42
Nuts to your friend. Go to Waterloo. Worry about the costs after you graduate.
But I don't want to keep living provinces away from her.
Difficult choices all around.

can you really NOT afford to go to UoW? if so, then it's shouldn't be a choice. if it is, then realize you need to buckle down and work your tail off (PT Job) to help pay for it.

I think tho. that you answered your own question. you Hyped up the UoW more than the others... so apply for the Student loan and Good Luck.
Yeah, I suppose that could work, but going to Waterloo basically means I'll be disappointing my parents and my best friend. :(
The last one intailes geting laid alot and sponging a living off of someone else right? If so I'd go with that;)
:p
Sounds like you have your mind made up already ... don't let money stand in the way, go find scholarships and loans. If you want it badly enough, I'm sure there's a way.

BTW, keep in mind that engineering students are mostly, like myself, ugly male nerds. You'll probably end up being courted by hundreds of them.
Did I also mention Waterloo has the highest male vs. female student ratio in Canada? :p
If it were me, there is no way I would go to UBC, it sounds way too similar to my highschool, and I would really want to live farther away from home. Waterloo sounds amazing, but I can see the appeal of being with your friend. I would rank Waterloo first, if you can find away to go, then Alberta, and last, BC.
Yeah, UBC is basically cut out now, unless they decide to give me the $30,000 scholarship, then I can't say no.
When I have dilemmas, I make dilemmanade! ;)


More seriously, I'd lean towards the most expensive one, despite the price. From your description, it sounds like you'd be significantly happier there than you would be at either of the other two schools.
Dilemmanade sounds good about now. Care to make me a cup too? :p
when i have a dilemma about which school to go to (and it's come up several times), i usually just make a choice based on pure whim and hope for the best.
You know, I'm tempted to do that too. Or maybe just take off and travel, and not come back for a year or something.
Are these Canadian dollars or U.S. dollars? :p
Canadian, of course. :p I'm going to avoid American universities and save my soul from corruption. :p
IL Ruffino
22-01-2007, 07:45
Canadian, of course. :p I'm going to avoid American universities and save my soul from corruption. :p

Does that include Michigan?
JuNii
22-01-2007, 07:45
Yeah, I suppose that could work, but going to Waterloo basically means I'll be disappointing my parents and my best friend. :(
In this age of E-mail, Video messages, Instant Messages, Chat rooms, as well as Telephones and snail mail... you'll be able to keep in contact with them.

But think of this. you need to live your own life. Your parents won't be disappointed, worried? yes, but not disappointed.
Ladamesansmerci
22-01-2007, 07:52
Does that include Michigan?
Is Michigan a part of the States?
In this age of E-mail, Video messages, Instant Messages, Chat rooms, as well as Telephones and snail mail... you'll be able to keep in contact with them.

But think of this. you need to live your own life. Your parents won't be disappointed, worried? yes, but not disappointed.
That's how my best friend and I keep in touch with each other, except we're both too busy to get online at the same time, and then there's the whole time difference stuff.

My mother has used every method possible to bribe me into staying on the island for university. They're not worried about my survival skills, but will be REALLY disappointed if I go away so far that they can't come visit me every weekend.
IL Ruffino
22-01-2007, 07:57
Is Michigan a part of the States?

How the hell should I know?
Kiryu-shi
22-01-2007, 07:59
Or maybe just take off and travel, and not come back for a year or something.
Do it!! Responsible education and planning for the future is For The Weak!
My mother has used every method possible to bribe me into staying on the island for university. They're not worried about my survival skills, but will be REALLY disappointed if I go away so far that they can't come visit me every weekend.
Parents are silly...
Poliwanacraca
22-01-2007, 08:02
But I don't want to keep living provinces away from her.

Yeah, I suppose that could work, but going to Waterloo basically means I'll be disappointing my parents and my best friend. :(

As far as your best friend goes, it is absolutely never a good idea to go to a school simply because a friend goes there. I've known more than one person who chose their college based on the locale of a friend, family member, or significant other, and the overwhelming majority ended up regretting it. If she's really that good a friend, you'll keep in touch even when you're far away from her (and, furthermore, if she's really that good a friend, she'd rather have you go to a school you're enthusiastic about than settle for an inferior one for her sake). And, after all, you can always visit each other during spring breaks and summers.

Dilemmanade sounds good about now. Care to make me a cup too? :p

Help yourself! :)
Kinda Sensible people
22-01-2007, 08:03
Your best friend and parents love you, no? They want whats best for you. In this case, it looks like Waterloo is best for you. Your parents and friend will understand that you had to go to the place that was best for you. If your friend doesn't, then how much of a friend are they, anyway?

Money is a problem, but if you can find a part time job and/or get student loans and financial aid, you will survive.
Imperial isa
22-01-2007, 08:04
all i can say is good on you

*goes but to watching full metal jack*
Ladamesansmerci
22-01-2007, 08:08
How the hell should I know?
Aren't you American?
Do it!! Responsible education and planning for the future is For The Weak!

Parents are silly...
RL is silly. Can I live on the intratubes? :p
As far as your best friend goes, it is absolutely never a good idea to go to a school simply because a friend goes there. I've known more than one person who chose their college based on the locale of a friend, family member, or significant other, and the overwhelming majority ended up regretting it. If she's really that good a friend, you'll keep in touch even when you're far away from her (and, furthermore, if she's really that good a friend, she'd rather have you go to a school you're enthusiastic about than settle for an inferior one for her sake). And, after all, you can always visit each other during spring breaks and summers.

Help yourself! :)
Well, she will support my decision for any university I go to, but we're just tired of not living in the same city and being able to talk to each other on a regular basis. I blame the cosmos. DAMN YOU COSMOS! :mad:

You make yummy dilemmanade. :p
Poliwanacraca
22-01-2007, 08:12
My mother has used every method possible to bribe me into staying on the island for university. They're not worried about my survival skills, but will be REALLY disappointed if I go away so far that they can't come visit me every weekend.

Heh. For the sake of your own mental health, disappoint them. One of my closest college friends had parents who visited every weekend, which, as of September of her freshman year, she thought would be great. By October of her freshman year, she was beginning to regret this. From November of her freshman year through May of her senior year, she was calling her parents nearly every Thursday and telling them that she was either (a) too sick to see them that weekend, (b) working on a huge paper due Monday and thus too busy to see them that weekend, (c) going out of town with friends for the weekend, or possibly (d) being attacked by giant purple space monkeys of doom, who would eat her parents, too, if they came to visit her. It's not that she didn't love her parents - she did, very much - but she quickly realized that she loved being a somewhat independent adult, too, and parents are never very conducive to that, wonderful though they might otherwise be.
IL Ruffino
22-01-2007, 08:14
Aren't you American?

Aren't you an Amenican?
Almighty America
22-01-2007, 08:15
But I don't want to keep living provinces away from her.
Unless you intend to be a baby-producing machine, you must act in your own selfish interests and not what others expect of you. Out of the choices you provided, attending Waterloo is best for your future livelihood. You are also likely to make fast friends with the cadre of women at Waterloo, since all of you have to defend yourselves against the hordes of fat, pasty male engineers that stalk the grounds of the educational institution.

So once again, nuts to your friend. Visit each other during breaks.
Kreitzmoorland
22-01-2007, 08:24
You come to NSG for help. This is a biggie for me, so please help!

I don't know which university to go to. I currently have 3 choices, listed in the following.

1) University of British Columbia: located in Vancouver, a rather large university, research based, and close to home. It's going to cost me $17,000 a year to live and study there. The main problem I have with the university is that it is too close to home, the student body is mostly Asian with stupid business assholes who are spoiled brats and drive BMW's. It's also in Vancouver, a city I rather dislike.
Like everyone said, you seem psyched about waterloo, and that's cool, but I wanted to defend my university a tiny bit too. I've been at ubc for almost three years now, and your generalization about the student population is obviously a gross falsehood. There is every kind of student here, from enviro-activists to buisness people, to science nerds, to visual arts majors. The engineering faculty is cool actually - especially if you go into engineering physics there's this penthouse where you get to hang out that has a hamock and really cheep (by donation) ice cream. Though you dislike Vancouver (seems weird, but ok) the UBC campus is pretty isolated, and very very beautiful. Yo could spend weeks without leaving campus if you really wanted to.

I love UBC. So there's a rather biased opinion for you.
Ladamesansmerci
22-01-2007, 08:25
Aren't you an Amenican?
Nobody's Amenican.
Heh. For the sake of your own mental health, disappoint them. One of my closest college friends had parents who visited every weekend, which, as of September of her freshman year, she thought would be great. By October of her freshman year, she was beginning to regret this. From November of her freshman year through May of her senior year, she was calling her parents nearly every Thursday and telling them that she was either (a) too sick to see them that weekend, (b) working on a huge paper due Monday and thus too busy to see them that weekend, (c) going out of town with friends for the weekend, or possibly (d) being attacked by giant purple space monkeys of doom, who would eat her parents, too, if they came to visit her. It's not that she didn't love her parents - she did, very much - but she quickly realized that she loved being a somewhat independent adult, too, and parents are never very conducive to that, wonderful though they might otherwise be.
Yeah, I already want to get as far away from my parents as possible. There is NO WAY I would ever let them visit me every weekend, but they're going to do it anyway if I go to UBC.
Unless you intend to be a baby-producing machine, you must act in your own selfish interests and not what others expect of you. Out of the choices you provided, attending Waterloo is best for your future livelihood. You are also likely to make fast friends with the cadre of women at Waterloo, since all of you have to defend yourselves against the hordes of fat, pasty male engineers that stalk the grounds of the educational institution.

So once again, nuts to your friend. Visit each other during breaks.
teehee, that is a funny mental image. :p

*is very amused*
IL Ruffino
22-01-2007, 08:36
Nobody's Amenican.

God damn typos..

Well... STFU.


Go to Waterloo.
Steel Butterfly
22-01-2007, 08:46
Go to MIT...
Anti-Social Darwinism
22-01-2007, 08:53
You come to NSG for help. This is a biggie for me, so please help!

I don't know which university to go to. I currently have 3 choices, listed in the following.

1) University of British Columbia: located in Vancouver, a rather large university, research based, and close to home. It's going to cost me $17,000 a year to live and study there. The main problem I have with the university is that it is too close to home, the student body is mostly Asian with stupid business assholes who are spoiled brats and drive BMW's. It's also in Vancouver, a city I rather dislike.

2) University of Alberta: located in Edmonton/hick central, it's also a large university that's going through lots of construction and renovation. It will cose me $15,000/year to live and study there. My best friend will be going there next year, and is threatening kidnapping or something very close if I choose not to go there. They also have no PST. It's just going to be all around cheaper there.

3) University of Waterloo: located in Waterloo, Ontario, west of Toronto, it's the university I want to go to the most, except I probably can't afford it. It will cost me about $20,000/year to live and study there, but it's also far away. It has the best engineering faculty in Canada, which is what I'm going into, and Waterloo is the 7th most intelligent community in the world, which means I won't have to put up with many dumb people. But it's just too expensive, and the university probably won't give me much money either.

So, in the end, which university should I pick? I am so stuck on this. Help!

(Poll coming)

If you were in the States, I'd say go to Waterloo; take out massive student loans and go deeply into debt. However, I don't know how Canada does financial aid.
Almighty America
22-01-2007, 09:14
If you were in the States, I'd say go to Waterloo; take out massive student loans and go deeply into debt. However, I don't know how Canada does financial aid.

The US has a superior financial aid program (listen up US high school students). You can get college tuition paid in full AND get an all expenses paid, extended vacation to the Middle East. (Take advantage of this program! Ask your local armed forces recruiter for more details before the 110th Congress decides to shut it down!)
Infinite Revolution
22-01-2007, 10:50
when you graduate you will be an engineer and therefore minted. just run up fuck loads of debts at waterloo, you'll be able to pay them off pretty quick with an engineer's salary.
Extreme Ironing
22-01-2007, 11:54
I see university as a chance to start your own life, away from your parents, and with a new set of friends. Sure you will keep in contact with old friends, you they shouldn't make your decision for you. I almost paid for the mistake of applying to the same place as a friend, but thankfully I was accepted into the university but not into that college (collegiate system of cambridge), and I now see what a mistake applying like that was, I would've still been tied to this friend and had trouble making many new ones. But now, we are still friends, and see each other occassionally, but have our own sets of friends, and lives, at university. Regarding parents, we telephone about once a week, they've visited once per term so far. I see no reason why they should insist on visiting every weekend, you need to have space from them to build your own life.

So, choose the university for yourself, not for your parents or friends.
Gravlen
23-01-2007, 03:53
Remember that this is a very important step in your life: Go with what you desire the most. After all, you're the one that has to live with the decision for the rest of your life...

So I'd go with option three if you can get the money for it (student loans etc.) It will be worth it.

Good luck! :) ><:)
Ladamesansmerci
23-01-2007, 03:54
Remember that this is a very important step in your life: Go with what you desire the most. After all, you're the one that has to live with the decision for the rest of your life...

So I'd go with option three if you can get the money for it (student loans etc.) It will be worth it.

Good luck! :) ><:)
Get your ass online. I'm bored with working. :p
Smunkeeville
23-01-2007, 03:56
I pick Waterloo, because I like that song.........
Rameria
23-01-2007, 04:00
Unless you absolutely CANNOT afford it, go to Waterloo. From your descriptions, it sounds like that's where you'd be happiest.
Ashmoria
23-01-2007, 04:01
tell your best friend that you are going to waterloo and make HER decide how important your friendship is.
Northern Borders
23-01-2007, 04:32
Go towards the one you want. Even if it looks a bit harder, I´m sure you can somehow aford these $5.000 plus each year, specially if going to this colege helps you get a beter job after you´ve graduated.

Anyway, work somehow, get a loan, ask more money from your parents... In 10 years it really wont make a diference. But the education you get will.
Domici
23-01-2007, 04:55
You come to NSG for help. This is a biggie for me, so please help!

I don't know which university to go to. I currently have 3 choices, listed in the following.

1) University of British Columbia: located in Vancouver, a rather large university, research based, and close to home. It's going to cost me $17,000 a year to live and study there. The main problem I have with the university is that it is too close to home, the student body is mostly Asian with stupid business assholes who are spoiled brats and drive BMW's. It's also in Vancouver, a city I rather dislike.

2) University of Alberta: located in Edmonton/hick central, it's also a large university that's going through lots of construction and renovation. It will cose me $15,000/year to live and study there. My best friend will be going there next year, and is threatening kidnapping or something very close if I choose not to go there. They also have no PST. It's just going to be all around cheaper there.

3) University of Waterloo: located in Waterloo, Ontario, west of Toronto, it's the university I want to go to the most, except I probably can't afford it. It will cost me about $20,000/year to live and study there, but it's also far away. It has the best engineering faculty in Canada, which is what I'm going into, and Waterloo is the 7th most intelligent community in the world, which means I won't have to put up with many dumb people. But it's just too expensive, and the university probably won't give me much money either.

So, in the end, which university should I pick? I am so stuck on this. Help!

(Poll coming)

Always go to the best college you can't afford. Especially if you have a clear idea of what kind of job you'll be getting on the other end of it. The one that's farthest away from your parents is also a good bet.