College now or later?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello, everyone. :) I'm currently a freshman at UCLA, but I've come to a fork in the road. Going into college, I chose UCLA because I'm highly interested in screenwriting/TV/film careers; going to UCLA for undergrad and trying to get into the film major seemed like the obvious choice. However, I've since realized that UCLA is not for me.</p>

<p>In addition, as I've researched more and more about what it takes to become a filmmaker, I realize that a college degree--even from such a prestigious film school--doesn't matter much. Of course, I always knew that it was more about connections than anything I could learn at school, but I didn't realize just how many skills can be learned and connections made on one's own. </p>

<p>Finally, over the year, I have become more passionate about my music and since breaking into film/TV is more difficult than breaking into music, I'm considering focusing on my music first--as both a career in itself and as an avenue into the other entertainment fields I'm passionate about. Meanwhile, I want to work on student and independent films, work on my scripts and novel, et cetera. All things I can do without going to college and all things that would be made easier if I could focus on them without going to college simultaneously. </p>

<p>However, since all of these fields are hard to break into and have no guarantees whatsoever, I'm wondering if I should: </p>

<p>A.) Continue going to college for the next three years so I can at least have a Bachelor's degree to fall back on, and try to do my music/film on the side.
B.) Really focus on my music/film endeavors for the time being, and if they don't work out, go to college later for a more practical degree.</p>

<p>Thanks to anyone who read my drawn-out piece here. :p Any advice would be much appreciated! :) Thank you!</p>

2

<p>I think you should stay in school.</p>

<p>Right now, you’re only a frosh. You haven’t really gotten into your major. Once you’re in your upper division courses, you’re more likely going to have opportunities to make “Hollywood film connections” and network. You won’t have those opps if you leave UCLA.</p>

<p>Besides, you do need a degree to fall back on. You might consider a double major or minoring in film studies.</p>

3

<p>Well, I’m almost definitely not going back to UCLA for one thing. :stuck_out_tongue: If I do continue with college, it’ll probably be elsewhere. But thanks for the reply. :)</p>

4

<p>I’d say to stay in school. If not UCLA then start working on your transfer apps right away. You obviously think you’re better off learning and connecting on your own, but do you actually have a start at anything now or are you just hoping to be a starving artist? Do you have a connection, a job, a regular club appearance? If so, do you have REAL reason to believe it can become something, or just excitement?</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

5

<p>Yes, I do have a real reason to believe it can become something. I’m a realistic person and know my own capabilities, what I can do on my own and what I can’t. I’ve gotten positive feedback on all of my endeavors (writing, music, film), I have film connections and opportunities through my brother and the connections he has made at his own film department in college, and I have some music connections from a friend. My question is not whether I need a college degree or not; for my ideal careers, I would not need one. For my backup careers, I probably would, and I realize this. </p>

<p>My question is whether there is any compelling reason to get a Bachelor’s degree for a backup career -now- rather than later. The main reason I can see that I would want to get one now is so I could at least be going to school with kids my own age. Other than that, though, I’m not sure if it’s a great idea to spend that kind of time and money getting a degree I might not even need.</p>

6

<p>It always amazes me how privileged and spoiled some people can be. Let’s see get a degree from one of the top schools in the nation or walk away from it like it’s nothing because I have such a tremendous sense of entitlement and privilege I can afford to do so.</p>

<p>Hmm maybe let someone who appreciates it and recognizes what a tremendous opportunity getting a degree from UCLA is have your spot.</p>

7

<p>Privileged and spoiled? Just the opposite. Firstly, I’m not paying for college; my parents are. So I -don’t- want to take advantage of them and waste their money if I don’t have to. </p>

<p>Secondly, I worked very hard to earn my spot at UCLA. You’re acting like I was just handed it, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. But the product I am buying through my time and my parents are buying through their money is unsatisfactory, and I have every right to reject it. If someone worked for 12 years to earn enough money to buy a Porsche, but once they bought it, realized it malfunctioned at every turn, would you expect them to keep that particular car merely because of its name and the fact that a lot of people want this brand-name car? No, you wouldn’t. You would expect them to return it and find a more functional car for themselves. </p>

<p>Thirdly, everyone seeks happiness in this world. Some may very well find it at UCLA or through getting a UCLA degree. If they have earned their spot and feel that UCLA is everything they ever wanted and worked for, then good for them. But that doesn’t mean that everyone will fit into one box. </p>

<p>For example, like many people, I applied to Princeton and Yale, and I didn’t get in. There are plenty of people currently at Princeton and Yale that are unhappy with the schools, with the choices they made in going there. Do I feel like I am entitled to take their spot because I would perhaps appreciate it more and enjoy going to one of those schools? No way. According to the admissions committees, I didn’t earn my place there, and being able to appreciate a certain school means absolutely nothing. Furthermore, just because those people are unhappy with these Ivies doesn’t give anyone the right to judge them and say they are “privileged and entitled”. They, just as I, can’t force themselves to be satisfied with a product that has personally failed them. </p>

<p>Finally, college itself is not for everyone either. Most people in the fields I want to work in do not have college degrees and instead got their start early by focusing on their careers. Going to college would have hindered or at least delayed a lot of people. So after working hard all my life to get into UCLA, there is absolutely no reason you should call me privileged and entitled merely because I realize that I probably won’t need the UCLA degree for -my particular career paths-. I likely won’t need a degree at all, and for my backup careers, a -UCLA- degree wouldn’t make much of a difference than a degree from another school. If I continue at college now, I’d much rather go to a school where I will actually enjoy my time than continue at a school I dislike merely for the prestige (which wouldn’t get me far in my backup careers anyway). </p>

<p>So take your negativity and unfounded assumptions elsewhere. They are neither appreciated nor warranted here. Thanks.</p>

8

<p>Pop by your advisor’s office on Monday, and ask what you need to do to arrange to take a leave of absence for next year. Ask what would be necessary to do to re-enroll after only a semester off if you decide to come back sooner. Then when you know the steps required, sit down and make a plan for how you would spent ONE YEAR off. Once you have that design on paper, discuss it with your parents. Find out what they think about you taking a break from academics for a year.</p>

<p>If it’s OK with them (it would be OK with me provided my kid had outlined a formal plan of action), then go back to your advisor, do the paperwork, and set up the leave of absence. When this spring term ends, go out into the world, pursue your plan, and see where it leads. If your career develops as well as you think it could, then there would not necessarily be much reason to return to UCLA in the fall of 2012. You could keep working, pick up course credits as necessary or useful to your goals, and perhaps end up with a degree from somewhere at some point in the future. However, if you can clearly see that your career is not going to work out as quickly (or as well) as you’d like, you will be able to return to UCLA in the fall of 2012 if you’d like to do that. </p>

<p>Wishing you much success in all of your endeavors!</p>

9

<p>Thank you very much for the well wishes and reply, happymomof1! :D</p>

<p>My parents -are- okay with me taking a year off college, or even not going at all unless I someday need to. They agree with me that UCLA so far has been a waste of time and money, and they first and foremost want me to be happy, of course. So luckily, I have that part covered. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>However, I already withdrew from this quarter (spring quarter) because I’ve been sick for two months and also because I wasn’t enjoying my time at UCLA and wanted to reevaluate all this. So do you think I would be able to take the year of absence starting now and re-enrolling for Spring 2012 if I chose to? I can try to ask an academic adviser about this, but I’m not at campus to actually set up a meeting at the moment. :p</p>

<p>The other problem is that I probably won’t want to go to UCLA if I went back to college after taking a year off. So I would have to take CC classes for the year that I’m supposedly taking off, right? </p>

<p>Thanks again for your advice!</p>

10

<p>“So I would have to take CC classes for the year that I’m supposedly taking off, right?”</p>

<p>Actually, no. If you are on a leave of absence, you normally wouldn’t be taking classes anywhere. You would be pursuing other interests. If you intend to return to UCLA, you should not take any classes at a CC that aren’t pre-approved for transfer to UCLA.</p>

<p>Since you are on a medical leave, If you can’t visit in person, send your advisor an email to ask what is required for a return to UCLA. There may be different rules for returning from a medical leave than from a pre-planned leave of absence. </p>

<p>Since you aren’t at UCLA right now, and you weren’t happy there, then there is nothing wrong with just staying away forever. If you want to take classes at a community college, fine. If you want to try to transfer to another 4-year college or university, that would be fine too. But since you have a career that you’d like to try pursuing right now, that is probably what you should be doing rather than trying to take classes anywhere.</p>

11

<p>It is what it is. Students in this country are pretty spoiled. And if you weren’t sure about college why did you apply? Someone else might have greatly appreciated the opportunity. Even think about that? probably not.</p>

12

<p>As usual, HappyMomof1 is right about everything. Listen to her! :slight_smile: And don’t listen to people who just want to cut you down for no apparent reason. Good luck!</p>