This is a pretty odd mix but I can’t decide! I’ve been accepted to the course Chinese Studies with a year abroad at Durham and also to Carleton College. I know that wherever I go I definitely want to pursue Chinese and eventually use that for a career in international relations. After four years at Durham, I have no doubt that I would be proficient in the Chinese language and culture, but wonder about how Carleton’s Chinese program would compare to that since it’s liberal arts and therefore less focused. However, that’s what I like about Carleton-- I have room to explore other fields of study. If anyone has any insight on Durham University and experience there or about Carleton-- TELL ME, I CAN’T DECIDE!
What are you looking for in a uni/college?
Are costs a concern?
Would either be a foreign land?
International relations is quite a competitive field to get in to. Can your parents support you while you try to break in? What backup plans?
I believe Carleton students are approved for study for up to a year in Beijing through Associated Colleges in China, perhaps the best Mandarin abroad program available to U.S. undergraduates.
I’m looking for strong academics and a good social scene-- which both of them have. I’ve visited both and despite their differences, like them each a lot. It does concern me that at Durham I wouldn’t be able to try new courses/ switch majors if desired, but that’s really my only negative for Durham (which would be a foreign land for me-- England). Costs aren’t really a concern, and as far as getting into the field of international relations-- I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. There’s definitely plentiful opportunity out there in all sorts of different fields with a Chinese degree. Plus, if I go to Carleton, who knows, I might not even end up majoring in Chinese and could discover a different career path to pursue.
Right. Carleton offers that. IMO, that is a plus.
Personally, any career decision I made at age 18 would have been the wrong one. I was pretty immature, so take that for what it is worth, but don’t underestimate how much you will grow and change over the next four years. The Carleton experience would allow for that change, the Durham experience not so much.