<p>Hi, basically this is my situation...so I am planning on majoring in Computer Science, I am middle class, not to much money to spend on college but parents are willing to sacrifice..</p>
<p>Either
1. Stay home (with parents) and go to University at Buffalo</p>
<p>sry…
<p>sooo I want to get a really good education and experience independent life but money is tight…heck I have no idea what I want to do with my life…I mean I think Computer Science is really interesting but I just dont know that much about it…</p>
<p>once again sry…
but I just wanna say that I’ve been thinking about this decision for a while now…I’ve been posting about it, lol went on different university forums/reviews, got some interesting info about the college life at all of these universities but at the end of the day i just dont know …lol im obviously a bad decision maker
I mean im blessed to be in this situation and everything but heck this is really stressful…i get really anxious and nervous everytime i think about this decision…and gatta get my deposit in by may 1st :</p>
<p>so basically I would love any advice/extra info, but Im mostly just venting…if anyone wanna share their experience with college, their tough decisions, etc, i would be grateful</p>
<p>Either place you choose, I’d advocate living on campus – that may make the financial decision less of a differential.</p>
<p>Studies have repeatedly shown that freshmen who live on campus during freshman year have higher gpa’s and are significantly less likely to drop out of college than are commuter students. </p>
<p>Furthermore, CS students notoriously end up keeping strange hours, and you’ll have a much better time working with others if you’re right there on campus.</p>
<p>Given the CS job situation, I suspect that within a year you ought to be able to find a part-time computer-related job paying $12-$15 an hour, and a summer job paying the same. That ought to significantly offset your living costs at college. I also think that your post-graduate employment opportunities and income are likely to be large enough to support a 10 year payback of any student loans without too much compromise to your future lifestyle.</p>
<p>Personally, I like Stony Brook for the price quite a bit better than U Mass Amherst.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>^I agree, living on campus will definitely be a good idea. You should choose the college that you like best, but don’t forget that UMass is ~10k more expensive per year (that’s 40k over 4 years) than Stony Brook.</p>
<p>I can’t say anything in particular about those schools as I am in the Midwest but I can tell you that having any kind of Computer Science/Engineering/Architecture major often involves working in groups and doing projects which, like someone else mentioned, can cause you to have to keep really strange hours. (Meet at my dorm at 10 pm or at the lab and we’ll work all night type of stuff). It would be very difficult to do that type of stuff living at your parents.</p>
<p>Its a 10min drive tops to UB for me so its not that much of hassle for me to commute…but yeah I would love to experience dorm life but im just nervous that it might not work out for me …I keep picturing some frat waking me up all the time, some creepy kid, or some thief, idk Im usually alright to get along with but i just have these negative thoughts</p>
<p>Ohwell2008- There is nothing wrong with commuting, and 10 minutes isn’t far… but it seems like dorm life would be a good thing! Dorm life will work out for you. It’s natural to be nervous, but I doubt you’ll regret it. If can you’re worried about being “woken up all the time”, you can request to be on a quiet floor or substance-free (sometimes called “wellness”) floor, and if you’re worried about not liking your roommate, you can request a single (not always available for freshmen).</p>
<p>okay so I though of requesting a “quiet floor or substance-free (sometimes called “wellness”) floor”, which would be alright but I am kind of a social kid and im totally okay with that idea but i have this thought(correct me if im wrong) that most of the kids that will request a “wellness” floor are going to be really uptight, way to quiet, anti-social maybe even “creepy”
thats just a fear that i have</p>
<p>My suggestions.</p>
<p>1st choice. Take out loans and work summers, school year to help pay the extra cost of Stony Brook</p>
<p>2nd Choice:Live on campus at Buffalo and help your parents out by working at least a parttime summer job or taking out a small loan. </p>
<p>Yes, it always is a risk to live on campus, but one learns a lot about oneself and getting along with others by living in a dorm. It’s also lots easier to get involved in campus activities and to make lifelong friends.</p>
<p>I don’t think U Mass. is worth the extra cost to you.</p>
<p>I know students who are in substance abuse free dorms, and they aren’t “creepy.” You can find creepy students in any kind of living situation. This includes creepy students who desperately try to seem social by getting drunk or high.</p>
<p>I dont think I could dorm at UB since I live so close to the campus…my parents would be very upset that im “wasting” money on dorming at a college that is very close to my home…
they wouldnt understand the whole “college experience” thing</p>
<p>but yeah sometimes I cant help but read student reviews on some sites and I heard all these bad things about Stony Brook college life and thats how I got all of these second thoughts…before then I was sure that I wanted to go there</p>
<p>I’d take UMass off your list, because in terms of reputation overall and in your field, it’s comparable to SUNY U at Buffalo and to SUNY Stony Brook, and because you’re out of state Mass., it’s so much more expensive. Unless you adored the school, and had it as your clear first choice, it’s not worth the extra money. </p>
<p>So your choice really is between SUNY U at Buffalo and Stony Brook. Since part of your indecision is based on the party scene, Greek life, and dorm living at Stony Brook, what I’d suggest is that you call admissions at both Buffalo and Stony Brook, and ask them to put you in touch with some current students. Speak to them directly about your concerns. See what they say, and use that info in your decision. </p>
<p>If you do decide to commute to Buffalo, you’ll need to make an extra effort to get involved on campus and make friends - and that’s fine. Lots of people do it. Join the commuter club on campus, join some other clubs, join a study group, and really participate in everything you do. Study on campus with other students, rather than at home - at least some of the time. If you like sports at all, or drama, or band, then join, because those types of events tend to be really involving, and you make friends quickly through them. </p>
<p>No matter which school you choose, you’ll be fine. So don’t think about making a mistake, here. Any of the three are good schools, with strong CS programs. There is no wrong answer.</p>