<p>I am currently having a tough time with deciding which college I would prefer to go to. At UCSB I applied with a communications major, but at UCSC, since they don't have communiations, I applied with a film and digital media major. I thought that I really wanted to go to UCSB, but once I started thinking about it there were a few things I realized I didn't really like about the school. The first predicament is an academic one. I have averaged a 4.0 GPA and have taken lots of AP classes, however I have literally never studied in my life. I have an ability to just learn the information the first time around and that has done great for me in high school but I know that it won't be enough in college. UCSB is tougher as far as academics (I hear), and I don't want to be shocked by the difficulty level. Another issue is I live about 3 1/2 hours from UCSC and about 7 hours from UCSB, and while I want to be far enough away from my parents to feel independent, I am unsure if I want to be so far away, especially since it costs so much to have a car at UCSB and I just wouldn't be able to afford to take a vehicle with me. Another problem is the fact that SB is considered a "party" school and I am not really into that sort of thing. I have looked at UCSC and I love the campus and I like the fact that it is in Northern California (no offense to SoCal, I just have always lived in the Northern part and like it more). The only issue I have with SC is the fact that the major is different. I haven't completely decided what I want to do with my life but I want to do something along the lines of PR management, radio host (if life allows), or television news production. My question is, with major in film and digital media would I hurt my chances at these kinds of jobs more so than if I had a communications degree? Also if anyone goes to UCSB or UCSC and has some inside info that would be helpful.</p>
<p>I recommend you speak to your GC right away and see if there’s not a study skills course at your high school or at a local community college. There are also companies willing to teach you these skills at some cost. Learning to study is a bigger problem than the decision about which UC to go to. If you find such a course this semester, you can practice those skills during your last semester of high school. You’ll feel a lot better when you get to college. I was a kid like you. I went off to college with my little secret and got blown out of the water. Don’t you do the same.</p>
<p>As for college dilemma, it really isn’t one. You really don’t know what you want to major in just yet, and if you get to UCSC and discover they don’t offer something you’re really interested in (highly unlikely) you can transfer to someplace else that does because you’ll have the grades to do so because you learned some study skills this spring. Nice selfie, btw.</p>
<p>While UCSB has a “party” reputation there are plenty of non-partiers enrolled. Nobody is going to force you to do anything you don’t want, and many kids who enroll thinking they’re signing up for a 4-year party get a rude awakening when 1st quarter grades come out. Having a car is not a necessity if your parents or a friend can give you a ride down to school. At residential colleges like UCSB many students only go home on breaks. But you need to decide if that’s right for you; maybe you plan (or will) go home more often. </p>
<p>I suggest you take some time soon to visit both campuses and get a sense of whether they are a fit for you. UCSC has a very counter-culture vibe to it. Some find it perfect, others not so much. But it sounds like you’ve already checked it out and found it to be right for you. </p>
<p>Your biggest issue is going to be, as you suspected, academics. The 2 schools are actually comparable, so don’t think you’re going to find the going that much easier at UCSC. I put up some study tips in the thread <a href=“Tips for a great first semester in college. - College Life - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1608523-tips-for-a-great-first-semester-in-college.html</a></p>
<p>As for your intended career, major doesn’t really matter the way it does for credentialed careers like engineering or accounting or teaching. You don’t get into careers like that without taking the appropriate courses. For PR or radio host what YOU do in college outside of class will make all the difference; you don’t qualify by virtue of a major. As the saying goes, a liberal-arts degree and a dollar will buy you a cup of coffee. Working at the campus station, getting internships or jobs at other media outlets, those kind of things are how you become a good candidate for that 1st job in media (which, BTW, will likely be a low-paid job in some small market while you hope for your “break”).</p>
<p>For PR its the same thing; you should be doing things like writing for the campus paper and trying to get coop/internship positions in PR firms or related areas. For areas like PR the career path can be quite meandering; I know a very successful PR executive who started in HS working as a volunteer on a political campaign, led to a job in the field office of the politician, led to a job at a lobbying firm that had contracts with the city (since he knew all the city depts), led to a job in media relations, morphed a bit into more of a PR role. And that’s the simple story; there actually were some round-trips between lobbying and gov’t jobs. The point being that the path into a PR job (or media) may not be as direct as you think. </p>
<p>All of which will be moot anyway if you don’t pick up your study habits.</p>