<p>I'm starting to look at schools and where I want to apply next fall, but I really don't know what I want at all. It's not just that I don't know what I want to study, I don't even know whether I'd prefer a large school or a small school, a party school or a more academics focused school, a school in a urban area or a school in a rural area, the list goes on. I literally don't know what I like and this worries me! Just when I thought I had "me" figured out, it's seems like everything's changed. I honestly feel like I'm one of those people who would really benefit from 'taking a year off to figure out who I am," but that is basically an impossibility for me. So how did you guys figure it out? Do I just hope I come to the realization of what I want soon?</p>
<p>Well I don’t necessarily think of it as being as black and white as it seems. Don’t think of it in terms of a big or a small school, think of it in terms of: at this school I will get more individual attention and at this school I would need to actively seek out help if needed since there are more students. If you feel confident in your ability to seek out things by yourself, then a large school may be for you. If you like having the comfort of your teachers knowing you by name and talking to you about issues then a small school may be a better fit for you. Regarding the party school part, you’ll find that parties happen at most colleges you go to. Which means even if you go to a small school, there will be parties, and if you go to a big school, you can always not go out and study in the library knowing that there will be other parties.</p>
<p>Why is a gap year impossible? It doesn’t have to be something where you pay thousands of dollars for the privilege; it can be a year where you volunteer at the library or where you work at a job suitable for a high school graduate.</p>
<p>@llejelly plently of big schools have small(er) class sizes too.</p>
<p>Have you actually visited schools of the various types? I’m going to bet no. Its one thing to imagine how you might react. Dan Ariely has written a few bestsellers that in part talk about how people are lousy at predicting how they might feel/react to various situations. So often people on college visits find themselves surprised by their reaction when their feet are actually on the ground. You don’t need to go on expensive trips, just go to examples of the various types near you.</p>