Here is your illustrated guide to a PhD

Matt Might's illustrated guide to a PhD explains it visually. But to understand you need to take a look at the full explanation here

Lessons from college visits

You don't know until you stand on the campus, eat in the cafeteria, and talk to some students.

Some colleges are just what you thought they'd be, but in my experience there are usually some surprises, not all deal-breakers, but some sure are.

One college I thought would be perfect turned out to feel like a small private high school, even though the campus wasn't all that small. It's just that the buildings, and all the rooms in the buildings, just felt small and kind of dark. I think it must have been all the big shady tress, but I just didn't like the feel. Great food, though. Gulag style dorms.

Another college I thought would be too big felt just right, a combination of the campus layout and the town it was in. I could see myself living there.

This is going to be tough, but try not to make your decision based on your tour guide, because their experiences may not be what you'll experience.  But I have to say that's really hard to do, because you wonder if all the students are like this one person, who may be annoying or just, well, not like you or your friends.

One of the whole points to going away to college is going away, right? Going away from your high school groups, whatever they were, and going away from your past in a lot of ways. Something new, different and even a little bit foreign might be a good thing. Right?

Do yourself a favor

What I wish...

Is that someone had shown us the Common Application form back in 8th grade or so, but definitely no later than the first two weeks of high school. If we had known then what we'd be faced with filling out 3 years later, a lot more of what we kept hearing about from our parents, teachers and counselors would have made more sense.

These big blank sections really get your attention: Academics. Honors. Extracurricular Activities and Work Experience.

If you are a parent reading this, it's never too early to show your child the Common App. Think of it as a reality check - what's on this form will determine how they will be viewed, evaluated and ultimately either accepted or rejected by a college, maybe their perfect college.

Think of it as the finish line, and show it to your kid before the race gets started.

College, so many choices

Parameters

I'm trying to come up with some minimums and maximums for college size, based on the choices a lot of the college search programs ask you for.

Do I want a college that is smaller than my high school? (Will I ever see anyone I don't already know?)

Do I want a college where the football stadium holds more people than the population of the town where I live?

Spring Break; Road Trip!

The time is not here yet for spring break craziness - first I have to get into a college from which I can flee for spring break... in two years. Crazy, right? But there you have it - the life of a high school junior on track to go to college...somewhere.

Do I want small and private, a liberal arts college? Or do I want a big public university with some serious athletics for fun? How small? How big?

So this week we've covered both ends, small and large. Dorms, cafeteria food, walking tours... it's all a confusing blur, but I have figured out this much:  what's right for my friends doesn't appeal to me, and I'm just hoping I'll know it when I see it.

I guess this means I need more college visits. Which means more road trips.