Aug 13, 2003
The other day I was IMing with my cousin Amy, who's entering her Senior year in High School in Los Angeles. We were talking about how she's about to embark on the search for what school to go to.
I think this conversation offers a lot of good insight on college today in America, how to pick a school, what to look for, and how to succeed in life.
Enjoy...
skalifowitz: so are you getting excited for your last year of public school
skalifowitz: ?
B 1CoolCat: LOl yes!!! tho i am alreayd going mental from deciding colleges
skalifowitz: you'll be fine
B 1CoolCat: haha i hope so!
B 1CoolCat: how did you decide?
skalifowitz: well for me it was easy
B 1CoolCat: how so?/
skalifowitz: 1. since I was in 9th grade - I had decided I was going to the Israeli Army
skalifowitz: 2. I only applied to college b/c my guidance counselor pressured me into it
B 1CoolCat: but youd didnt
B 1CoolCat: oh
skalifowitz: 3. my deal was, "fine, I'll apply to one school, early"
skalifowitz: so I only applied to Tisch
skalifowitz: and got in early
B 1CoolCat: oh
skalifowitz: now, it was easy for me to decide what school
skalifowitz: to apply to
skalifowitz: it was/is the best school in the country for film
skalifowitz: in the best city in the country
skalifowitz: and I knew at the time that I loved tv/film
B 1CoolCat: oh
skalifowitz: (I don't know if Lon or I told you about everything we did in HS w/TV)
skalifowitz: so it was a no brainer]
B 1CoolCat: nope i dont think so
skalifowitz: ie - had I gone into the army, I expected to be put in the communications division
B 1CoolCat: wow
skalifowitz: I don't think it would have been a problem - considering I would have been volunteering and our family having some substantial connections within the army
B 1CoolCat: im suprised she managed to convince you
skalifowitz: who?
B 1CoolCat: your councellor
skalifowitz: oh... well yeah, I don't totally remember what my thought process was, but I believe that it was along the lines of, "what do I have to loose in applying"
B 1CoolCat: ah
skalifowitz: I think that more important that "which" college you choose to apply to... you need to determine "where" you go to college
skalifowitz: and what kind of experience you want to get out of it
B 1CoolCat: hm interesting
skalifowitz: when you're in college, its really a time where you become who you will be
skalifowitz: wherever you are, it should be a place for you to grow as a person
skalifowitz: now if you go to Buffalo or Nebraska, or something like that
skalifowitz: where you'll be in the middle of nowhere
skalifowitz: in a college town
skalifowitz: where there's nothing but the college
skalifowitz: I'm not so sure how much growth you'll do there
skalifowitz: you'll prob. get drunk a lot
skalifowitz: and do all kinds of stupid shit
skalifowitz: and many people say, "those were the best years of my life"
skalifowitz: those people are looseres
B 1CoolCat: LOL
skalifowitz: so you need to consider who else will go to that school
B 1CoolCat: im actually looking at london right now
skalifowitz: that's a big thing
skalifowitz: "who" will be at the school with you
skalifowitz: many of those people SHOULD be people who you stay friends with for years after
B 1CoolCat: abunch of liberals and party people
skalifowitz: and maintain contacts in business, etc...
skalifowitz: so you don't want to go somewhere where you know the majority of students will be people you hate
skalifowitz: ie liberals, hippies and jocks
skalifowitz: or preppies
skalifowitz: I'm not opposed to schools that are in the middle of nowhere
skalifowitz: I think that they serve specific functions
skalifowitz: they should be for people who are studying disciplines that require tranquility or to be away from stuff
skalifowitz: like IT, research, etc...
B 1CoolCat: okay, but i think i;d die iat a shcool in the middle of no where
skalifowitz: or music
skalifowitz: or art
skalifowitz: right
skalifowitz: so no matter how good the school is, you right away knock all those off your list
skalifowitz: now you look at schools that are either in huge metropolitan cities (i.e. NYC, London, Boston, Chicago)
B 1CoolCat: thats exaclty what i did
skalifowitz: (I'm not sure what else, although I'm sure there's one or two more, but not much more)
skalifowitz: OK, so now you've pretty much determined WHERE you're going to be
skalifowitz: OK, before the next step - I'm assuming that you're not sure WHAT you want to do, right?
skalifowitz: (btw - that's OK)
B 1CoolCat: not sure, but im thinking of engineering
B 1CoolCat: or business or something
skalifowitz: OK, well it doesn't matter if you don't know... that's going to figure into the next thign
skalifowitz: the next step I'd say is to figure out what kind of environment you're looking for
skalifowitz: that will combine:
skalifowitz: 1. the type of people you want to be around
skalifowitz: 2. the community you want to live in
skalifowitz: (you're not always going to live on campus - or in the case of NYU, never live on campus)
skalifowitz: 3. the type of opportunities you want to be at your door step for internships, etc...
B 1CoolCat: okay
skalifowitz: (In Boston for engineering, finance)
B 1CoolCat: i dont really want to go to boston
skalifowitz: (NYC for entertainment, music, finance, business, anything really)
skalifowitz: Chicago for (well, I'm not sure, but its a big city)
skalifowitz: same goes for London
skalifowitz: but boston has MIT
skalifowitz: which is the best for engineering
skalifowitz: I wouldn't go to a school (other than Cooper Union) in NYC for engineering
B 1CoolCat: well i dont waqnt to limit myself to engineering just yet
skalifowitz: yeah, I'm just saying
B 1CoolCat: right
skalifowitz: so that's how I'd narrow my decision
B 1CoolCat: okay so location, people and then education
skalifowitz: yeah - education should be last
B 1CoolCat: thats so funny
skalifowitz: b/c you're not really going to "LEARN" anything at college
skalifowitz: errr - the class room
B 1CoolCat: to make the connections
skalifowitz: you're going to "LEARN" from experiences you gain while not living at home, having to fend for yourself, making new friends, and trying new things
skalifowitz: also shareing experiences, and ideas with other students going through the same shit
skalifowitz: dealing w/ making money for real, etc...
skalifowitz: and getting internships and deciding what you want to do
B 1CoolCat: now that you put it like that college doesnt seem so ominous and pointless as everyone makes it out to be
skalifowitz: that's what those 4 years are for
skalifowitz: well, it is relatively pointless, but its a passage most of us "have" to go through
B 1CoolCat: LOL
skalifowitz: ie - if you knew what you wanted to do, like Lon did, and you were given the opportunities that he was given, I'd say don't go
skalifowitz: but you see, where you go to school is very important b/c of how it paid off for Lon, Justin and Myself
B 1CoolCat: and how did it?
skalifowitz: all of us were here in NYC, and even when Justin went to Cali, it still helped him
skalifowitz: we were all in a city that had a vibrant business community based in what we each loved
B 1CoolCat: and now he is in london the lucky bastard
skalifowitz: Lon - Ccomputers
skalifowitz: Me - Film
skalifowitz: Justin - Music
skalifowitz: we all experienced almost every facet of our businesses
B 1CoolCat: see thats why i have to get out of LA
skalifowitz: as interns, assistants, etc..
skalifowitz: and we made opportunities for ourselves
skalifowitz: and had the drive/desire/etc...
skalifowitz: Lon was offered opportunities very early on that made it worthless for him to finish college past his 2nd year
B 1CoolCat: yes i know, you are all successful at such a young age
skalifowitz: he was offered enough money, amassed enough skill, contacts, etc... that it didn't make sense
skalifowitz: Justin - much the same story
skalifowitz: me - well, b/c I invested so much money, I couldn't afford not to get the degree
skalifowitz: so I graduated in 3 years rather than 4
skalifowitz: (the reason I say "couldn't afford" is that by my 2nd year, I realised I didn't need the degree, but by that point I had committed $60k to the school, so I found how to get the degree for only another $30k, rather than another $60k)
skalifowitz: while still working a lot
skalifowitz: and not missing too many opportunities
skalifowitz: had I not worked through college, there's no way I'd be where I am
skalifowitz: I get calls from kids I went to college with looking for work as assistants
skalifowitz: (4 levels below me)
B 1CoolCat: damn
skalifowitz: so what I'm saying is that the location is more important than the people you go to school with - because in a good location, as you figure out what you want to do, the opportunities will be accessible
skalifowitz: to you
skalifowitz: ie - you won't have to wait till summer break, etc...
skalifowitz: or you won't need to have a car, etc...
skalifowitz: you'll be able to work in between class
skalifowitz: on weekends
skalifowitz: etc...
skalifowitz: now, the reason people are important is two fold
skalifowitz: 1. while your
B 1CoolCat: so really work, work ,work, which i will be doing for the rest of my life anyway so i better find something that i enjoy doing
skalifowitz: while you're in class - you want to make sure that conversations are stimulating
skalifowitz: and that conversations after class are stimulating
B 1CoolCat: haha okay
B 1CoolCat: okay
skalifowitz: and that you can actually work with people who you're assigned to work with
skalifowitz: (the same goes for where you work)
skalifowitz: you want to know about the people you're going to work for and the work "culture" so that you don't hate the place but love the job
skalifowitz: there are plenty of people in that position
B 1CoolCat: uh huh
skalifowitz: and more than the actual conversations/etc...
skalifowitz: you want peers/room mates, etc.. who will push you further
skalifowitz: who you will forge bonds with that will last a lifetime
B 1CoolCat: which you dont feel you are getting right now?
skalifowitz: something neither Lon, Justin or myself did
skalifowitz: mostly b/c we went to school with morons
skalifowitz: absolutely not
B 1CoolCat: ah
B 1CoolCat: lol
skalifowitz: as for your comment on "work, work work"
skalifowitz: the bottom line is
skalifowitz: work IS your life
skalifowitz: or at least it should be if you want to lead a happy life
skalifowitz: too many people see work as a way to fund their other activities
skalifowitz: like drugs, tv, beach, etc...
B 1CoolCat: damn.. i hope i can stave that off for a few more years b/c right now all i want to do is have fun
B 1CoolCat: lol great
skalifowitz: they don't go to work b/c they want to make themselves useful to society as anything other than a consumer
skalifowitz: I'm glad you want to have fun
skalifowitz: the goal is to find a job that IS fun
B 1CoolCat: but they are a consumer when they skip work to go the the beach or go shop or take a vaction
skalifowitz: why do you think Lon, Justin and I (even Donna or my Dad for that matter) work so hard
skalifowitz: we love what we do
B 1CoolCat: right , the problem is finding that is fun
skalifowitz: we would rather be doing that more than anythign
skalifowitz: which is why we're always working
skalifowitz: we don't see it as work
skalifowitz: we see it as having fun
skalifowitz: "why would I leave my office, when I'm enjoying what I'm doing here?"
B 1CoolCat: yes, i have never met anypeople that do so much work and enjoy it until i cam e to NY
skalifowitz: this is way more fun, and stimulating than laying on a couch and getting dumber by watching tv
skalifowitz: well that's what NYC is here for
skalifowitz: anyone who's here and is successful is here b/c they love their jobs more than anything
skalifowitz: you see, people have a really hard time abstracting things
skalifowitz: would anyone argue with an athlete and say, "why the hell do you work so damn hard? why are you always training year round, etc...?
skalifowitz: I doubt it
skalifowitz: and if they did, well they're stuipd
skalifowitz: so why can't that translate to other fields?
B 1CoolCat: haha
skalifowitz: why can't that translate to computer science, business, legal, medicine
skalifowitz: ?
B 1CoolCat: i just dont know
B 1CoolCat: k
skalifowitz: athletes love their job
skalifowitz: and they'd rather do it more than anything else
skalifowitz: my father loves his job
skalifowitz: he'd rather think about business, deals, etc... more than anything els
skalifowitz: else
skalifowitz: he's 70 years old and he's starting a new job tomorrow
B 1CoolCat: well perhaps most people automatically assume that any career without fame and tons of money isn't fun
skalifowitz: and he couldn't be more excited about yet another new opportunity
B 1CoolCat: haha now what is he doing?
skalifowitz: he's opening a new restaurant here in the city
skalifowitz: as long as I've known him, he only talks about business
B 1CoolCat: wow another deli?
skalifowitz: while I don't advocate that - I certainly think people should be more well rounded - I give him a pass, partially b/c he's my dad, but also b/c of his background
skalifowitz: and as such, I've taken from him what I think is awesome
skalifowitz: and left out the things which arent'
skalifowitz: but my bottom line
skalifowitz: you can, and will find what it is that you have a passion for
skalifowitz: when you do, you will know it
skalifowitz: just don't get pregant too early
skalifowitz: or you'll be shackled for a very long time
skalifowitz: b/c you will HAVE to give your life for that child
B 1CoolCat: LOL no wya that is one thing i won't do
skalifowitz: other than that, I'm not sure what you can do to make you pick a profession that you don't love
skalifowitz: too many people get put on a path, not by their own choice, and feel that they can't change their paht
skalifowitz: path
skalifowitz: and then they hate life and their job - with no one else to blame but themselves (but don't tell them that)
B 1CoolCat: haha no i know that i am not going for attorney or doctor
skalifowitz: well that's a start
skalifowitz: but don't totally count them out
skalifowitz: you never know where life may take you
skalifowitz: almost EVERY problem that people face is one that is self-imposed
skalifowitz: too many people assume they can't do something or won't like something
skalifowitz: and are missing out on good stuff
B 1CoolCat: hm interesting
B 1CoolCat: so in general keep my options open and make connections
skalifowitz: exactly
Stumble
Leave your response