Should I move away from family after college, or would I regret it?
Hey everyone. I attend college an hour away from my hometown and have lived in the area for 15 years. I'm satisfied, but feel like doing more sometimes. I am thinking of moving to California, where my aunt, uncle, and cousin live. My aunt visited this month, and we went out to dinner. She said, "Hey, you should get a job in Cali after you graduate! I'm sure your uncle could get you a job." (He's quite the businessman.) It sounded all so very nice to me... but it's a 900-mile move. However, I am very close with my parents and feel that I would be almost betraying them by leaving. I am an only child and it's been the three of us ever since I was born. It also breaks my heart to think of leaving, even though I want to try something new so badly! See, when I wake up in the morning, I think to myself, "How could I ever leave them? I'm staying here after college. I love them." Then as the day progresses, the California idea seems even more appealing, until I talk myself around in circles. I think to myself that my aunt and uncle could become my new parental figures and we could grow closer, as lame as it sounds at 21 years old. Has anyone been through this before and could give me some advice? I am not much without my family, and am thinking forward to the day they die. Will I regret not spending more quality time with them? Will I feel a void knowing that I could've done more? I talked to my mom about it, and she said it's ultimately my decision. My dad moved far away from home and I know it hurts him and he'd rather be back... He told me, which scares me, but everyone's different. Thanks for any advice.
Will Detroit, Michigan make it back from near-death?
I hope so. And not just for the city’s sake. The home values in the Detroit suburbs are depressed compared to other suburban areas because of the Detroit stigma.An anecdote: I moved back to the Detroit area twice. Each time for work, and work took me away. One of my peers asked where I moved from. I told him St. Louis, and he assumed I was from there. He immediately began to give me dire warnings to stay out of Detroit, never, ever go there! General hyperbole. I waited until he was finished, asked him where he grew up and made my mental comparisons. Seems he grew up in warren, and his pops was blue collar, mum was a domestic. He was also first generation college grad. I was more fortunate, but that’s not the point. After he told me where he was raised I told him where I went to H.S. my dad’s profession etc, and he became visibly angry. Not that I had a middle class upbringing. No, he was mad that I didn’t tell him I was from Detroit before he began his soliloquy!Yes the city has its problems. Yes there is a lot of work to do. But suburbia, help yourselves by helping the D. After all when you go to Montana and people ask where you live, you either say Detroit, or Detroit area. Do you think it matters to someone who’s never been to Detroit, that you live in Utica, or Novi? Guess again. I’ve lived in seven metro areas. The locals think you live next to Pookie, and his crack habit. Yes, they do! (Btw the last time I lived in Detroit, I lived in Canton.)Here is an example of how Detroit’s image seeps into the suburban housing markets:This is a house in Caton, near where I lived. It’s for sale. Asking price 389,900. Four bedrooms three bathrooms 2400 sq ft.Very nice house wooded lot, looks like a great value.This charming cottage is in the city of Minneapolis. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, 2153 sq ft. Asking price? $395,000! Thanks to Zillow for the listings.Now ask yourselves. Why would these two homes be priced nearly the same. One in a suburban area 15 minutes from Ann Arbor. The other? In a blue collar area of a very nice city?Maybe Canton is in Detroit, and Mary Tyler Moore is from Minneapolis? Who knows. All I know is there are many other examples of the housing disparity. If Detroit is to come back, it will need robust suburbs to support and enjoy the D. I know some in the burbs hate even the thought of the city. I hear you. I’m not that fond of Taylor-Tucky either!
What did you do in the summer between high school and college?
Several things:Worked 40 hours per week, continuing my job at McDonalds. I became a trainer of new staff and assisted in opening a brand new locationWorked two nights a week umpiring youth baseballWhipped my “sorry butt” into shape so that I could try-out for and make it to the MIT intercollegiate soccer team (that Fall I was the last player selected by the MIT team)Took time to have as much fun as possible with my friends and familyGreat Summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What are some things I can do over the summer to impress colleges?
Nothing.You don't undertake an activity to impress a school. First of all, if it's something that you're doing for one summer, it's usually glaringly obvious to the school that you did this in a transparent effort to impress someone, and it backfires. Second, a single summer's occupation is rarely enough to make your application stand out.A possible exception is a difficult volunteer job that you undertake for 40 hours a week. I have seen applicants get into college, medical or law school by performing extraordinary volunteer work. One young man lived in a halfway house for mentally ill adults, chaperoning them six nights a week and being on call the rest of the week; he got one weekend a month off. He also got into his first choice medical school.One woman got into medical school by spending a year working every Friday and Saturday night at the Sobering Center, a place where police brought adults who were too drunk to get home, but not drunk enough to be taken to the hospital. Dealing with 24 drunks, some of whom are chronic attendees, homeless and un-bathed, while others are businessmen with Rolex watches who are swearing that they're not really drunk, taught her quite a lot about life and also got her into her first-choice school.One of my clients got into law school by spending five days a week eight hours a day, building houses for Habitat for Humanity. Law schools are also very fond of people who work for Teach for America for a year or two. This is a program in which college graduates work as tutors or volunteers, often bilingual, in sub- standard public schools.As you can see, these are more than just "an activity." They are a dedication to a cause. That impresses people.
Michigan State, University of Detroit Mercy, or Wayne State, what is best for a pre med student?
Michigan State, then Wayne State, then Detroit Mercy. In addition to being prepared for med school, you need a school with more of a national reputation, so that it will be respected in the admissions process.
Is College for Creative Studies a good school?
CCS is fairly well known as an excellent art college with graduates that have gone on to do some amazing work. One of the animators I graduated with worked on Deadpool, and another is an animator at Fox for American Dad and Brickleberry. Of course their most well known department is Auto Design and I don’t think they graduate a single Automotive Design student that doesn’t get some pretty cool work, in Detroit or abroad.Also they’re accredited. Don’t go to an institution that isn’t accredited, as they are all scams.
For an architect what is the scope in automobile designing? is it worth pursuing MA in automobile designing?
Your portfolio matters more than anything. A Bachelor's degree is usually enough. It's who you know, and how talented you are - not how long you went to school. Don't waste too much time in school, it's not worth it. If you don't already have amazing work, or are unsure, visit a major school that specializes in Car Design. In America, Art Center College of Design in Pasadena (more hi-level designers came from here than any other school in the world) or Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. In Europe, Coventry, Royal College of Art, or Fordzheim (not sure of last spelling). Don't waste your time anywhere else or you will not get where you want to go...or at least you will have a better chance of eventually being "somebody" this way. Some of these schools have night classes you can go to first in order to build a portfolio - then you can get in to their regular program. Once you are in a school, focus on where you will do at least one if not two different internships...this is very important. Who you know...remember. Truth be told - it's not a deep as you might think...be innovative, fresh, make sure the sketches and renderings look awesome - emotional and eye catching...flashy. People will tell you different for whatever reason...but take it from me. If you want inspiration, or even want to print some examples out to sketch over until you get proportion, scale, and perspective right...look at the rendering examples too (http://www.cardesignnews.com). I am "somebody," I just can't say who or where. Good luck!