I am 34 years old and want to go to college, should I, and choose what?
I think the most important thing is to teach your kids to be responsible, productive, and healthy people in society and to love and support them. This is more important than your college career. That's not to say you shouldn't go to school or that your personal dreams aren't important...it's just that your first responsibility should be to your kids. I would definitely discuss this decision with them. If you have a close and healthy relationship with them and they support you going now, maybe you can do it now. If you do, keep the lines of communication open with them about how they feel about the time you have to put into school. Be prepared to stop going if it's hurting the family. Same thing with your spouse (assuming you're still married?). As for picking a major, I'd pick something that's interesting and exciting to you. You'll learn a lot more and have more fun. Plus you could be an example to you kids, showing them the joy and excitement of learning. Again, make sure you can take care of your family financially as well. If your standard of living will drop, discuss the sacrifices with your family and make sure they are on board. Maybe everybody in the family can pick up some of the slack and help out. Ultimately you may have to wait until your children are grown. Don't sacrifice their childhood. Don't sacrifice your relationship with your spouse. I know a lady that went back to school at 46 the same time her youngest daughter was in college. She's now been a family counselor for the last 15 years. Whether you wait or not is up to you, but I hope you do it at the right time.
Why do people have to go to school for 12 years?
Actually what you learn in high school is so much more important than you think. High school is not elementary school all over again. Do they teach you geometry, Algebra 2, and trigonometry in elementary school? Do they teach you more than just basic science in elementary school? Preschool, elementary school, middle school, and high school are all very important if you want to do something with your life. People who drop out of school end up serving burgers for the rest of their lives. Yes, high school is filled with a lot of pressure to pass, but it'll all be worth it by the time you graduate it will all be worth it. And if you think high school if hard, just wait for college. What they teach you in 10-12th grade is just as important as what they teach you in other grades.
Can I wait a year to apply to college after I graduate from high school?
As others have said, a gap year is totally normal. You can apply and commit to a college before your gap year (so applying during senior year of high school), or you can actually do your applications during your gap year. If you don’t like how it went the first time around, you might even be doing your second round of apps during the gap year.However, you should be careful that you’re still doing something with your time during the year off. There are a lot of programs designed for this (gap years are really popular outside the US), or you could be working (at a normal Joe job, or even as a freelancer—pushing your limits while you can). But, colleges will likely care that you’re using your time productively. If you’re already enrolled somewhere for the next year, proving this may be a provision for them to allow you to take the gap year. If you’re just now applying, they aren’t going to want to accept someone who’s just “taking time off” without some explanation.
Do you think that High school graduates should delay college until they have a clear idea of their career goal?
You must not. Time is not such a worthless thing that you take a whole year only to find out what you want to do further. Remember, 12 years high school, 4 years bachelor and 2 years Master's make it a whole lot of 18 years of your life. Delaying your studies in college will add additional years to your graduation date. If I were you, while still in school, I would spend 30 minutes a day in seeing the career counselor of the school, going through latest career guidance sites/books and discussing with classmates and parents to know what are the new pathways to new and old professions. These three easy steps should help most of us determine our future path within couple of months. Cheers!
Is it smart to marry your high school sweetheart?
Yay for going to LSU!!! =) That's where I went too. Don't even think about getting married anytime soon. There is nothing wrong with waiting until you're both out of school. You can live together anytime if you want that experience. I met my husband on my first day at LSU. He was 5 years older than me. We became fast friends, but he was only in BR for the summer. He suggested I "be a freshman" and meet a lot of people, have fun my first year. That was fantastic advice and I did have fun. We met back up a year later and have been together ever since. But I am so grateful I had my crazy year and met different people. It helps you throughout all your relationships to have life experience. It's not weird to wait 7 years. As long as you're together, you're together! A piece of paper doesn't change that.
Should I get a laptop now (starting junior year highschool) or wait till I go to college? (Looking at a 12 inch retina MacBook)?
If you need a computer now, get a computer now, but if you get a MacBook, plan on getting a new laptop when you go to college.An alternative you might consider is to wait until the new MacBooks are released next quarter and get a mid to high-end MacBook Pro 15″ with 16 GB RAM. It’s a fair bit more expensive than what you are looking at, but it will last you through four years of college. Yes, it is bigger and heavier than the 13″, but it packs a lot more power for not much more space.Particularly if you get a more expensive machine, you should get insurance for it. AppleCare is good, but check with your parents whether their homeowners/renters insurance company offers a rider for personal electronics. Most of them do and it should cover things like theft, water damage, dropping, etc., much of which AppleCare does not cover. You can also shop for a plan on SquareTrade.
The school misspelled my middle name on high school diploma, is it necessary to change it?
It's your diploma. You stick it in a drawer and no one ever sees it again. If you want it changed, then have it changed. They shouldn't charge you IF it's made to actually agree with what you wrote down. They DO still have that document, I'm sure. But, frankly, it doesn't really matter. Just move on. And in the next course of your life, whether that is college or work, don't wait 12 years to correct the spelling of your name!
I'm not allowed to date until i'm 18 years old. help?
i wasn't allowed to date until i was 18 either. personally, i think it's a stupid concept because all it did was encourage more sneakiness and my parents never knew where i really was. it did suck, but it wasn't that bad and it won't make you socially awkward in college. college is great because it's not like high school, you'll know exactly when you're exams are and there aren't daily assignments so it's easy to balance school and social activities. i found my first year of college to be the easiest and i had such a great time. i balanced dating, friends, school, and a 30 hour a week job with no problems and i got a 4.0. so don't worry!