Home or Away?

[pharmaceeforme]

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Hi, I know this might be a personal decision, and I shouldnt be looking for help at an online forum, However, I would like to get some opinions about what I should do. Lets say I got accepted to two schools, one very far away(6 hours) and one very close (<30 mins). Specifically, the far one is St. John Fisher, and the other one is Long Island University, in Brooklyn. One one hand, I want to go to St. John Fisher because its nice, friendly, clean, small classes, etc, seemingly the opposite of LIU. Also, I have already paid a 1500$ deposit to St. John Fisher. However, LIU is really close to my house, and very convenient in that sense. I would be able to live at home and not worry about looking for an apartment. It is pretty hard for me to study at home, with friends and family as distractions but theres a library for that. Let me know what you guys think, about the schools, and about what decision I probably should go with. This is like the crossroads of my life right now, and I really am having trouble making a decision, picking the right road.

 

[rxlea]

Stay at home- it's cheaper.

 

[2bpharmacist]

Stay at home- definitely cheaper option; and go to library for studying...

 

[myska]

I'm going through the same thing right now. Should I go to the further away dream school, or stay closer to home and what I know (and where I have a support system). I'm not looking at cost, we'll get that back in a few years, but do I have the courage? Haha, lots of soul searching. 🙂

 

[sRX]

Go away!

6 hours isn't that bad. And living at home can definitely get annoying... especially at your age and point in your life. Money really isn't everything.

 

[rxlea]

Go away!

6 hours isn't that bad. And living at home can definitely get annoying... especially at your age and point in your life. Money really isn't everything.

When you graduate with 100K+ in student loans and the loan sharks start calling wanting you to pay 1500 a month of your hard earned income, you might think differently. Whoever said money can't buy you happiness, was obviously never a college student 🙂

 

[Interviewee2010]

Home

Don't throw away $$$$ and use that to pay for your pharmacy tuition. I've learned it in a hard way and now my parents have to pay them back. Poor them !

 

[nicolemsm]

Hi, I know this might be a personal decision, and I shouldnt be looking for help at an online forum, However, I would like to get some opinions about what I should do. Lets say I got accepted to two schools, one very far away(6 hours) and one very close (<30 mins). Specifically, the far one is St. John Fisher, and the other one is Long Island University, in Brooklyn. One one hand, I want to go to St. John Fisher because its nice, friendly, clean, small classes, etc, seemingly the opposite of LIU. Also, I have already paid a 1500$ deposit to St. John Fisher. However, LIU is really close to my house, and very convenient in that sense. I would be able to live at home and not worry about looking for an apartment. It is pretty hard for me to study at home, with friends and family as distractions but theres a library for that. Let me know what you guys think, about the schools, and about what decision I probably should go with. This is like the crossroads of my life right now, and I really am having trouble making a decision, picking the right road.

I know exactly what you mean on the studying part. I feel overly distracted at home, but the library is really no different. Every time I've ever headed to the library people seem awfully loud and disruptive.... If I were you, I'd pay the extra tens of thousands/whatever it may be to get that peace and quiet serene studying area..... I mean you don't want to look back and wish you had it.... plus St. John seems like the school you're leaning towards anyways.... 😎

 

[lllix]

I guess the question is whether you can afford to go far away for university. If you have scholarships or a really good college fund, etc..., then go by all means! You seem to be leaning towards the further away one anyay, but like the others have said, keep in mind the debt you might have if you can't afford to go.

As for being worried about friends being a distraction where you live, I think it's likely that there will be distractions wherever you go (unless you don't plan out socializing at all while you are gone... in which case that sounds pretty depressing).

 

[pharmaceeforme]

I guess the question is whether you can afford to go far away for university. If you have scholarships or a really good college fund, etc..., then go by all means! You seem to be leaning towards the further away one anyay, but like the others have said, keep in mind the debt you might have if you can't afford to go.

As for being worried about friends being a distraction where you live, I think it's likely that there will be distractions wherever you go (unless you don't plan out socializing at all while you are gone... in which case that sounds pretty depressing).

I plan on socializing, its just that the environment is different here and in Rochester, its hard to explain, but I never did have good luck studying in Brooklyn, which is why I went away to college in the first place. Maybe its because most of my friends are party animals that are always calling me out. The thing is, I'm taking all loans, minus the 500 or whatever im getting from the TAP grant. Its a hard decision, and every time I think I know where I wanna go some reasons pop in my mind and tell me to choose the other school. I am going to be saving money if I go to LIU, approximately 10,000 a semester, even more if considering the food and apartment I am going to have to pay for away. I thank everyone for their suggestions, you guys are the best. I know ill get a better education in st.John Fisher, but at LIU ill stay with my parents and save a lot of doe. Its just two completely different worlds, Rochester and Brooklyn. IDK what to chooseee

 

[pharmaceeforme]

I'm going through the same thing right now. Should I go to the further away dream school, or stay closer to home and what I know (and where I have a support system). I'm not looking at cost, we'll get that back in a few years, but do I have the courage? Haha, lots of soul searching. 🙂

Lol, it does feel like soul searching. Even now that I think of it, I feel like this choice will completely change what kind of person I will become in the future. I mean living in a town like Rochester, something I have never experience, will definitely change me somehow. For the good or the worse, I don't know.

 

[desmoulins45179]

Its just two completely different worlds, Rochester and Brooklyn

I think this is a big part of it. I think part of it is where you will stay for 4 years. While you are not imprisoned to either place for the rest of your life, you don't want to hate the place you are living. Going from NYC to Rochester will be a big change. I have never been to NYC but other students from my school love it there and love all the commotion and how it's always busy. I don't know how you feel about living in a much smaller city but you'll have to decide if it's the right place for you.

I don't know how much LIU's tuition is but they are both private so I don't think you will save much of tuition alone. You could probably find cheap housing in Rochester is you find a roommate and look hard enough. Go to http://www.rentrochester.com. It would help if you had a car since you would have more options.

 

[JerseyGirl113]

I feel your frustration its a hard decision to make. I personally am having the opposite problem, far away = cheaper and close to home = $$$. It doesn't make the decision any easier.

 

[Maxalted]

I cut and pasted some of your main points for clarity.

LIU
-very close
-LIU is opposite of nice, friendly, clean, small classes
-close to my house
-would be able to live at home
-going to be saving money if I go to LIU, approximately 10,000 a semester


St. John Fisher-
-nice, friendly, clean, small classes
-already paid a 1500$ deposit
-hard for me to study at home, with distractions
-I never did have good luck studying in Brooklyn

Before you made your second post, I was leaning heavily toward St. John Fisher because it's a better study environment for you and your post suggests that you actually want to attend St. John Fisher because you like their campus better. However, if LIU is $10,000 cheaper per semester before living arrangements, there is no question in my mind that I would chose LIU. If you attend school for 4 years, your tuition will be $80,000 greater plus many thousands more for living. I would have to be thoroughly convinced that St. John Fisher was a much better school under those circumstances. JMHO.

 

[pharmaceeforme]

I cut and pasted some of your main points for clarity.

LIU
-very close
-LIU is opposite of nice, friendly, clean, small classes
-close to my house
-would be able to live at home
-going to be saving money if I go to LIU, approximately 10,000 a semester


St. John Fisher-
-nice, friendly, clean, small classes
-already paid a 1500$ deposit
-hard for me to study at home, with distractions
-I never did have good luck studying in Brooklyn

Before you made your second post, I was leaning heavily toward St. John Fisher because it's a better study environment for you and your post suggests that you actually want to attend St. John Fisher because you like their campus better. However, if LIU is $10,000 cheaper per semester before living arrangements, there is no question in my mind that I would chose LIU. If you attend school for 4 years, your tuition will be $80,000 greater plus many thousands more for living. I would have to be thoroughly convinced that St. John Fisher was a much better school under those circumstances. JMHO.

Thanks, you laid it out really clearly, really appreciate you taking your time for this. I just realized that St. John Fisher cost of attendance was listed for a year, so its cuts the price in half, about the same as LIU. Thus, I am now leading towards to St. John Fisher. And yes, Rochester is a big change for New York City, but sometimes change is good. I will still be thinking, as I have quite a while to decide, but any further commentary will be very appreciated.

 

[Filler]

I dunno, I live in Northern NJ, if I had to choose between LIU or St. John Fisher, I would probably go with LIU, especially if you want a job in or around the NYC area. About half the pharmacist I work with and a pharmacy resident are LIU grads (other half being from Rutgers), so I can easily assume they have an abundant amount of alums in the area.

 

[pharmaceeforme]

I dunno, I live in Northern NJ, if I had to choose between LIU or St. John Fisher, I would probably go with LIU, especially if you want a job in or around the NYC area. About half the pharmacist I work with and a pharmacy resident are LIU grads (other half being from Rutgers), so I can easily assume they have an abundant amount of alums in the area.

But does it ultimately matter where I get a pharmD. Isnt it just as easy to find a job in nyc graduating for St. John Fisher? If I am missing something, please clarify

 

[Filler]

But does it ultimately matter where I get a pharmD. Isnt it just as easy to find a job in nyc graduating for St. John Fisher? If I am missing something, please clarify

Honestly, the issue of where you receive your pharm.D from and its importance is debatable, but all I am saying is it doesn't hurt having an established alumni base. As for finding a job in NYC area, at the moment it seems pretty tough but there are job openings, however in 4 years the floodgates will be open, with a lot of new programs pumping out grads for the first time, so who the hell knows. Besides, LIU is a tough program to get into, especially if your a "transfer", I honestly regret not applying to them this past cycle because I assumed statistically I would have a difficult chance getting into their program.

So in a nutshell, if you want to work in the NYC area in the future, then simply go to school in the NYC area, your not going to be able to properly "network" to help land a job in NYC if your all the way in Rochester.

 

[joh0472]

Hi, I know this might be a personal decision, and I shouldnt be looking for help at an online forum, However, I would like to get some opinions about what I should do. Lets say I got accepted to two schools, one very far away(6 hours) and one very close (<30 mins). Specifically, the far one is St. John Fisher, and the other one is Long Island University, in Brooklyn. One one hand, I want to go to St. John Fisher because its nice, friendly, clean, small classes, etc, seemingly the opposite of LIU. Also, I have already paid a 1500$ deposit to St. John Fisher. However, LIU is really close to my house, and very convenient in that sense. I would be able to live at home and not worry about looking for an apartment. It is pretty hard for me to study at home, with friends and family as distractions but theres a library for that. Let me know what you guys think, about the schools, and about what decision I probably should go with. This is like the crossroads of my life right now, and I really am having trouble making a decision, picking the right road.

I'm not sure the real estate creed of "Location, Location, Location" is applicable to pharmacy school and 6 hours away from home is not VERY FAR, but based on what you have said I would choose the school in Brooklyn. You get the same degree at the end of the education and pharmacy school will be tough enough without everything being new so maybe stick with the familiar territory and stay home.

 

[Filler]

I'm not sure the real estate creed of "Location, Location, Location" is applicable to pharmacy school and 6 hours away from home is not VERY FAR...

I have to disagree, a 6 hour drive (one way) would be total crap, especially if you wanted to go home for a long weekend or whatever. Hell, a drive from NYC to Philly is roughly 2-2.5 hours, drive from NYC to Balti is roughly 4 hours, and DC is like 4.5 Hours...and as for location, in the quasi-saturated pharmaceutical world of the magnificent American North East, yea its important.

 

[pharmaceeforme]

Hmmm, the networking factor really got me thinking. For some reason I never even thought about it like that. I wouldn't be driving, probably taking a plane back and forth. I guess its logical that networking def. contributes to landing a job. Thanks anyway, I'm going to be thinking and thinking for the next couple of months.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I'd live as near your home as possible. I'm not advocating that you shack up with the 'rents, but being close will definitely provide you with a support group which could be nice to have while undertaking the daunting task of a four year professional program.