[nabs-l] making a decision about college

Vejas alpineimagination at gmail.com
Mon May 5 03:26:29 UTC 2014


Sami,
I didn't know you had an interest in languages, it was just a 
suggesttion.  But that's really cool.
I'm a second generation Lithuanian.  Our immediate family has 
pretty much all come here, but there are still some relatives 
left there.  I'll be going there this summer and am very excited.  
My parents first started talking to me in Lithuanian (before 
English), and I'm okay at it.  Although I already have plans to 
take my gap year at LCB, I'd maybe like to go back to Lithuania.  
Teaching Lithuanian kids English would be fun.
Vejas


 ----- Original Message -----
From: sami osborne <ligne14 at verizon.net
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing 
list<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sun, 04 May 2014 19:19:09 -0400
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] making a decision about college

Thanks guys for all your comments.
I especially like Vehas suggestion of going to another a country
to study a language for my gap year.
I myself, like to travel to other countries (we go to France
every summer to visit my mom's family, as she is originally from
France).
I also would like to be a langubde interpreter or a teacher, and
therefore to answer your question Arielle, Still am planning to
major in languages.
Btw, Vehas, how did you know that I want to work in the languages
field?
Sami.



 ----- Original Message -----
From: Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sun, 04 May 2014 15:07:42 -0700
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] making a decision about college

Hi Sami,

I agree with what everyone else has said.  Most college freshmen
are
18, and a few are still 17.  So your age alone should not be a
factor.
I think it makes sense to take a gap year only if you have a
clear
plan for something to do during that year.  Training at a good
blindness center, like an NFB center, is a great idea.  However,
I
don't think it's necessary for everybody to do it before college.
What
are you planning to major in?

Best,
Arielle

On 5/4/14, Cindy Bennett <clb5590 at gmail.com> wrote:
 Hi Sami,

 I completely agree with the afore mentioned comments.  If you
believe
 at all that you could benefit from training, then go to a center
for
 that gap year.  I am saying this from the perspective of someone
who
 was overconfident before college and who did not get the full
college
 experience because once I actually went to college, I was
intimidated
 by the real world and actually lacked confidence and relied on
my
 friends too much.  So go to a center in that gap year!

 I have a friend who volunteered for a year.  That is a wonderful
thing
 to do if you have the time and a place to stay.  Volunteering
can
 really enrich your experience.  I think that too many college
kids know
 little about the real world when they graduate.  So whether you
take
 time off school to volunteer or go straight to college, just try
to
 have well rounded experiences during your summers and get a
part-time
 job during school or get very involved in a volunteer
organization in
 the community.

 However, to me, training should come first if you think that is
 necessary.  It is best to do it as soon as possible so you
maximize
 your years on earth with great blindness skills and the
confidence to
 try new things and get great experiences.  Plus, you will likely
not
 have another time in your life that is as convenient to get
traning.
 Once you start having to pay bills, you have to work, and often
when
 you start working, you have to quit your job to go to training
as you
 can't get that much time off.  You can also volunteer in your
free time
 while you're at a center.

 Cindy

 On 5/4/14, Suzanne Germano <sgermano at asu.edu> wrote:
 I think the only reason to take a year off is if you think you
need to go
 to a center to gain blindness skills or if you were doing
something like
 volunteering for a year and it would benefit your degree or if
you really
 do not know what you want to major in and do not want to end up
taking 6
 years for a BS because you change majors and have to take extra
classes.

 But that won't necessarily happen.  My daughter started in civil
 engineering
 and ended up with a BS in biology and has extra courses like
differential
 equations and surveying that she did not need for bio.  She
still
 graduated
 in 4 years Summa Cum Laude but had one semester with 21 units
and had
 some
 summer courses..

 Your parents are wrong.  Most college freshman are 18 and
straight out of
 high school.  Most people do not take a year off.  If you take a
year off
 you
 need to expakin that year to future employers.

 I returned to school at 48.  My Calc 3 class last semester was
almost all
 kids straight out of high school and 18 years old.

 Suzanne


 On Sun, May 4, 2014 at 10:55 AM, Antonio Guimaraes
 <freethaught at gmail.com>wrote:

 You may not have the sufficient training ad skills to take a
year off
 and
 get job experience.

 You'll speed things up a lot if you go straight to college, or
take time
 to get needed blindness skills as needed.

 Do I read it right that your mom thinks you should not be
18-years old
 ad
 interact with older students? Welcome to the world, and to
becoming a
 adult.

 Whether you are ready, feel ready, or your parents feel you're
ready to
 face the world, you must at some point puss off of their
protective
 wings.
 They are not against you, but they probably fear loosing the
parental
 control they naturally have now.

 Good luck.

 Antonio

 On May 4, 2014, at 10:07 AM, sami osborne <ligne14 at verizon.net
wrote:

 Hi all.

 I am currently a junior in high school, and will therefore be
 graduating
 next ywhar.
 My intention is to go to college after I graduate, as the jobs I
want
 to
 do require at least a college degree.
 However, my parents and I have been talking about whether to go
to
 college right after high school or taking a gap year (a year
between the
 end of high school and the end of college).
 Only thing is, this is a really tough decision on my part, since
first
 of all I know that it is my decision, and not my parent's, in
the long
 run.
  Secondly, this is also a hard decision to make because I know
that
 there
 are benefits to both.
 I know that in college you can study for the kind of job that
you want
 to do, and in taking a gap year, you can for instance get more
training
 in
 daily living skills.

 So I'm therefore asking, what would you guys advise me to do, go
 straight to college or take a gap year and then go?
 I would really apreciate it if you could help me with this
decision.

 Also, another thing, my mom told me that if I go strasght to
college,
 I
 would be 18, I would be on the young side of the other students,
do you
 think she's right?
 Also, if you advise me to do the gap year, what sort of
activities can
 I
 do during this year?
 Thanks.

 Sami.

 _______________________________________________
 nabs-l mailing list
 nabs-l at nfbnet.org
 http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
 To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
info for
 nabs-l:


http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/freethaught%4
0gmail.com


 _______________________________________________
 nabs-l mailing list
 nabs-l at nfbnet.org
 http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
 To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
info for
 nabs-l:

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sgermano%40as
u.edu

 _______________________________________________
 nabs-l mailing list
 nabs-l at nfbnet.org
 http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
 To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
info for
 nabs-l:

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/clb5590%40gma
il.com



 --
 Cindy Bennett
 Secretary: National Association of Blind Students

 B.A.  Psychology, UNC Wilmington
 clb5590 at gmail.com

 _______________________________________________
 nabs-l mailing list
 nabs-l at nfbnet.org
 http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
 To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
info for
 nabs-l:

http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/arielle71%40g
mail.com


_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
for nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/ligne14%40ver
izon.net

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
for nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/alpineimagina
tion%40gmail.com




More information about the NABS-L mailing list