Countdown to college

Realization: I am college-bound.
Reaction to Realization: Oh my God.

It's a weird feeling, realizing that your life is going to be REALLY different in just a few months. In two months' time I will be graduating, leaving high school (and unfortunately a lot of really cool people) behind. Until today I felt really unsure about which college I wanted to go to. I felt the most pull toward Wisconsin because I absolutely fell in love with the school (and for you skeptics, my love affair with the city had nothing to do with a certain guy I met there).

After a long, enlightening conversation with my second cousin Sean, a successful attorney (who recently made partner at his law firm) about the consequences of student loans, I decided to rule out the college that would cost me the most money. Not only because of the cost, but the distance, the weather, and the fact that I would not be able to afford coming home more than once or twice a year.

That left me deciding between 5 other schools, a few of which I had ruled out a few weeks ago (ASU--because I don't want to become a wild lush, BYU---because I don't want to fall in love with a man who may or may not be interested in marrying me unless I convert / Not sure I could handle a lot of my friends getting married their first and second years of college, UC Davis---I heard it smells like cows. I also heard that there's nothing to do up there except for drink and go to school. Again, I don't want to become a wild lush, but I also do not want to be a reclusive 24/7 student)

So now I was down to two. Cal Poly SLO and UCI. I think if I hadn't taken a roadtrip up to SLO this week with my mother, I would have registered at SLO for sure, without taking a second thought. Luckily we did, and although I absolutely love the town, the people, and the beautiful drive up there, I did NOT like the campus. It was extremely small, not good looking, and I didn't see much that attracted my interest. I also learned today that their writing program is not very good, which is not okay considering I would be in that department.

So I toured UCI today and I love it. I took the campus tour and then met up with my brother's girlfriend, a third-year there and she took me to a few of her classes and showed me her dorm. Basically with all the information I got about UCI, I really want to go there, I don't even mind that it's so close to home. The way I see it, if I find myself wanting to go further away after a year or two I still can. I'll just keep my options open.

So that's where I'm at now, however, everyone's input is pulling me every which way.
"Don't go there... GO HERE!"
"The weather there gets pretty intense, try this place, it's a lot more comfortable."
"Who cares if it smells like cows? Cow tipping is FUN!"
etc...etc...etc...

We'll see.