Many people will tell you that high school is the greatest four years of your life. While this is true for some, a gargantuan amount of people will tell you otherwise. Sure, graduating from high school will be one of the many great achievements to be made in your lifetime. However, your path to success still awaits a college education. When people say that college changes your life, they're not kidding. While deciding what you want to go to school for can be a challenge, deciding where you want to school is just as important. The best school for you can be anywhere, whether it's in your backyard or 500 miles away.

While choosing the school that best matches you, one should first evaluate their values. How many people do you want to be around? Do you practice a certain religion? What foods do you prefer? Yes, these factors do play a part when deciding on what school to attend for the next four years. I always thought that I wanted to attend a large campus, such as the University of Pittsburgh or the University of Wisconsin Madison. However, I fell in love with the exact opposite. Attending Carlow University has changed my perspective on life in such a positive way I cannot even describe. Although there are only 2,300 students on campus (only about 250 of them actually live on campus), it is a place that I can call home. In high school, I was a cheerleader, but now I'm involved in numerous student organizations such as Student Government Association. I never saw myself joining organizations like this, but we evolve as we push ourselves to the limits in college.

I never knew or understood if I wanted to continue my Catholic beliefs in my adult life. However, this university has allowed me to confidently incorporate religion into my everyday life. People no longer call me weird or over religious, and I now know that this is something that I should never be ashamed or embarrassed of. In high school, I could not imagine continuing my faith long after my family stopped making me attend church, but I believe that I am on the path that I was destined to be on. When choosing the college that you want to attend, surround yourself with people that you know will support your ideas and beliefs, no matter how different they may be.

When selecting a school, one needs to decide where they want to be geographically. Here's the thing: you can go and do whatever you want. People don't believe that they can achieve the goals that they set for themselves, but as long as we keep a positive attitude and our head held high, we can achieve anything. College is the place where you start with a foundation and you run with it. Whether you are attending a community college or Harvard University, the one thing that everyone needs to remember is that you are nothing less. You are nothing less if you choose to go somewhere small, and you are nothing less if you go somewhere that is not well known. You are nothing less when you are going to a place that means everything to you.

When selecting the right college, there is one thing to remember: although it can be stressful, it should also be a fun process. Don't make yourself miserable trying to perfect everything, it's not going to happen. Just know that the moment that you stop enjoying what you're doing or where you're going, you can change directions at any time. I have known people to go from well-known universities to technical colleges. This is a time when we decide what is best for us, and what path we want to be on. Take as many tours of campuses that you need, and even double up on a few that you really like. You can never reevaluate your options to ensure that you are making the right decision.

To sum it up, college is awesome no matter where you choose to go. Just remember these tips: go where you want, achieve what you want, and don't let anyone tell you that you can't. And if they do, turn the other way and show them that you can. The world is yours.