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Post by benboo on Feb 16, 2012 23:54:05 GMT -5
Hi everybody. I am wondering where I should attend college, and in what area of study. I am In NY, so anything close would help, but I may be willing to travel. I am considering programs for Plant Science and Biotechnology, or some other agriculture course.
I am well aware that there might not be too much money in this field, but Its not work, if you are doing you love.
Let me know if you have any recommendations. Thanks.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Feb 17, 2012 0:13:01 GMT -5
I'd say its less important where you go to school and more important the attitude you bring to it. I personally studied Agronomy at Colorado State. Looking back I kick myself for the opportunities to learn that I squandered being an idiot drinking beer and other distractions. And I actually did pretty well in school transcript-wise. But when I think of all the hands-on opportunities to learn that I basically ignored for 4 years I could cry.
Obviously here in NY the ag school is Cornell. I'd say you'd be better off going to a MUCH cheaper school for a couple years, community college or something and then transfering in if that's still what you want to do. Pre-reqs are pre-reqs, and Ithaca and Cornell ain't cheap even on the publicly funded side of the school. There's a lot of great stuff going on there but Calculus 101 is pretty much the same everyplace, your almost certainly getting taught by a grad student, so why pay 3 times more for the priviledge? Teach yourself how to learn, learn how to love learning and you can educate yourself anywhere with a library and the internet. When you get to school, if you really do want to study plant science and bio-tech, get a job in a lab on campus as fast as you can. Plant Science departments at almost any school, even a school as big as Cornell, are pretty small with a lot of one on one attention. They want their students to do well. Get to know everybody and tell folks you want to work in a lab, get some hands on experience. A lot of that is tedious, doing endless titrations or whatever, but you get networked and you get to know your professors better and figure out who is the best teachers and what to take etc. Blah blah blah.
As far as ag schools go, any school is pretty good, doesn't have to be Cornell. A lot more years than I like to think about now when I was searching for schools, University of Missouri was actually a cheaper option than CSU. I opted to stay home though, mostly because of a girl I had a crush on that I saw maybe two or three times the whole time I was at CSU. Try to avoid making decisions for stupid reasons like that too...
Blah blah blah. Hope this helps, more like a therapy session for me or something.
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Post by steev on Feb 17, 2012 2:02:44 GMT -5
No question those lower-division years can be done profitably at a JC for a lot less money. Besides which, getting into the upper-division years at the college of your preference can be much easier with those classes on your record. Then there is the possibility of saving up a bankroll before jumping into the expensive league.
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Post by flowerpower on Feb 17, 2012 7:40:22 GMT -5
Get info on SUNY Cobleskill. They have a Plant Science program. It's about 3 hrs from Buffalo. Let me know if you tour the campus. I'm 15 min from the college.
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Post by benboo on Feb 17, 2012 8:39:10 GMT -5
Thanks for the info. Cornell does seem good, and would probably be my top pick. I will probably visit most of the other NY options at some point.
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Post by lavandulagirl on Feb 17, 2012 15:48:36 GMT -5
I went to UConn. Good school. I can't speak to the ag program, because I was an English major, but definitely a good school.
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Post by templeton on Feb 18, 2012 3:40:58 GMT -5
Are you up for international exchange? Dunno what the costs are like your side, but lots of universities run exchange programs through international partnerships. I have students on exchange every year, both coming and going (but not in AgSci, tho). You would need to do a lot of homework on the possibilities and destination universities. Some countries fund exchange programs and study tours - I get emails every year about exchange opportunities for both academics and students - esp China, and the EU.
T
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Post by castanea on Feb 18, 2012 13:00:18 GMT -5
Don't dismiss state university ag programs. Iowa State, the Univ of Arkansas, Auburn Univ and others have solid conventional agricultural programs at reasonable prices even for out of state students. In some cases you will pay less as an out of state student at these schools than you would as an in state student in places like NY and California.
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Post by Leenstar on Feb 18, 2012 21:33:15 GMT -5
Money aside, a four year college makes a significant difference in terms of the social experience of college. Finding a group people can be harder coming in half way through.
Can't speak for the east coast but the Midwest is full of landgrant colleges with agriculture and horticulture programs that are top notch.
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Post by templeton on Feb 18, 2012 23:20:49 GMT -5
It is only important where you go to school for the first job or so, then it depends on what you have done and can do. Second that. T |
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Post by puttgirl on Feb 22, 2012 18:56:20 GMT -5
Penn State is a big ag school.
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Post by steev on Feb 22, 2012 21:14:09 GMT -5
UCDavis! A primo ag school in a primo ag state. What they can teach you about peppers will bring tears to your eyes.
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Post by 12540dumont on Feb 22, 2012 21:26:55 GMT -5
Steps on soap box.
Okay, I didn't want to say it, but have you thought of saving your money and only taking the classes you are interested in?
For example, Native Seed Search sponsored a grain to table class, where farmers met with bakers to learn what they needed to grow grain for artisanal baking. Not a cheap class, but I sure would have given up my college astronomy, and about 3 others to have the money to go to this.
There are some amazing farm classes taking place all around you without having to take the b.s. classes, and wait in line, and fill out forms, try to find a dorm/place to live/parking spot....really you can drink beer anywhere without paying those prices.
Okay, she's off the soap box.
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Post by steev on Feb 23, 2012 0:16:25 GMT -5
Holly, Holly, etc. You're suggesting learning what is of interest to enable doing what one wishes, instead of learning to do what others will pay to have done.
Considering the cost of formal education these days, I would certainly tend to opt for the auto-didactic route, but the high-paying job hasn't lured me for decades, nor would I need it, having long-since paid off my puny student loans.
Aside from the social possibilities, college offers possible work with practicing experts, but I think the greatest potential benefit is the development of researching, studying, and reasoning skills, driven by certain pressures not to be found in non-academic environments.
However, textbooks for those rarefied classes are for sale to anyone with the cash; it's the drive to learn that's hard to come by, when nobody is "making you do it" and you don't have a peer group reinforcing your resolve.
The older I get, the more often my reason for doing anything is "it pleases me".
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Post by 12540dumont on Feb 23, 2012 16:18:56 GMT -5
Sorry, my incredibly bad day led to wild thinking.
Everyone, never mind.
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