How much should your happiness be taken into account when choosing colleges?

Happiness is ultimately a decision, and it's one only you can make for yourself. There are miserable students who despise everything and everyone on their campus and can't wait to bolt, and joyful ones at that same college who are contented with their education and experience and miss it all after they graduate. If you "know" you'll be unhappy attending a college then you've already sabotaged your ability to see all the possibilities to be happy if you ever go there. I definitely do believe some colleges can be a better "fit" than others, but none are tailor-made for any of us, and a lot will depend on how you wear it. You have to go into college - whichever one you wind up attending - with optimistic but realistic expectations, and vow to make the most of your time there.

This might be helpful to you: http://thesoultodare.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-to-c...

On a personal note, it's good to see you on here again! (Haha, well you might have been here all along but I haven't noticed because I haven't been on here that often this year!) Either way, I hope you're happy and well.

~ Skylark : )

On what basis are you deciding that you won't be happy in a particular college—a hunch or psychic premonition, perhaps? Certainly there is nothing wrong with preferring a big university to a small rural college (or vice-versa), an academic powerhouse or a party school, one close to home or one on the other side of the continent. But there are too many students who (as I did to my regret) pick their college for superficial reasons. I've run into students who dismissed first-rate universities because the school happened to be located in a run-down section of town. Or picked a school just because some relative went there. Read the student reviews for many different types of colleges before deciding.

https://sites.google.com/site/paul7collegeinfo/hom...

However, if you've examined your possibilities carefully, I vote you attend the school you think will make you most happy. College is all about learning how to make rational decisions...and then live with consequences, good or bad.

My experience is that you choose how happy you will be in college. College can be an extremely fun place if time management and your attitude are in sync. It's always worth the try. If you decide to leave colleges have certain drop days by which you can receive a full refund if you decide it's not for you?!

It depends on what it is that is making you happy. Many students find happiness by going to an expensive private school while amassing a huge debt which will make them very unhappy in the future. If the expense in not part of the decision, go to the one that makes you happy.

College is a big part of your life, and you're going to want to remember good memories about it.

Also, college is four or more years if your life. Do you really want to be unhappy for that long? I would say pass up the opportunity if you won't be happy.

You never know where you will, or won't be happy :) Apply for the best college you can qualify for- not all of us have that luxury, y'know, so just grab that chance- and who knows? You might be happier there than you've ever been!

Good Luck :)

You should give them a try because you never know, you very well could be happy there if you give it a chance. But if youre not ahppy, you're not gonna be successful.

You're going to college TO LEARN. You're going to college to set yourself up for a career.

You're not going there to be freaking happy.