Berklee College of Music Top Questions

It's best to go to school for something that you love so that every day you are excited to go to class and to put in the time to do your work to the best of your abilities. There are plenty of careers out there in any field so any college is the right choice if it is where you feel you need to go. Go to class, do your homework, talk to your teachers and go to activities on campus and college will be everything that it should be for you. Try to come away from every class feeling that you learned something and don't be afraid to do research outside of the class to gain a deeper understanding.

I think it really comes down to asking yourself one question: what do I want to do with my life? Whatever the answer is, look up the schools that are the best match and start sending emails and making phone calls. Colleges have a lot of resources but you have to be the one to put forth the effort and to keep bugging them if you have a question or problem. Also, make sure that you're actually ready to go to school. If you think you're going to just party all of the time, then just stay home, get a job and party at home. You're not paying $40,000 a year to party somewhere else when you can do that I home for free.

Students: if you aren't sure what you want to do, go to community college! That way, you're getting credits out of the way, but you have time to figure yourself out and what you want. If you know what you want, make sure you totally believe in your decision. Parents: Don't pressure your son or daughter to make a decision! They will end up making a decision that they will question later. You want them to have conviction in the path they choose in life. Encourage them to do what they love so they will be motivated to work hard.

Find a college that fits you. When you visit, make sure you're comfortable there, and that it offers you everything you want. If you're uncomfortable, or unsure, then off the bat know that something isn't right, and it may not be the right fit for you.

You really can't worry about the cost too much. It was my dream to attend Berklee since I was in the sixth grade. I try to concentrate on my experiences while I'm here and will worry about the loans later. It is important to realize that being happy with the college that you choose is very important.

Finding the right college should be, first and foremost, about doing everything possible to realize one's aspirations. Practicality, including money, job availability, and other factors, obviously influences anyone's decision. But in my opinion it is important to never lose sight of those things that we are passionate about. There is nothing worse than wishing you had pursued your passion while you ignore it for the sake of practicality. In terms of the college experience, there is nothing more important than getting out, meeting new people, and taking advantage of everything the college has to offer. It may be tempting to cling to familiar friends and spurn optional activities and opportunities, but getting involved in the community is icrucial to having a great college experience. Getting to know the city/area where your college is located is also important, as it is nice to have spots off campus to relax and have fun. A good experience usually means a good balance between work and relaxation.

If it scares you, it;s probably the right thing to do. I knew for quite some time that music was the path I wanted to study, but logically was not the right decision? The facts are, most working musicians struggle to find gigs, it's such a competitve feild, and you end up in the lower to middle class economically. But throwing the money aside, explaining to everyone "I want to go to music school", while my friends are going to business school, and my high school teachers suggested against it wasn't easy, but choosing Berklee was the wisest decision I have ever made. Follow your heart. It;s that simple. When I fisrt arrived at Berklee I couldn't decide which of the equally amazing majors I wanted to do. It took me two semesters and $40,000 in loans to realize why I wanted initially attend Berklee. Once I cleared my mind and listend to my heart I rememberd why since I was 12 I wanted to go to Berklee, and realized "what can I take from Berklee to help me change the World?" Since then, I have been the happiest I have ever been.

Visit for more than just a day and make a vacation out of it. Like spend a week in the city of the university. From that experience, see if the city fits the personality of your kid. If then they feel comfortable then you have picked the right place for them to go away to. If they do not feel comfortable there then you should look for another school in another city. A wrong city would cause your child to not want to stay there for all four years and then you would have wasted money just because they cant deal with being so far away.

Spend a day, interview some students, and realize that its rather likely that the program the student is looking to get into as a freshman will not be the program he/she graduates in 4+ years.

Find out what you really want to do and make every desicion around that choice. If you are sure of what you want, you will find the right college and be sucessfull.