Moving to STT to attend college at UVI. Yay or Nay 🙂

My first thought: "is this post for real?"
It's the person's first post and who goes to a college they have never visited, especially one on an island they have never been to?

My second thought: "is this poster somebody from STT UVI looking for some feedback?"

Assuming neither thought is true, I'm not sure advice from (mostly) old people who moved here after a lot of research and PMV's will be of any help, other than to say, "people are mostly the same everywhere, you get back what you give."

I have a young relative who came here to go to UVI and did very well. It is a small school, which means you know all your instructors and they know you. Some students get caught in the seamy underground life and fall into the abyss. If you can apply yourself, stay away from the drinking and drugs, you too could have a good freshman year experience. I believe you have to live in the dorms freshman year. They are old-fashioned gender-segregated dorms with no visitation. Your folks should like that!;) Besides, John Brewer's Bay and Beach is your back yard.(tu)

My goal for college was to get into the best school I could get into AND afford. This is what's going to help you get jobs and make contacts to get jobs later when you get out. The only reason I can see to go to uvi is the beach and to party. I've always heart it called a glorified community college and the only degree worth getting here was marine biology. Plus you will have much higher school costs until you have lived here at least a year. Cost was always a factor to me since I paid for it myself with very little use of loans. Personally I would pick a good state school that will not cause you to go to far into debt when you get out. Plus living here is expensive!

Umm...wow. Yes this post IS for real and I thought that the people on here would be generally nicer. But I won't be rude back. Anywho, thanks East Ender. I'm a very strong Christian and I have deep Christian beliefs. I really appreciate it. I don't want to go to UVI to party what so ever. I just wanted a change of an environment and like I said, I'm opened to new things. I believe that people who also attend community colleges, IMO, only do it because they're not sure what they want to major in and they're lazy. That's just what I see here with people that have graduated from my school. Kids who don't move away from home to just smooch off of their parents. I know not all kids are like that but here in my town they are. I know maybe somewhere there are people who actually do well with a community college. I'm not impressed by the schools in my state, NIU being one of them, known for LOTS of on campus shootings. The other schools don't impress me. I rest my case.

-Naasika

I thought that the people on here would be generally nicer.

that's nothing. wait till you move here haha.

I don't think people are trying to be mean... just realistic. Some of the best advice I've ever gotten came as a swift kick in the pants when I needed it most. I hated it at the time, but I appreciate it now.

Maybe a big move would be good for you. You strike me as someone who needs to get out of her hometown and experience the world. And that's okay, because you're young, and you're not supposed to know everything yet. I don't doubt that you're open-minded, but maybe you haven't had enough opportunity yet to take advantage of your open mind yet. I've certainly learned a lot since moving away from my hometown 7 years ago. I admit to being totally naive before I left home, and I'm still learning. It sounds like you're already set on coming down this fall, but in case it's not a done deal, keep in mind that you can find a change of scenery without going all the way to the Caribbean. If that's what you're after, there are easier and cheaper ways to do it.

From what I can gather from Google, NIU is Northern Illinois University. So... you're saying that none of the schools in the entire state of Illinois are good enough for you?! Seems a bit pompous for someone who's going to spend the rest of her life explaining to potential employers that no, you did not spend your entire 4 years of college sipping pina coladas on the beach... because no matter how great UVI is, and no matter what amazing things you do there, that's what people on the mainland are going to think. That's not to say that it's not a good school or that it's not a good choice for some... it's just that that's how it's perceived by those who don't know any better. I ran into the same issue when I told people I was taking a job here. It's been an uphill battle to convince people back home otherwise. I've actually started doing part-time work back in the states so I can prove that I've kept up with the "real world" in case I ever need to move back to the states and look for a full-time job there.

As a side note, there are many, many very intelligent, very accomplished people who started out in community college. I'm not one of them (I went to a 4-year university), but I know plenty who have done very well for themselves and are now nurses, bank vice presidents, teachers, etc. What happens in your town is not what happens all over the country. For some, it's the only way they can afford to go to college... they have no well-off parents to mooch off of, and they have to work full time and go to school at night. Sure, you can do that at some four-year universities, but community colleges are often cheaper and are therefore an attractive alternative. Also, many of them have agreements with nearby universities so that students who do particularly well can be accepted at the university to finish their four years.

Naasika
I am going to try to read between the lines. Roadrunner, thinks that you are looking for a change and I think that is true. My gut level feeling is that the Virgin Islands is too much change too soon for you.

Hey, maybe I am wrong, but I think you might do better at some stateside.. beach side college. Take a look at San Diego, Florida, Santa Barbara, Do a search, there are lots of other choices. Look at (2 year) Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California.

I won't even go into the community college thing. I ended up at one after a rocky freshman year at a 'good' university. It turned out to be the best thing for me. Yes. I partied too much and learned painfully. Now, many years and several graduate degrees later, I am a big supporter of community colleges.

Nassika,
I've read all the posts here and I don't see any as being "rude."

If you're thin-skinned, then coming to live in a new culture is going to a super challenge for you.
(That's not rude, that's honest advice)

I would suggest you look into a strong Christian related college in your area (or somewhere warm).
There are hundreds of good ones, and on average you'll find more students like yourself there.
And no matter which one you pick, I guarantee it will have plenty of new experiences and challenges for you.

Naasika: It is very common that people who actually live in the Virgin Islands try to shoo away others with the same intention. The Virgin Islands are very different than Illinois. Sometimes culture change is good and sometimes it is shocking. You would have to decide for yourself. If you come to UVI, you can always transfer if you don't like it. In general, stateside people who come here for school are interested in ocean activities like diving, sailing, kite boarding, snorkeling. Does this describe you? UVI is known for its Marine Sciences program, but you can study other areas. As in most endeavors in life, a bit of introspection is necessary.

It will be a decision you will cherish for life. The people down here are very kind and personable despite what you've read so far. You'll make lots of friends fast down here. Bad news is that your professors will be severely lacking in many areas. Majority of the class time is having the professors read straight from the textbook without any personal analysis or discourse. At times, you will be bored to tears. The upside is you can do your homework at the beach under the shade of a coconut tree with a rum and coke at your side. The feeling of the open ocean, clean smell of salt air and near perfect temperature of 85 degrees is almost heavenly.

thanks everyone. i really do appreciate it. i am not interested in the partying type of thing. although i'm 18 i do consider myself to be very mature. my parents are from Africa and i have spent weeks in the village with no water, no light, no toilets, no showers and barely any food. it was quite an experience. i did spend the other half of my summer in the city. it was a life experience that I would NEVER forget. no air conditioning and the simple luxuries i took for granted. so to me, since I've gone through that, I feel that I'm pretty much up for anything. i had to eat like the natives and live like them. i am very grateful for the things that i have and i don't envy the things that other people have. i take life as it is. whatever the situation. i plan on doing very great things in my life and i don't want to be close minded and ignorant to things in life. so i believe that i am mentally prepared for this and i'm very excited :D. thanks again :).

Don't worry Naasika; it will be an interesting adventure, and if you are unhappy here you can always return home.

Naasika:
As a teacher who works at the college level, I would probably say you won't have the best access to resources at UVI. I understand their program in marine biology is wonderful, but if you are interested in a degree in the humanities or in business, perhaps you should consider other options. It will be difficult for you to make important connections here (in terms of when you ready to go into the job market), and unfortunately, a degree from a stateside college might open up more doors for you than one from UVI.

I would ask yourself why you are attracted to UVI in the first place. Location is important, of course, but the cultural and social environment of a school is much more so.

Good luck to you!

@dntw8up that's so true. thanks guys 😀

BtBT: UVI is considered a historically black college, giving graduates a diversity chit to use in applying to graduate schools.

Sometimes it's pretty hard in college, especially when you have a lot of homework.