Updated in Dec 18th, 2020, written on August 30st, 2020

<aside> 🙂 note: these thoughts are based on data points collected before I've experience university. Let's see how these hold.

</aside>

It's that time of life.

Where we decide what we want to do and where we want to go.

Where do I want to go? The next step seems to be university so here is my take on it:

My personal philosophy for choosing a university consists of a few reasons:

1. Network

2. Structured Learning Time

3. Life Experiences

Network

This is the biggest reason I want to attend a university that attracts interesting, impactful, and influential people. You're bound to encounter amazing people and share incredible experiences with them. University set up an environment for relationship building and is something hard to get anywhere else. That doesn't mean it's impossible, just harder. Good networks don't just constitute where you attend. University just makes it a lot easier.

I'm not talking too much about "networking" in a professional sense but imagine going to a prestigious university like Harvard or Stanford. You automatically surrounded by the next generation of leaders and changemakers who are incredibly high potential (This however, is an assumtion I am trying to challenge).

That factor alone can change your life.

Don't believe me? That's what happened to me when I attended one of the top academic programs in Canada. Prior to TOPS all I did was play Minecraft at the library after school, indulging in status games, and got decent marks in school.

TOPS was a paradigm shift as I was surrounded by others who had incredibly smart and accomplished. This shift in perspective and exposure to such further standards blew my little middle school bubble away and got me craving for more.

Flash news: Tops was also a small bubble that I broke by continuing to seek people who were interesting, and driven to do cool things.

I want that for an environment I plan on spending an important time of my life. I don't know anyone at my entire school who meets the caliber I desire for character and going on the same trajectory as they would be a mistake.

There aren't too many interesting people at my high school. I don't want this to be the same in university.

My rationale is that by going to universities that consider top percentile candidates and have an application process that values creativity, character, drive, and involvement, I'm going to find much more driven, higher potential people (generally) than the top schools in Canada.

I don't care too much about what's taught or the program. I believe I'm an avid self learner. I care more about who I'm learning with.

Education isn't what's scarce. The internet allows you to learn everything you want, completely for FREE. What is scarce is the drive to learn.