Why should you be open minded about applying to college

Five years ago, I applied to four colleges: UCLA, UCSB, UC Berkeley, and UCSC. At that very moment, I wanted to attend UCLA more than any other college. UCLA's Film School was a dream like Stansford was for Sean in the Orange Couty film.

When it comes to college, you have take a chance in life. I was only accepted to UCSB and UCSC. UCLA was eliminated from the list. Should I have waited another year for UCLA or would it be wise to take a chance on one of the two colleges that accepted me? Time was not on my side. I wanted to finish school and go after a possible film career.

I already gave up on an Air Force career as a medical technician. Before joining the military, my main goal has always been the same - I wanted a career in Hollywood. Though, I wanted to be an actor, I compromised to be a writer, which I enjoyed and believed was more inspiring than acting.

Maybe I will have a chance to be an actor one day. Dreams never go as planned, but if you stick to them, anything is possible. I figured out that all my struggles helped me to become a better writer.

Think about it; the best stories have a ton of conflict, making the characters fight for what they want out of life. UC Santa Barbara would help me to take one step closer to starting a carrer in the film industry.

When I was accepted to two California universities, I had to make a pro and cons list. I already lived within 40 miles of UC Santa Cruz. I would be a part of the Digital Film & Media Program. At UC Santa Barbara, I was accepted in the Dramatic Arts Program. What decision was the best? I had to still consider what my fiance wanted as well.

After carefully analyzing the two colleges, I finally decided that I would attend UC Santa Barbara. We agreed that Southern California would be a part of our lives. I would also be closer to Hollywood, which I could take advantage of and possibly seek writing opportunities there.

I called the Film adviser at UC Santa Barbara and switched my major to Film Studies. The program was well rounded and covered the theory of film, television, and media. UCLA was always the first and only college that I wanted to transfer to, but I knew that if I waited for it, I risked not graduating altogether.

Five years after my decision, I graduated from UC Santa Barbara's Film & Media Program with a BA Degree. The college was near the beach, making the experience more awesome. I used to walk down State Street after night classes, the most famous street in Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara is one of those cities where you can relax and write. It's a writer's community.

I don't regret my decision to attend UC Santa Barbara. UCLA will always be one of those colleges that I wanted to attend. Maybe I can write a story about what it would have been like to attend UCLA.

Some students complain about their UCLA college experience while I would have enjoyed it no matter what obstacles were presented in front of me. Essentially, UCSB was a good college decision that will one day pay off, hopefully more sooner than later.

Be open minded about your college decison. You never know what valuable experiences that you will gain