myUface Blog

When researching U.S. universities, it’s a good idea to learn about activities that are available in the geographic area around the university’s campus.  These activities will serve as yet another key component of your U.S. experience, and every university will have vastly different activities available.

This is not about tourist sites.  We covered tourism activities in a previous post.  This is about things you can do together with the friends you’ll meet at your university – things like bowling, skiing, surfing, going to the beach, hiking, camping, waterskiing, etc.

Now, generally speaking, I don’t know of any one website that has great information on every city and town in the U.S. A decent job is done by Citysearch, although it does tend to focus on bars, restaurants, and that sort of thing.  I find the best way to find out about the local scene is to simply google the name of a city, and then look for websites associated with it.  If you’re looking for specific activities, you can also locate the city in google maps, and then use the “Search Nearby” feature to look for anything.

For example, here is a map of bowling alleys located around Harvard University, obtained by entering “Harvard University Boston, MA” in google maps, and then “searching nearby” for “bowling alleys.”

This is also an area where Facebook can be helpful.  Community groups on Facebook are an excellent source of information about activities nearby campus.

Finally, this is another subject which you can ask the university about.  Most universities will have information about activities in the surrounding area.  If they don’t, it may be because there isn’t much in the surrounding area.

Posts in this Series

1. Conclusion - How to Choose a U.S. University - 02 Jun
2. Activities Around a University Campus (This post)
3. Check Out U.S. Universities on iTunes U - 26 May
4. Extracurricular Activities - 25 May
5. Get to Know Your Potential Professors - 21 May
6. Don't Forget Your Life! - 20 May
7. What Do You Want to See in the U.S.? - 19 May
8. How Many International Students go to your Chosen University? - 18 May
9. The Problem with University Rankings - 17 May
10. Using Facebook to Research Universities - 14 May
11. Look at the Surrounding Neighborhoods When Looking at a U.S. University - 13 May
12. How Weather Should Factor Into Your Search for a U.S. University - 12 May
13. Looking for a University in the United States: Cost of Living - 11 May
14. Looking for a University in the United States - 10 May

A great benefit of the studying at a U.S. university is that you’re sure to find one that very closely matches your interests.  How do I know?  Because there are 4,314 degree granting institutions in the United States, and surely at least one of them has a program that would interest you.

Astonishing Variety

Nowhere else are you going to find such a vast number of educational institutions from which to choose. Some other quick stats:

• Of the 4,314 institutions mentioned above, 643 are “public” and 1,640 are “private.”
• 2,629 offer four-year degrees; 1,685 offer two-year degrees
• In California alone there are 412 institutions; for those of you who like tropical climates, we note that Hawaii has 23, Florida 174; for those who like the cold, Alaska has 8 and North Dakota 22.
• There are over 1,600 different educational programs offered by U.S. universities, covering everything from Construction to Library Science to Public Administration to Indian Studies to Theology and Pastoral Ministry.
• The length and cost of degrees differs as well.  There are at least 23 different kinds of Associate’s degrees, most of which take two years to complete; and there are at least 38 different bachelor’s degrees, most of which take four years to complete (with some exceptions).
• The same degree at two different universities will be a very different learning experience.  This is because, as we talked about in yesterday’s post, most universities try to give their students practical experience with organizations and businesses in the surrounding community.  If you got a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Michigan, for example, you might spend a lot of time learning about the Manufacturing sector; whereas the same degree from a university in Silicon Valley would give you more background and experience in IT.

Diversity Again

The secret to the astonishing number of universities and programs is, again, diversity.  The U.S. has such a diverse country, not only in terms of its ethnic makeup, but also in terms of its geography and economy.  The degrees that are most needed in Boston, Massachusetts are not going to be the same as the degrees that are most needed in Fargo, North Dakota.  And since universities in the U.S. aren’t controlled by the central government, they’re free to determine – independently – the programs that will most likely serve their community.  That’s why you’ll find more universities and more programs in the U.S. than anywhere else.  That’s a huge advantage if you know exactly what it is you want to learn.

But aren’t all those options confusing?

They don’t have to be.   Services like myUface can help you find a university that fits your needs.

For Your Consideration:

What exactly do you want to study in the U.S.?  Have you identified any programs that match your goals?

SERIES:  Why study in the U.S.?

• April 20 – Introduction
• April 21 – Diversity at U.S. campuses
• April 22 – Value of U.S. degrees
• April 23 – The Facilities
  
• April 24 – Practical focus of U.S. education
• April 25 – Variety of U.S. programs
• April 26 – The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: visas
  
• April 27 - The supposed disadvantages of study in the U.S.: cost
  
• April 28 - Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.:  it might not help in your profession
• April 29 – Some real disadvantages of study in the U.S.: will you fit in “going back?”
• April 30 – Other disadvantages
• May 1 – So, should you study in the U.S.?