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• Reputation: 393 Q&A: 8 0 6 111 3 1 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 0 Kalakalot

  6 0 Unless you're independently wealthy, or you or your parents have been saving carefully for many years, borrowing money for college is pretty much a given these days, so that issue is going to come up no matter where you decide to go to school. As for Evergreen, it's a great school for some people and a terrible school for others; it all depends on how self-directed you are and how much initiative you're willing to take. (Disclaimer: I didn't go to Evergreen myself, but many friends -- including some of the smartest people I know -- are grads, as are my parents.) If you want to immerse yourself in a subject or take on an independent research project, Evergreen offers some fantastic options and resources. If you're passionate about an idea or a cause, you can incorporate that passion into your studies. If you're interested in lots of things but aren't sure what direction you're headed in, there are some fantastic survey courses. If you want to become a better writer, you'll be in the right place: Evergreen is very writing-driven. The interdisciplinary approach, I think, makes much more sense for study of liberal arts than the traditional model of separate departments for English, history, sociology, etc. And if grad school is in your plans some day, Evergreen students tend to be well represented in master's and doctorate programs. That said, there are plenty of folks who don't thrive at Evergreen. I know of more than one person who dropped out because they found the courses overly politicized and didactic. If you like the validation of number grades, then you might be disappointed that Evergreen transcripts consist of written evaluations, not grades. If you prefer a lecture hall over a small discussion group, would rather be told what to do than find your own way, and are uncomfortable in settings where there isn't necessarily a "right" answer, then Evergreen definitely isn't the place for you. Kalakalot answered in Jobs & Education about 1 year ago | Report 2 comments by Basil and marymc… 0 0 I went to Evergreen, and this is spot on. If you are self-motivated, you can learn a lot at Evergreen. If you are not, go somewhere with a more structured learning environment that can help guide you. Basil commented about 1 year ago | Report 0 0 I worked at Evergreen, and yeah, this is a great response. marymc commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 395 Q&A: 8 0 2 208 18 1 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 0 marymc

  1 0 I worked at Evergreen for a few years and the above answers are very good. A couple of things I can add, based on how I'd compare my own undergraduate experiences at a big, conventional public research university to what I saw people doing at Evergreen: At a more conventional university, students often find they have two choices: maximize their learning in every course, often in ways that don't necessarily lead to the highest grades; or figure out what's required to get an A, then game the system and do that, while not necessarily learning as much as they could. I know I did the latter a fair amount--read the syllabus, tag all the bases, collect the grade, and move on. I don't see it being as easy to get away with this at Evergreen, where faculty get to know their students much better, and evaluate them in much more depth. Maximum learning and good evaluations just seem to align more readily there. If you just want the piece of paper showing you jumped through the hoops and earned the degree, then Evergreen is not the place for you. If you want to work your butt off and be genuinely challenged and learn a lot, it just might be a good choice. Kalakalot (above) said that Evergreen isn't a good place for people who want to be told what to do. I don't think it's always that simple as just wanting someone to tell you the "right" answers--at age 18 or 19, some people still *need* a little more structure and direction, until they get to where they can generate their own. You have to have a certain amount of focus and self-direction to take full advantage of the opportunities that Evergreen offers. You have to have at least some idea what you want there, and enough confidence in your own beliefs and instincts to ask for it. I don't think I would have had the maturity at that age to handle an environment so unstructured. I wouldn't have known where to begin. I would have probably wandered off into the woods and tripped out on the moss for a few years, or OD'd on heroin by the end of my sophomore year. But for people who are self-directed and motivated enough to really take advantage, Evergreen is a great place. marymc answered in Jobs & Education about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  1 0 If you're going into the natural sciences, it's definitely worth it. They have some great faculty, and you'll have research opportunities as an undergraduate that most colleges and universities don't offer until graduate school. That said, you need to be prepared to work your ass off, or it just isn't going to work. And be forewarned, if you have a learning disability that doesn't require a note-taker, audio textbooks, or extra time to take tests, the office for students with disabilites is not going to know what to do with you, and you're going to be pretty much on your own in that regard. But I'm not sure that's a shortcoming that's unique to Evergreen. Chelydra_serpentina answered in Jobs & Education about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 An education will be with you until the end. However, it is probably necessary at the very least to enjoy one or two subject areas. If you don't like any subjects and/or dislike learning in a formal setting then attending school would be a waste of time regardless of the costs. christian5327 answered in Jobs & Education about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 I graduated in 2006 and I'm around $35,000 in debt. Well worth it. My experience was that there is actually NOONE to tell you what to do, so it helps if you're already inspired and self-directed. There will be many beautiful distractions along the way; taste them, but stay focused if you want to get everything you can out of Evergreen. Big Drops answered in Jobs & Education about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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