Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Rohan's Dilemma

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Rohan's dilemma regarding his college admissions after performing poorly on entrance exams. He is considering whether to accept any college offer he receives or to take a year off to prepare for the exams again. The conversation touches on the implications of his choices and the nature of competitive exams.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Rohan expresses uncertainty about his problem-solving abilities required for competitive exams and seeks advice on how to assess them.
  • One participant suggests starting at a community college if Rohan cannot get into a more prestigious institution, arguing that the undergraduate school may not be as critical.
  • Another participant points out the timing of college applications in the U.S. and suggests that Rohan should consider attending any college rather than taking a year off, implying that multiple poor exam results may indicate a pattern.
  • Rohan clarifies that he has performed poorly on two exams and attributes his lack of preparation to a year spent gaming, noting that he only began studying seriously a month prior to the exams.
  • Rohan highlights that he is in India, where the college admission process differs significantly from that in the U.S.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present differing views on whether Rohan should take a year off or accept any college offer. There is no consensus on the best course of action, and the discussion reflects multiple competing perspectives on college admissions and preparation strategies.

Contextual Notes

Rohan's situation is influenced by the specific educational context in India, which may differ from the experiences of participants familiar with the U.S. system. The discussion also reveals uncertainties regarding the implications of his exam results and the potential for improvement with additional preparation.

rohanprabhu
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Hello everybody.. my name is Rohan Prabhu and I am tanked. The results of the various entrance exams to colleges that i gave have started coming in.. and i have tanked like hell in all of them. Now there are two options in front of me: Either take whatever college I get.. whatever degree I get.. or take a drop for a year and study for that year and then try again at these exams.

The problem is that if I tank again.. then i'll be left nowhere as many exams allow me to appear only twice. plus.. i'd be wasting one year for nothing.

I have no idea what to do about this. Plus, i don't know if i have the.. you know.. 'problem solving ability' that these competitive exams might require. How do i know if i have it or not?

any help is appreciated..

regards,
rohan
 
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Are you going from high school to college or have you been out of high school for awhile? Start at a community college if you can't get into a named school, many of them aren't that bad. Many people say you're undergraduate school isn't all that important.
 
Where do you live? In the US, it's far, far too late to be applying for colleges for 2008 admission. Acceptance letters went out months ago.

You say you tanked in "all" of your exams. I assume that "all" means at least 3 (two would be "both" and one would be singular). I think you have to seriously consider that these scores are telling you something real. One might be a fluke, and two could be a coincidence, but by three it's starting to sound like a habit.

Finally, at least in the US, you are much better off going somewhere - anywhere - your freshman year and then trying to transfer in than in taking a year off.
 
I have tanked in two exams till now.. but it looks like I'm going to tank in a lot more to come. And no, it is not a fluke. I wasted my year of 12th doing nothing. Literally. I spent all of my time playing Counter Strike and Warcraft. I started studying in the last month or so.. and the results I got after studying for this one month.. were pretty good considering the single month i studied.

Also, I live in India.. the situation is a LOT different than in the U.S.. and I'm just moving from high school into college.
 

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