It is one every high school student planning on more education must make and mine was probably easier than for some students.
Narrowing it Down Logically (I Thought)
- It had to be a state university because I couldn’t afford a private one.
- It had to be in Oklahoma because other states’ universities charged “out of state fees.”
- I early eliminated OSU for personal reasons and thus was down to the big one and a little one: The University of Oklahoma (OU) in Norman and the smaller, cheaper Northeastern State University in Tahlequah which had a good reputation for Pre-med, I had heard from people other than my high school teachers.
At first I was leaning toward Northeastern for several reasons, but all of my science teachers at Will Rogers High School were pushing OU as best for Pre-med and that seemed to be the consensus in the Medical Club. Thus, being one who then generally followed the leadership of teachers and other adults, in my Senior Year, I had pre-enrolled in the University of Oklahoma in Norman as a Pre-med student.
More Life-changing Than I Realized
I will explain what happened to my medical career on the OU page, but I will always wonder what would have happened had I gone to Tahlequah instead? It was one of those many “forks in the road” that often determine your future and I believe this decision did! 🙂
Continued on the University of Oklahoma Pages of this site.
Ready to “Get Away” from it All!
And “All” meant family, high school, Tulsa, literally everything! Ready to start my life all over again even more than I was somewhat wanting as we left El Dorado, which was a lower level “escape” than this literally “leaving home” which of course is natural step at this age.
Under family I will discuss more the deterioration of Mom & Dad’s marriage, the surprise that Mom had filed for divorce (but did not follow through), the feeling of being “trapped” or not able to totally be myself at home or school, and having lost my excitement for Tulsa. It was time for a change – time for my independence – time to get out there and make my life! And though I had lots of plans, ideas and goals for the future, I didn’t really know what laid ahead of me or where my life would go. But leaving for college was another true turning point in life! And the school choice definitely helped form my future.
“You are one decision away from a totally different life.”
– Mark Batterson
Or what would have happened to me and my life if I had followed this Oscar Wilde quote? 🙂
“If we’re always guided by other people’s thoughts, what is the point of having our own?”
– Oscar Wilde
Thus I will always wonder what would have happened to my life had I chosen Northeastern State instead of OU? 🙂
¡Pura Vida!