College surfing

UNCW has one of the top marine biology and business schools around. Now finding a job at any NC beach town is going to be very difficult compared to a larger inland city.

Like the other numerous threads we have had about this I will say one thing, DO NOT pick a college based on the ability to surf. Pick a college based on your area of study and the field you want to go into when you graduate. Get a good education then you can earn a good living and live at the beach and/or take trips to exotic locations to surf. Sounds like you are going about this all wrong considering your comment about Perpperdine being strict on alcohol and drugs and parties. I know you are just a kid and this seems cool to you now but you will regret it later. I applied to UNCW and Campbell Univ (small Baptist college in NC that does not allow girls in boys rooms or alcohol drinking ever!) got into both. Choose Campbell beacuse their business school was better and that is what I wanted to do. Now I make over a great living and have a job that gives me 4 weeks off a year so I can pretty much surf whenever there are waves plus make enough money to travel and buy boards whenever I want. Point is don't throw away your future to have easy access to a surf spot for 4years of your life.

 

I play college baseball and I've seen some pretty cool campuses when we have away games. Played at University of Hawaii.. speaks for itself. Played at UCSB this year, awesome choice but since I played there in March there has been a city wide riot in April and the shooting that was all over the news a few weeks back so not sure what thats all about.

 

OP bro, props to you for a fine HS academic career. Your family must be very proud and if I ever have a kid that does as well as you have then I'll certainly support their aspirations. You are able to write and communicate well and that's a dying breed in your circle of peers. You've also understandably stayed out of trouble. Props bro. Stay gold, Ponybuoy.

You don't mention your intended major, not that it's make or break. That could sway your choice. Tough to go wrong with a large state school though. You're right on about Pepperdine being picturesque. Almost looks fake. Did not know about the parietals there. Have you considered SDSU or USD? Two great places in their own right.

Brah, props again for responsibility and achievement. Make sure to keep that your standard in college and beyond rather than being a late bloomer on the renegade end like many do.

As the great kidrock from SI says, "¡ Paz y Olas !"

 

There's F.I.T. in Melbourne, FL.

Sebastian Inlet is 20ish minutes south and you've got about 6 weeks of spring break shenanigans 45 min. north in Daytona. Plenty of jersey folks there too...at least there were many moons ago when I attended.

Notice I said attended not graduated. For an explanation see the first sentence.

 

Someone just said it, but Florida Tech in Melbourne, Florida is a beautiful school with excellent academics. I almost went there myself but had to pick better academics over surfing. You could look to the Northeast as well, some of the Rhode Island schools are not bad for surfing, but it seems like you want to head west.

My word of advice if you are looking to the UC schools, make sure you meet all of there requirements to get in. When I went to apply you needed a lot more classes to get in than just the classes my high school required me to take (for me it was 2 art classes). They are also crazy expensive, so make sure the surfing is worth it.

I would first look to schools that have your major and that meet you academic standards, then chose the surfing. Your schooling is much more important because you only get one chance at that, you can surf your whole life.

 

Roger Williams in Bristol has dorms on the ocean. Salve Regina is literally on R***les. URI is Gansett area.

And the University of Spicoli is located on the foremost beachbreaks, points, and reefs of New England. Admission is limited to the top/bottom 1% of worldwide misfits at that institute, however.

 

Ok... I wrote this whole long winded post, and before I posted it, I looked up and saw your GPA and SAT score. Honestly, if I were you I would just suck it up, forget about surfing for a couple years and choose the best school for the program you want to be in. Your in a situation where you could be accepted into some of the best schools in the country, do not pass that up because you want to surf! Go to a world renowned school and get a degree in finance, commerce, or business admin and don't look back. Set yourself up to be successful, and then you can surf the rest of your life.

 

Pepperdyne and the UC's are obscenely expensive even if you're an in-stater. Are mommy and daddy footing the bill, are you paying your own way/taking out loans, or are you expecting a scholarship?

1. If you're a trust fund baby, why not just head for Hawaii?
2. If you're paying your own way, take a "gap year" and backpack/surf the coasts of Europe, N. Africa and Asia.
3. Scholarship/after gap year; do what others have said and get a good education first, then use that fat degree to browbeat your way into a job near surf. College is just a few years. If you're going to be a working stiff, you'll actually have to learn something in College and make decent grades/land a co-op or internship if you want a job. The upside is that you can get some jobs in sick locations that will allow you to surf great waves for 5-6 hours a day for the rest of your life, almost as much as any trust funder.

HOWEVER; you're probably going to have to chose between your career and surfing at some point. You can get a decent job, make enough money, and surf your brains out; or you can work a lot, make a ton of money, and surf on the side.

As for your proposed options (that I know):
UCSB has good surf off Campus point. It's an easy bike ride to **n**p** which can get epic. Plenty of other spots in range, especially if you have a car or can bum rides. Best in winter.

Pepperdyne doesn't have any surf out front that I know of. You have to ride down to Malizoo or points south and break out the knives or ride north to *t*** *o***, *it*** *um*, *ig ****, or Zuma. That's a pretty long haul on a bike. If you have motorized wheels then the world is your oyster from Pepperdyne. Word to the wise: surf along the entire stretch of Malibu coast sucks all winter long and only gets good in the summer. So a typical student's schedule will leave you screwed unless you're willing to drive an hour north or south.

 

Move to San Diego.
Sign a lease to start your residency. Take community college courses. In one year apply to any state school for a fraction of the cost.

If you want to stay local, I went to Stockton in south jersey. Lived in brigantine. Sh it was tight

 

I work in higher ed. and while you have the right attitude... realize the best connections and networking will take place within a school wherein they specialize or excel in a particular type of degree/program. Consequently, going to the "best" school for a certain program/degree will improve the likelihood for you to begin your career with a leg up above other students.

However, you are right the totality of the experience is a very important aspect of a college education. Consider my perspective...food for thought...but sounds like you have your head on straight. Hope you enjoy the experience and are accepted at your "#1"!

 

All three are good schools. Obviously, I would be partial to UCSD, UCSB and then UNCW, in that order. But all are very good schools to attend. UCSB is very difficult to get in. I know numerous people who did the local residency thing and tried to transfer to UCSB with good grades and couldn't get in. They recruit academic students the way most big schools recruit student athletes. So, if you can get your foot in the door that way, right off the bat, take it and don't look back....

I need to run for mayor of UCSD, but you know the deal. There are a couple world class surf breaks, ON CAMPUS. Not 20 minutes away, not a few miles away, I am talking the seawall at scripps says UCSD on it.

So, do the math, but you are in good shapre regardless of what you do. Peak CA surf season it from September to May.... You do the math.... Firing surf in between studies. A lot of guys on here will tell you how you should focus on your studies and you won't have time to surf. I breezed through college and spent most of my time recreating, and a kid with your grades and track record, you will breeze through as well with no worries. You will find yourself with countless hours of free time, even if you gotta work part time... There is MORE than enough time in college to make potential recreational activities a HUGE part a decision....

And a degree, in most majors, from any of the three schools would land you a good job in your field. Any one of the three is a standout, so the fact that you have a piece of paper from any of the three, puts you neck and neck with everyone else, regardless of what school they went to. Jobs aren't handed out because you have a degree. They want to know what you actually have learned, and how you have already applied these things through school.

Everyone I went to school with ended up changing their major, and I took a career completely out of my field for many years. All people cared about was that you had a degree. It wasn't even that important which field it was in, certain sciences aside.

 

With grades and scores like that you should get the best education possible and than ball out of control in any surf mecca you want. If you don't mind cold water I think Stanford is pretty close to the ocean. That's what I would do. Play to your strengths and it'll work out way better for you.
Also, look into study abroad programs that might take you to surf destinations.
Bond University in Sydney Australia is a killer one. Wish I could read good like you.

 

i graduated uncw with a bs in environmental sciences and it's a great school with some great programs however.....

let me present the following points:

1. you will not find a job in wilmington, if waiting tables is your gig then come on.
2. the consistency of swell here is frustrating.
3. crowds can be pretty bad. grom rippers, semi pros, sup's, old man long boarders, hanger onr's, kooks, disgruntled locals, etc

 

fwiw i agree with some of the other posts

put your education first

 

Atlantic Cape Community College.

People just love the " I need advice" threads.

Dude, you make the decision of what school to attend.

Listening to dudes on a surf predictin' website message board isn't real wise.

I can see you at the interview: "Well, this school came highly recommended by dudes on Swellinfo.com. I listen to those guys."

C'mon, man.

One guy's great experience at such-and-such school maybe your worst nightmare. And vice a versa.

Most of the people on this site, myself included, are retarded.

Spicoli, don't bogart my "Stay Gold, Ponyboy." I was the first to ever use that phrase. No, really I was. And I was the first to say, "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Conway Twitty." I used these phrases well before any South Park or Family Guy episode.

GOD DANG THAT PISSES ME OFF. ARGGGHHH. Spicoli give me $5.00.

Great, I just broke another lamp. Second one in two days. I need anger management counseling.

 

I'd keep your college choice and your surfing aspirations two different things. I'd find the best school you can afford (tuition and living expenses) in the major discipline of your choice. Think about it - 4 years that will have a profound effect on the rest of your life. Plus, Winter and Springs breaks along with summer you'll still get a descent amount of surf. My advice to young people, not matter what you do, be the smartest guy in the room. The one with the most advanced education ends up in the leadership position and makes the most money.

 

your background info sounds like your pretty smart.if I was u id stay as far from the water as possible,thats a distraction,and distractions leads to not studying,then u start partying,then u get out of college and work at shopright and have to pay 80grand in colledge debt.

id say go to the best school u can,like an ivy league but I think u need to go to a regular college before that.screw surfing in college,u play ur cards right and land an awesome job,u can take trips to bali or Hawaii at a moments notice because u got it like that.i would've rather gone to college but I didn't have that choice.

my buddy went to college for computer software,i don't know what he does,but all I know is he gets paid big bucks to install software all over the globe.he used to have a office in the wtc before they blew it up.last week he had to go out to cali,and these people(the job) pays for everything,plane tickets,expenses,etc.hell go do a job and itll take maybe 3 hrs and he has 2 days there,so if he was a surfer he could go surf but he doesn't surf.the job even covers drugs as expenses altho im sure u don't put that down on the report.he says he wants to have a dealer in every state.if he didn't party these dude would be beyond rich,i mean hes already rich but hes a retarded smart azz coke head who can never sit down,always has to be doing something.that 3 hr trip,which was actually 2 days,made a little over 8 grand for that trip.like I said I don't know what he installs,could be shyt for the government idk,but he makes serious money and flys all over the place for free.what could beat that?

 

Wow kids these days are just pampered little wussies. There are dozens of schools that are 1,000,000 times better for the areas of interest you mentioned but they are not at the beach. With your grades and SAT scores you would be the stupidest kid in the world to throw that away just to be able to surf for 4 years. And your comment about losing yourself in college, what the hell does that mean, you are a kid you don't know what you want yet and you don't have a "self" to loose. You can listen to the folks who have said go where the best surf is (and if you are like the typical high school graduate who thinks the world will hand them a good life then you will) or you can listen to those of us who have told you to put your education first. Otherwise you may end up a 40 year old waiter who lives at the beach but is living paycheck to paycheck and maxing out credit cards.