Where should I do my bachelors?

[Cognitive Neuroscience]

I am interested in doing neuroscience or cognitive psychology which my username clearly indicates. I need to know that my 4 year option will be enough to get me into not just any graduate program but one of the best, so picking the best undergrad school is of interest. Out of state tuition cost too much and being in Long Island NY I can't get financial aid with my family income, meanwhile I am far from living in luxury. My choices are Binghamton University, Oswego University, and Geneseo being the only schools offering a good enough or the best curriculum I can find.

 

 

Geneseo is the strongest school academically but is a liberal arts college.

http://www.geneseo.edu/

 

Binghamton is a university and although it ranks over Oswego, the only unique thing about the curriculum is a fixation on drug/alcoholism in the brain courses in the neuroscience major. (irony since it is a big drinking school)

http://www.binghamton.edu/index.php

 

Oswego is the lowest on the scale but at least I don't feel like I am being set up for a specific focus or concentration and drugs and alcoholism, is a university unlike geneseo.

http://www.oswego.edu/

 

 

Main reason I am excluding Stony Brook is because I can hardly get work done living at home and would rather dorm, and apparantly half the people in Stony Brook are miserable, and I am pretty succeptible to emotional contagion and would rather avoid that apathetic environment of misery (sarcastic but making my point clear).

 

If anyone knows of schools out of state that offer out of state financial aid or scholarships, and can get me into neuroscience thn please let me know.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Cognitive Neuroscience

[Loric]

Uhh... aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself...?

 

And I do know a neuroscientist (gosh I know a lot of people) she went to my local Major U.

[tspier2]

Take it one step at a time. It's less about where you went and more about what you did while there. You get out of college exactly what you put in. And, just as general advice, slow down with life. It's easy to get lost in a five- or ten-year plan, but it's difficult to enjoy the here-and-now if you're always planning for the future.

 

Go to a school that's affordable and has a few majors that interest you. Once you start attending, you might find that your interests change. The worst thing you can do is get locked into a program you might despise in a few years. Good luck!

[Cognitive Neuroscience]

I am in community college and in my 4th year doing a 2 year degree. I spent plenty of time trying classes. I like some things about biology and cognitive psychology and found this neuoscience to be awesome in both my own research and also the Brain & Behavior course which I enjoyed more than any other class I tried taking liberal arts.

 

The only thing that confuses me is if researching for a living is what I want to do or if I'm better off doing research in my own free time on my call. I don't know a whole lot about the process of getting grants for studies and getting them published or if I have a lot of freedom in deciding what studies or research I would be doing. I am going to figure out by reading on the forums for awhile.

[tspier2]

I am in community college and in my 4th year doing a 2 year degree. I spent plenty of time trying classes. I like some things about biology and cognitive psychology and found this neuoscience to be awesome in both my own research and also the Brain & Behavior course which I enjoyed more than any other class I tried taking liberal arts.

 

The only thing that confuses me is if researching for a living is what I want to do or if I'm better off doing research in my own free time on my call. I don't know a whole lot about the process of getting grants for studies and getting them published or if I have a lot of freedom in deciding what studies or research I would be doing. I am going to figure out by reading on the forums for awhile.

 

What can you do with a four-year degree in your field if you decide not to continue? Make sure that every degree counts and contributes toward your ability to find a job. By the way, did you pick up an Associates along the way?

[hj2012]

Are you looking for schools with specific Neuroscience major programs, or are you looking for a dual biology/psychology degree?

 

Geneseo, with its smaller classes and "honors college" feel, might be a more nurturing environment than, say, Binghamton. However, there will be fewer and less diverse research opportunities at Geneseo, simply because it's a smaller college.

 

At the undergrad level, it's ultimately really hard to predict which institution would prepare you the best for grad school. I'd say you should choose the place that fits you best holistically -- in terms of environment, location, etc. The rest will sort itself out.

[Lisa44201]

What can you do with a four-year degree in your field if you decide not to continue? Make sure that every degree counts and contributes toward your ability to find a job. By the way, did you pick up an Associates along the way?

The job prospects in the field for a four-year degree are very, very limited. Grad school in psych is almost mandatory.

 

I am interested in doing neuroscience or cognitive psychology which my username clearly indicates. I need to know that my 4 year option will be enough to get me into not just any graduate program but one of the best, so picking the best undergrad school is of interest. Out of state tuition cost too much and being in Long Island NY I can't get financial aid with my family income, meanwhile I am far from living in luxury. My choices are Binghamton University, Oswego University, and Geneseo being the only schools offering a good enough or the best curriculum I can find.

 

 

Geneseo is the strongest school academically but is a liberal arts college.

http://www.geneseo.edu/

 

Binghamton is a university and although it ranks over Oswego, the only unique thing about the curriculum is a fixation on drug/alcoholism in the brain courses in the neuroscience major. (irony since it is a big drinking school)

http://www.binghamton.edu/index.php

 

Oswego is the lowest on the scale but at least I don't feel like I am being set up for a specific focus or concentration and drugs and alcoholism, is a university unlike geneseo.

http://www.oswego.edu/

 

 

Main reason I am excluding Stony Brook is because I can hardly get work done living at home and would rather dorm, and apparantly half the people in Stony Brook are miserable, and I am pretty succeptible to emotional contagion and would rather avoid that apathetic environment of misery (sarcastic but making my point clear).

 

If anyone knows of schools out of state that offer out of state financial aid or scholarships, and can get me into neuroscience thn please let me know.

 

Binghamton would be your best bet out of those three. At the undergrad level, you're not going to get a lot of experience working in neurosci - not in New York, anyway. The strength of Binghamton's psych department should put you in a good spot for grad apps. Have you looked at Syracuse? Rochester? I would suggest getting over the hang-up about Stony Brook;the strength of that department rivals Binghamton's. Albany has a good program, too.

[Cognitive Neuroscience]

The job prospects in the field for a four-year degree are very, very limited. Grad school in psych is almost mandatory.

 

 

Binghamton would be your best bet out of those three. At the undergrad level, you're not going to get a lot of experience working in neurosci - not in New York, anyway. The strength of Binghamton's psych department should put you in a good spot for grad apps. Have you looked at Syracuse? Rochester? I would suggest getting over the hang-up about Stony Brook;the strength of that department rivals Binghamton's. Albany has a good program, too.

 

I can't afford Syracuse or Rochester, or I would be paying quite the fee in loans. I'd pick Syracuse in a heartbeat if I got some good coverage.

 

 

What can you do with a four-year degree in your field if you decide not to continue? Make sure that every degree counts and contributes toward your ability to find a job. By the way, did you pick up an Associates along the way?

 

Not that I wouldn't do graduate school. I'm uncertain bout doing research particularly just yet. If I choose not to go for research during my bachelors than I will probably focus more on cognitive posychology instead of neuroscience. Personlity wise things like FBI and CIA work fits me so I could make cognitive psychology useful. If I do go with research I will lean more towards the neuroscience probably. My interest in the subject is solid however.

 

My associates is Liberal Arts General Studies. I got some of everything right now

 

 

Are you looking for schools with specific Neuroscience major programs, or are you looking for a dual biology/psychology degree?

 

Geneseo, with its smaller classes and "honors college" feel, might be a more nurturing environment than, say, Binghamton. However, there will be fewer and less diverse research opportunities at Geneseo, simply because it's a smaller college.

 

At the undergrad level, it's ultimately really hard to predict which institution would prepare you the best for grad school. I'd say you should choose the place that fits you best holistically -- in terms of environment, location, etc. The rest will sort itself out.

 

There are atmosphere and student life aspects in all three of those schools that keeps me indecisive. That is something I'd have to figure out and weigh in, while here I am trying to see what is probbly the better academic setting.

 

And I'd be doing a specific neuroscience major rather than that psyhology/biology dual major.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Cognitive Neuroscience

[hj2012]

There are atmosphere and student life aspects in all three of those schools that keeps me indecisive. That is something I'd have to figure out and weigh in, while here I am trying to see what is probbly the better academic setting.

 

And I'd be doing a specific neuroscience major rather than that psyhology/biology dual major.

 

If you're looking to do a specific neuroscience major, I'd look carefully at the majors available at each school. I'd expect something like neuroscience to be interdisciplinary and therefore (relatively) rare as an actual major course, especially at a smaller school like Geneseo.

[Lisa44201]

I can't afford Syracuse or Rochester, or I would be paying quite the fee in loans. I'd pick Syracuse in a heartbeat if I got some good coverage.

 

 

 

Not that I wouldn't do graduate school. I'm uncertain bout doing research particularly just yet. If I choose not to go for research during my bachelors than I will probably focus more on cognitive posychology instead of neuroscience. Personlity wise things like FBI and CIA work fits me so I could make cognitive psychology useful. If I do go with research I will lean more towards the neuroscience probably. My interest in the subject is solid however.

 

My associates is Liberal Arts General Studies. I got some of everything right now

 

 

 

There are atmosphere and student life aspects in all three of those schools that keeps me indecisive. That is something I'd have to figure out and weigh in, while here I am trying to see what is probbly the better academic setting.

 

And I'd be doing a specific neuroscience major rather than that psyhology/biology dual major.

I cannot begin to express how important it is to get research experience as an undergrad, especially if you're looking at specializing in neuro down the road. It's important for Cognitive, too. 

 

You could potentially do an Interdisciplinary Major at Albany and create a Neuroscience degree between bio and psych courses; they also offer a Neuroscience minor, and have a Behavioral Neuroscience grad program. 

http://www.albany.edu/neuroscience/majors.shtml

[Alex E.]

If you have slightest interest in doing research, I would really suggest you re-evaluate stony brook. You are missing out good opportunities from Brookhaven and Cold Spring Harbor Lab!