Dilemma...

[Damhsa04]

So, I'm a freshman at the University of Rhode Island. I'm an undecided Business major. I honestly didn't know what I wanted to be when I applied for school, so I went into business.

Last year I had a senior project at my high school where you do fieldwork and get a mentor in an area of subject you're interested in. I chose Disney. I planned faux trips for families with special needs. When I finished the project I realized that I really wanted to continue doing this in my life. I either wanted to be a travel agent, or be in hospitality. Seeing how travel agents are kind of a dying career I knew I wanted to do hospitality.

But it was too late for me. I already accepted URI as my college. I never even applied to Johnson and Wales, where I could study hospitality. Well actually Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality Management.

Now here's my dilemma. I really would like to transfer to Johnson and Wales, but I also want to do the Disney College Program. I know that I can do the DCP anytime I'm in college, but I would love to do it next fall... but I don't want to stay at URI when I could be at JWU. It's a matter of timing.

My thoughts aren't all that clear right now. But I'm trying to make sense, sorry if everything's all jumbled.

So what should I do? I have a meeting November 2nd with my advisor to talk about the DCP, but I'll also talk about transferring. I just want to get my priorities right and I'm not sure which comes first, JWU or DCP.

 

[SanFranciscan]

This is a decision that you should probably be making with your parents if they are paying for your education at all. But like a busybody old woman that I may be, I do have an opinion on this.

In my opinion the Disney program is probably the best internship program out there. I am speaking as someone very opposed to most internship programs because they are so exploitive that I wish organized labor would squash these programs instead of wasting their energies defending high-wage but obsolete jobs and dumb stuff like that. Disney offers young people something that they can't get everywhere because from what I have heard Disney housing is more like living in a rented house than a dorm situation and you get wages in compliance with the mimimum wage laws. Even though I have no personal experience with the Disney College Program, it doesn't sound like a bad deal to me. It sounds like good first taste of living as an adult. I would encourage you to make it a priority if you are accepted.

However, since you are not yet accepted, your next decision should be what is most likely to get you accepted and where you most want to go. How many of your classes at your current school will transfer to the schools with hospitality programs? Maybe there is no need to move until after you do the Disney College Program and are certain that hospitality is indeed the field that you want. I am 47 years old and have many age-mates who think that they majored in the wrong thing in their teens. If you already have experience from Disney, you will have a better idea of whether hospitality is really what you want before you go to the trouble of transfering schools and realizing that it isn't what you want.

 

[Ariel864]

I do agree with San Franciscan that doing the Disney CP would be a chance to figure out what you are interested in. However, there's really no guarantee that you'll get accepted in a hospitality role.

I work for admissions at my school, and am a transfer myself. If you think this is what you really want to do you'd almost be better off switching schools first (but make sure you like other things about the school a lot too... just in case you happen to change your mind about your major for some reason... you'd have other opportunities open to you at that school)
Transferring can get tricky in that schools require specific things... and to prevent being in school forever you really should make sure you know what those specific things are, and then when those courses are offered in what semesters. Sounds confusing, but say they only offer a course for your major oncce a year in the spring you want to make sure you get it in... especially if that class is required to take another class within your major.

Schools too expensive to be in it longer than necissary. Just my opinion, the choice is ultimately yours.

I think the Disney CP sounds like it will be a great experience for you... I think you should definitely go for it, just make sure you can fit it in in a way that you don't have to be in school for 6-8 years rather than 4.

 

[vickalamode]

Apply to the CP for Spring 2010, and apply for JWU for Fall 2010. Don't go to URI anymore after this semester, and do the CP next semester then start at JWU in the fall If you can get all of that to work out for you, it seems like a good timeline for things and you wouldn't be wasting any time in the spring semester by either being at a school majoring in something you hate or by doing nothing at all

 

[Damhsa04]

grr. my advisor keeps canceling my appointments. since i'm a freshman i can't make an appointment until the 3rd week of november.

 

[mare07]

Unfortunately, there is no right answer to your question. Really depends on the person. I think, as a freshman, there are a few things you need to figure out before you decide. First is what it will take to transfer to JWU. They may have easy transfer guidelines, I don't know. As a practitioner in higher education, however, I do know that sometimes it can be harder than it seems to transfer once you really look at what needs to be done. Really depends on the Universities. You may want to think about driving over to JWU one day and talking to an admissions counselor there to get a sense of what they think since you are having so much trouble at your school. They may even set you up with an appt. with an advisor there, you never know.

As for the DCP, I don't agree that it's the best internship out there. I'm not saying it's bad because I did it and I enjoyed it. Even went back for a year. It's hard work for low pay and you have to know what you are getting yourself into. Remember that you'll be on your own, living with probably 5 other people. There are a lot of people who cannot handle it, and you want to make sure you research and talk to people who have done the program...outside of the presentation. Get an email address or add them on facebook. These guys will be more than happy to tell you about their program was in terms of money, housing, etc. without all the videos pre-packaged information. The majority of people aren't on the discussion boards, they are just looking for a semester off of college to party. That being said, if you do your homework and take advantage of the opportunities then this can be and will be a great experience. Either way it's good experience. I think you get more out of it the older you are. I see about three times as many CP's under 20 drop the program than those 20 and up. Disney does not hold your hand. You have to be the one who initiates the conversations and goes to the opportunities and takes advantage. If you do decide to go to Disney, only check off the roles you are really interested in and don't accept something just to accept it. Disney recruiters will tell you you're lessening your chances, but why make the commitment to go down to Florida for 3-6 months if you aren't going to enjoy what you're doing?

I'll be more than candid about my program if you have questions. There were aspects I loved and aspects I hated.

 

[Damhsa04]

So, I haven't talked to my advisor or anything yet. But I've been trying to figure out on my own when I could start JWU and do the DCP. And I think I've figured out the perfect thing.

Stay at URI for the spring semester/Apply for Fall 10 DCP
Get into the Fall 10 DCP (here's hoping)
Apply for spring 11 JWU
Attend program.
Get home in January.
Wait until March to attend JWU since they're on trimesters.

So I'd still be enrolled at URI while I do the DCP, but then I'd go to JWU after my program.

Again I haven't talked to my advisor or parents about this. So this is all me. So I could be wishing for too much to happen.

 

[SanFranciscan]

My gut instinct, without knowing you personally, is that you are doing the right thing. General business classes are likely to transfer to the new school, and it would be a shame to start a new major requiring a transfer and then realize that the new major was a mistake. I really would like to see more professions learned by apprenticeship than academic credit anyway.

My supervisor was amused when she overheard me telling a co-worker that it was rather sad to me that hospitality is now an industry instead of something we show our friends, and our leading one here in San Francisco. Yet people do have to eat and rest while on the road so the market is here to stay. Working for Disney, if you can get into the program, will teach you about the entertainment business as well. The entertainment business takes off when the economy goes sour, while other industries are down.