When I discovered the University of Nevada Reno, I realized that it’s the school I would want to attend. I am going to major in psychology to become employed in the United States Air force in their mental health services. In order to pursue that, I have to obtain an education. UNR catches my eye with its majors, location, tuition, requirements, and campus life that will help transform me into a working member of the U.S. Air Force mental health services.
UNR provides psychology as a major for all undergraduate students. The UNR website states that, “Students in its Ph.D. program choose between three specializations and one interdisaplinary program.” The three specializations are behavior analysis, clinical psychology, and cognitive and brain sciences. The one interdisciplinary program that they provide is interdisciplinary social psychology. Behavior analysis focuses on the philosophies of behaviorism, the theory of it, and the basic research in human behavior along with animal behavior. Clinical psychology is more of an emotional/mental study on patients that could potentially be psychotic. Cognitive and brain sciences focus on the mind and medicine more than behavior, such as disorders and our memory.
The interdisciplinary social psychology program emphasizes more of a basic training and research of social psychology and law, social psychology and health, personal and social relationships, and organizational behavior. If I decide to take these routes at UNR, it will definitely boost my chance at getting a degree in psychology. The UNR website also mentions that, “Funding opportunities vary by track, but teaching and research assistantships are available,” telling me that no matter what, I will always have the opportunity to be assisted and keep my education going if I wanted to. That makes me feel better about the help I can get. The fact that the University of Nevada Reno offers this major, ensures me that I will get a great education. Another nice thing about it is the location it is in.
The location is critical to me because I will be living there for over 4 years, and will miss my family also. I enjoy warm, but not too hot weather and dread cold and rainy weather. I will only be about two and a half hours from my family, so I know UNR is right for me. According to NOAA, in July the high is only ninety-three degrees and the low is fifty-five degrees. To me that is so much nicer than where I live right now. Due to my active lifestyle, it is a necessity for me to have places to continue that part of my life in college. Reno is also known as “The Biggest Little City in the World,” according to The City Of Reno. It has plenty of stores to shop at, trails to hike, and many other things I can keep myself occupied with. It is also neighboring Tahoe, which is one of the most beautiful places anyone could go.
Christina Nelleman states, “You can even find free hiking and mountain biking trails within 10 minutes of Downtown Reno, making this a city of all activities,” who would pass that up? Yes it sounds like any other city in California, but actually being there is wonderful. If I did not think about the location my dream college would be at, I would have probably had a hard time adjusting, soon ending up with bad grades in college. Although the location is everything I want, it is important that I know the cost to attend UNR.
Another thing to keep in mind is the cost of tuition. Can I afford it? The cost of tuition at UNR varies due to residency or non-residency. According to the UNR website, if you are a resident in the state of Nevada (have lived there for a year or more) you will have to pay “19,136” dollars to pay for tuition at $7,268, fees at $1,098, books and supplies at $1,000, room at $2,000 (living with parents), board/meals at $3,000, personal at $2,500, transportation at $2,200, and loan fees at $70. If you are not a resident you will have to pay “34,790” dollars to pay for tuition at $22,922, fees at $1,098, books and supplies at $1,000, room at $2,000 (living with parents), board at $3,000, personal at $2,500, transportation at $2,200, and loan fees at $70.
At the eye that looks like a lot of money but the UNR website informs me that I can apply for financial aid, scholarships, grants, and student loans. This can really help any student fulfill their dreams of getting a reliable education at their dream college. It also shows me that there are ways that I can get financial support to help me cover those costs. Researching the tuition to any college is a necessity because how would I know if I could actually attend it? Now that I know the cost of tuition, I need to focus on meeting the requirements for UNR.
To get into the University of Nevada Reno, I need to meet certain requirements. The UNR website states that there are four important requirements to get in. There are “required highschool courses” such as four years of english, three years of math, three years of social studies, and three years of natural science. You also have to meet the “GPA Requirements” which is a 3.0, but if you do not have that, UNR suggests that “If you are not admissible, you will be offered enrollment to a Nevada NSHE Community College. You will be offered admission to a Nevada university once you have completed a minimum of 24 college transferable semester credits at a NSHE Community College and have a 2.5 GPA in all your coursework.” That shows me that even if I do not meet the requirement, I can do things to help me meet it in the future. Another requirement is the “Standardized test scores.” The UNR website says that “The university accepts the ACT and SAT scores” but you need a score of “1,120” for the SAT and “22” for the ACT. The last but most common requirement is completing your highschool diploma. These requirements are very crucial to me attending this school, but now I need to focus more on the campus life.
The campus life at UNR will open new experiences to me. The UNR website says, “You’ll never be bored on the campus of the University of Nevada Reno.” UNR offers so many things like clubs, fitness centers, club sports, art and culture, performing and visual arts, and more than 254 student organizations on campus. I know that I will definitely be involved with my school. It will help me connect with others and try new things out for myself. According to Collegefactual.com, “We rank #310 out of 2,179…” in the campus diversity. That is good to know, because as a psychologist, I will need to face all different types of people. It is also good because I can learn more about other cultures and customs. Having the opportunity to engage in this experience will help me build my career.
The University of Nevada Reno offers so many opportunities to many undergraduates looking to further their education. It is a great place to learn what you want to do and who you are as a person. It will also hopefully lead you towards the career you are going to pursue for the rest of your life. UNR offers the major, location, tuition, requirements, and campus life that will help carry me into the career that I dream of having.
