--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're going to school primarily for…" description: "\"When you're going to school primarily for career purposes, it's more important to focus on which program is best for you. In addition, your success at ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/marty-nemko-20791_choices_when-you-re-going-to-school-primarily-fo_677831.jpg" --- # When you're going to school primarily for career purposes… ![“When you're going to school primarily for career purposes, it's more important to focus on which program is best for you. In addition, your success at college depends far more on what you do at the college than at which college you do it: Choosing the right program, then the right advisor, the…” quote by Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/marty-nemko-20791_choices_when-you-re-going-to-school-primarily-fo_677831.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/marty-nemko-20791_choices_when-you-re-going-to-school-primarily-fo_677831.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/marty-nemko-20791_choices_when-you-re-going-to-school-primarily-fo_677831.jpg) > “When you're going to school primarily for career purposes, it's more important to focus on which program is best for you. In addition, your success at college depends far more on what you do at the college than at which college you do it: Choosing the right program, then the right advisor, the right courses, the right term papers, the right co-curricular activities, the right fieldwork, the right internships. You can make those choices at any college.” [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success depends more on choices made during college than on the institution itself. **In simple terms:** College choices matter more than school name. Key Takeaway Choose programs and mentors wisely. Themes education career planning choice Mood analytical pragmatic Type advice informational When to use this quote - selecting majors - finding advisors - internships - extracurriculars Key Concepts strategic decision‑making personal agency Questions to Reflect On - How can you evaluate program quality? - What role does networking play? A Different Perspective External prestige can still influence opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [College Choosing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college-choosing-4073709/) [College Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college-depends-5369380/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Program](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/program/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Right Curricular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-curricular-5369381/) [Right Program](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-program-1709065/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Term paper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term-paper/) ## Related quotes > [When It comes to choosing a college or choosing a direction in life, you only have to please yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-bradley/when-it-comes-to-choosing-a-college-or-choosing-a-direction-in-life/) [Shawn Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-bradley/) > [I wasn't one-hundred percent sure that Jenny Craig was going to be the right program for me, but I wanted to do something. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-rue/i-wasn-t-one-hundred-percent-sure-that-jenny-craig-was-going-to-be/) [Sara Rue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-rue/) > [Encyclopedia is a Latin term. It means "to paraphrase a term paper."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-ray/encyclopedia-is-a-latin-term-it-means-to-paraphrase-a-term-paper/) [Greg Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-ray/) > [“You were with Margo Roth Spiegelman last night? At THREE A.M.? I nodded. Alone? I nodded. Oh my God, if you hooked up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/you-were-with-margo-roth-spiegelman-last-night-at-three-a-m-i-nodded/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So far, I've never missed a deadline for a term paper, a review, a manuscript. I perform the mumbo-jumbo of voting with belief in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/so-far-i-ve-never-missed-a-deadline-for-a-term-paper-a-review-a/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Acting is more fun than writing. Writing is harder, more like having a term paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/acting-is-more-fun-than-writing-writing-is-harder-more-like-having-a/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [“Starbucks and their ilk are for meeting with people you don't care to meet with and finishing term papers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-leto/starbucks-and-their-ilk-are-for-meeting-with-people-you-don-t-care-to/) [Lauren Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-leto/) > [I like roles that are on the extreme ends of the spectrum, and there's special appeal in exploring these slightly forgotten plays that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/i-like-roles-that-are-on-the-extreme-ends-of-the-spectrum-and-there-s/) [Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/) > [“He compiled lists of old words too – words of a precision and suggestiveness that no longer had a meaningful application in today’s world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/he-compiled-lists-of-old-words-too-words-of-a-precision-and/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [The term papers make me more crazy, because they involve more variables I cannot directly control! With acting, I feel more power-like I'm making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-savage/the-term-papers-make-me-more-crazy-because-they-involve-more/) [Fred Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-savage/) > [“Librarians wield unfathomable power. With a flip of the wrist they can hide your dissertation behind piles of old Field and Stream magazines. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-olsen/librarians-wield-unfathomable-power-with-a-flip-of-the-wrist-they-can/) [Erica Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-olsen/) > [You can't write a term paper before breakfast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/you-can-t-write-a-term-paper-before-breakfast/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [The Term Paper Artist' represents two models of writing, one of the little boy bouncing his ball, generating stories for the sheer pleasure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-leavitt/the-term-paper-artist-represents-two-models-of-writing-one-of-the/) [David Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-leavitt/) > [“As we prepared for sleep that night I noticed that Lisa was staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked as young now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-n-drake/as-we-prepared-for-sleep-that-night-i-noticed-that-lisa-was-staring/) [S.N. Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-n-drake/) > [“Father had stretched out his long legs and was tilting back in his chair. Mother sat with her knees crossed, in blue slacks, smoking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/father-had-stretched-out-his-long-legs-and-was-tilting-back-in-his/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) ## More by Marty Nemko > [Senescence is an inevitability. All we can do is try to strike the balance between graceful acceptance and raging against the dying light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/senescence-is-an-inevitability-all-we-can-do-is-try-to-strike-the/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [The lack of crispness comes significantly from a societal change in what's valued: a replacement of bold individual initiative with collaboration, consensus, teamwork etc.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/the-lack-of-crispness-comes-significantly-from-a-societal-change-in/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [As a writer, you have control: You can play around with your own thoughts and when you find those insufficient, draw upon others': their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/as-a-writer-you-have-control-you-can-play-around-with-your-own/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [If you don't know what career you'd change to, I've come to believe in starting with your values. What do you care most about:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/if-you-don-t-know-what-career-you-d-change-to-i-ve-come-to-believe-in/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [I believe that a core problem with undergraduate education, especially at research universities like Harvard, Stanford, NYU, etc, is that most teaching is done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/i-believe-that-a-core-problem-with-undergraduate-education-especially/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [Only someone who already knows and likes you is likely to give you a good job with modest relevant experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/only-someone-who-already-knows-and-likes-you-is-likely-to-give-you-a/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [I believe the personal essay is underrated for both writer and reader. It affords the writer great freedom: to speak personally yet invoke others'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/i-believe-the-personal-essay-is-underrated-for-both-writer-and-reader/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [Being a good writer may result in your being nicer to more people, having a bigger positive impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/being-a-good-writer-may-result-in-your-being-nicer-to-more-people/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [You might want to keep trying to rise, using a path that builds on your natural strengths: sales, analysis, managing people, whatever, and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/you-might-want-to-keep-trying-to-rise-using-a-path-that-builds-on/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [Liberalism's key principle is to redistribute wealth from the haves to the have nots. That takes money from the entities with the greatest potential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/liberalism-s-key-principle-is-to-redistribute-wealth-from-the-haves/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [Some people who are recovering from depression want to use the lessons they're learned in coping with depression and their empathy for people with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/some-people-who-are-recovering-from-depression-want-to-use-the/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [Sometimes, low-level jobs are challenging even to someone with CEO potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/sometimes-low-level-jobs-are-challenging-even-to-someone-with-ceo/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [What may create even more jobs is to develop more entrepreneurs, of course, ethical ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/what-may-create-even-more-jobs-is-to-develop-more-entrepreneurs-of/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [You need to create a 30-minute buffer between the end of your work time and sleep time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/you-need-to-create-a-30-minute-buffer-between-the-end-of-your-work/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) > [Some parents let kids "learn on their own skin" and many of those kids end up, as adults, languishing on their parents' sofas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-nemko/some-parents-let-kids-learn-on-their-own-skin-and-many-of-those-kids/) [Marty Nemko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) [Explore all 30 Marty Nemko quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-nemko/) ## More Choices quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) [Alison James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-james/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you're going to school primarily for career purposes, it's more important to focus on which program is best for you. 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