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ChronosCat

EGS: The College Years

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So Dan has stated multiple times before that he's always intended EGS to follow the cast from high school into college. This raises the questions, who out of the main 8 and their classmates will be going to college, where, and pursuing what majors/careers? (These questions have been discussed before on the forums, but I don't think I've participated in such a discussion for years, so I figured it was a good time to revive it.)

While the group are close, I don't think they're so close they would set their hearts on all going to the same college, so there's a good chance they won't all wind up in the same college. In fact, seeing as not everyone goes to college, I wouldn't be surprised if one or more of the main 8 didn't go.

While it turns out he's a unconventional wand-maker and a Seer, rather than the Mad Scientist he initially appeared to be, I still somehow expect Tedd to pursue something science related in college, probably either in the engineering field (tying in to his love of tinkering with gadgets), or in advanced physics (perhaps seeking to understand Magic from a scientific perspective).

I expect Tedd and Grace at least will try and get into the same college, though Grace would probably choose a different major. Maybe sociology?

Sarah obviously will go for art college or at least an art-related major.

I doubt Ellen or Elliot even know what they want to do after high school. (Actually, didn't Elliot say as much at one point?)

I don't really have any ideas for any of the others at the moment, but I'd love to hear other people's ideas.

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Well, one factor is that the main 8 plus Ashley, Diane, Rhoda, and Catalina potentially could each attend a different college - and transfer to yet another different college every year - without having to ever leave home. And still leave a few that none of them ever attended. Metropolitan Chicago includes that many colleges.

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52 minutes ago, Don Edwards said:

Well, one factor is that the main 8 plus Ashley, Diane, Rhoda, and Catalina potentially could each attend a different college - and transfer to yet another different college every year - without having to ever leave home. And still leave a few that none of them ever attended. Metropolitan Chicago includes that many colleges.

Yes and no....if they continue living in NaperMoperville, then a good number of those would be an hour's commute or more.  Many students wind up moving closer to their campus even if they do have parents living in the suburbs.

Personally, I'd like to see them all head down to Champaign-Urbana to attend at the University of Illinois main campus.  Tedd could be in Engineering or Computer Science or somesuch, Sarah could be an art major, Elliot could major in Undeclared....it's a big enough campus there's something for everyone!

Unfortunately, that would probably violate the "write what you know" rule, as I don't think Dan Shive went downstate for college, but it's what *I* know so it's what I'd enjoy.  ;-)

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Dan could easily just make up some big university that's reasonably nearby and that offers programs in things all of them are interested in.

I could also easily see things like Elliot going to community college first while he figures himself out, Ellen going wherever Nanase goes, Tedd not bothering, or he and Grace deciding on one together, etc..

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1 hour ago, Illjwamh said:

Dan could easily just make up some big university that's reasonably nearby and that offers programs in things all of them are interested in.

Well, I suppose if none of them is looking for the sort of advanced schooling that usually requires a specialized college, or if they want/need to get some more general education out of the way first.

Personally, I think having them all wind up at the same college would be a little too convenient, and that having them separated into groups that are far enough away from each other that they can't see each other whenever they want opens up some interesting dramatic potential. On the other hand, Dan designed EGS from the start with the idea of following them to college, so it's possible EGS thus far has been "A group of college friends - back when they were in high school!" and it's the fact that they all knew each other before hand (despite going to two separate schools) that's the contrivance, not the fact that they all wind up in the same college. (Or maybe they'll meet enough new people in college that become important characters that it won't feel so contrived, but considering how large the cast already is much of the current supporting cast would need to fade into the background to make room for the new characters.)

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Separating them into regional groups would severely limit the storyline potential, though. One of the things that keeps EGS fresh is Dan's tendency to mix and match the characters from one story to the next.

For instance, one story might feature, Tedd, Sarah, and Ellen, then the next might have Nanase, Elliot, Justin, and Grace. That could be followed with Susan, Diane, and Sarah, then one with Justin, Tedd, and Elliot. Etc. Etc.

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There is a college in the immediate Moperville area. Rhea and Charlotte go to it, and the new years party along with the fight against Not-Tengu happened there. It's close enough to be affected by the ambient energy problem and Cheerleadra, Shade Tail, and Mr Verres were all able to get there fairly quickly from the Verres household.

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Okay, supposing they all go to the local college, who would stay at their parents' places, and who would move out to dorms, apartments, etc.?

I think Nanase would be eager to move out, and would go with dorms if she couldn't afford anything else.

Susan doesn't have any problems with her Mother that we know about, but she does like to be independent, so she'd also probably consider moving out. I doubt she'd settle for a dorm, however, so she'd need a job that would pay enough to afford an apartment or some other housing that didn't leave her sharing her space with a stranger. (Although if she could arrange to share a space with one of her friends that might also work.)

One the one hand Ellen and Elliot are laid back enough they wouldn't mind continuing their current living arrangements. On the other hand it would probably be good for them to have a little more space, and depending on how the finances work it might be less of a burden on their family if they moved out. (Or does the money Mr. Verres arranged to support Ellen put them in a better position than they would be without her? In that case, that would be incentive for her to stick around a while longer.)

Tedd would be torn - on the one thing he has a little bit of friction with his father, and would probably enjoy having a space where he could be himself without worrying what his father would think. On the other hand, he'd have to either recreate or go without his lab, and there's the question of if he would be able to keep the TFG and other alien or government tech if he moved out.

I'm pretty sure Grace would go or stay wherever Tedd went.

Anyone else have any thoughts? 

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Interesting. Yes, I can definitely see Nanase wanting to move out. I could see her rooming with Ellen, though one wonders if her mother would allow it. (One further wonders if Nanase would allow her mother to not allow it.)

It's also crucial to remember who has cars and who doesn't. As far as I can recall, the car-owners are: Elliot/Ellen (usually taken by Elliot), Justin, Susan, and Diane. That leaves Tedd, Grace, Sarah, and Nanase without. For them, living on or near campus would be much easier than commuting.

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Tedd's lab wouldn't be completely inaccessible if he got a dorm room, he'd still be able to head home on weekends.

When I went to undergrad, my mom was all in favor of my moving to the dorm, even though we got along great and lived in the same town as the university, because she felt the independence it would give was important.  I could definitely see Tedd's dad or pretty much any other parent in the series deciding that way.  But, since home was so close, I could pop back to visit, mostly on weekends, even shorter times if I just needed something from home.  It was kind of the best of both worlds.

So, if the college they end up going to is in Moperville or relatively close by, then Tedd could still work in his lab as needed, even if he mainly lived on campus.

Another one that might possibly be a useful scenario, in this case for Tedd and Grace, comes from my sister's college days.  She spent a good part of her undergrad living in the dorm of her college's science fiction club -- yes, her college was that cool, they had a sci-fi dorm!  She was assigned a double with another girl, and the other girl's boyfriend was assigned a single.  So, they swapped.  My sister got a single to herself for the price of a double, and the happy couple got to share the double.  I doubt that the college was actually completely oblivious to this swap, but no one ever kicked up a fuss about it, so they never had to take any official notice.  I can see Tedd pulling something like this, with the possible added bonus of being able to walk right through any girls-only areas that might still exist.

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There are still some schools, especially private schools, that require Freshmen to live in dormitories.  Even if the student has a residence near the campus.  Some of these schools even enforce this with after hours bed checks.

This is even more likely for students with certain (i.e. athletic) scholarships.

The rules can be different for older or married students, but that is not likely to be an issue for story purposes.

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On 1/28/2018 at 9:51 PM, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Will Elliot be stuck in Monty Hall all four years?

He should switch rooms each time; then he'll have a better chance of winning a car to get out.

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