The use of "college" VS "school"

In the interests of furthering my proficiency in communication, I shall blog despite the relatively high opportunity costs of doing so. This is a result of the influx of prelims results slowly unveiling itself before my very eyes. From the markers' comments, I do not have a problem with my writing:

D. Chua: "You write with economy and accuracy"
Dio: "Strongly put across"
Whitby: "Simultaneously analytical and responsive"; "You take a very strong negative stand on A but you do argue your case" (sidenote: Weren't we required to argue how our responses are shaped by the poems? I think Sylvia Plath is psychotic and a negligent mother - so there!)

Yet I do have a problem with coherence:

D. Chua: "May I invite you to also ensure that the argument flows from one point/paragraph to the next?"; "Work on showing how all the observations made add up to an overall meaning/significance"
Dio: "...relevant examples but nothing to tie everything together. This reads like a collection of observations."

I wanted to get a bit on foresight on how exactly brilliant authors of literature create a cohesive piece of work, so I almost purchased copies of Vintage classics. However, I was put off by the price: why pay for something you can get free? I fully intend to get my money's worth out of the public library before I am obliged for taxation yet too busy to read.

On an another note, I received a mailer from Columbia University. It was exhilarating, the thought of being an "Aspiring Columbian". I must be one, since they addressed me as such. Unless the letter wasn't meant for me, and might have instead been intended for another of my family members - which is highly unlikely of course, seeing how my name (though surname and first name swapped) was printed on the envelope. I browsed the catalogue trumpeting the school's various achievements, and am now highly motivated. Come on, the Gyllenhaal siblings went there. Maggie Gyllenhaal got a B.A. in English and Jake... well, he dropped out. But that is of little consequence to the Eau De Celebrity that has infused into the campus, I am sure. (Omg Spiderman!)

Whenever I think of Columbia University, I think of Spiderman. Then I think of that cute, happy scene where he jauntily trots in the city where Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head plays. Aww!

Also, since we're on a college-related issue, I have a pet peeve with people saying 'college' when the word 'school' would work so much better.

E.g. "Oh, I need to go to college to get my file; I forgot it."

I think it's so utterly pretentious to say "college" when "school" would do just fine. The only time I think it is relevant for people to differentiate educational institutes according to their segregations (which are distinguished by the level of academic prowess, clearly) is when people are trying to make a point about the particular educational institute.

"I want to go to uni/JC/poly in the future."
"JC/poly life sucks man, I wish I could be in poly/JC."

Really, is there a need to say 'college' to emphasise the fact that you belong to the academic cream of the crop in the country? I'm saying that people who use 'college' are pretentious and show-offy, because you don't hear poly students or even university students say "I need to go to poly/uni to do some work". Therefore, I think there is some kind of conceit involved when junior college students opt to use 'college' instead of 'school'.

Anyway it just sounds retarded. Everyone has been saying 'school' for the past ten to thirteen years, (When you were a mere child, your mother didn't tell you "Aren't you excited to go to nursery?!" She made you feel like a grown-up by saying "Now you're big enough to go to school!") so why try to be different now? It's so poseur. Ugh.