Asbury University Top Questions

find a place where God is!

To the student who is searching for the right school to attend, I would say only this: The college experience is what you make it. Find a school with an atmosphere you appreciate, a philosophy that will challenge (but not stifle) you, and a strong sense of community that will allow you to build lasting friendships. You can get an education anywhere, but friends are a special commodity, and they will benefit you even if your degree does not. They will help you learn and grow, both academically and as an individual, like a head full of facts never could. Together you can learn to think freely, and though free, critical thinking is a skill for which there is no degree, it is nonetheless essential to both the career you pursue, and to living a fulfilled and happy life. If you are challenged in your way of thinking by the school you attend, and if together with friends you fight not only to discover what you believe, but why you believe it, you will take more away from your college experience than any 4.0 GPA or business degree could ever give you.

While high school is where you gain valuable social experience and base knowledge to carry you through life, college is much more essential. College carries the weight of achievement, success and future prosperity. When selecting a college, keep in mind that this is an investment for the future more so than an expense. If the student knows wholeheartedly the field of profession they want to enter, choose the best financially feasible school for that program. This will give the highest chance for crafting their profession and leading in that industry. For the students who are unsure, lead them to a school with a wide variety of majors. That way, even if they decide to change majors, they will earn a good deal of experience along with the ability to branch out. Above all, the most important piece of advice would be to make sure the student is prepared for college. For some, college makes sense right out of high school while others may need to take a semester or two off before embarking on higher learning. Starting strong in college will lead to success down the road. Build a solid foundation for excellence and rewards will await at the end.

College is a very important step in both the lives of parents and students. Finding the right college is a very hard decision for some. There can be many pro's and con's at every college or university, so take the time to find the right one. My advice would be to sit down together as a family, and make a list of what you want in a college. Do you want to stay close to home? Do you want to go to a community college for general education, then transfer? Would you perfer smaller class sizes? These are things you have to think about when searching colleges. One important thing is to visit the colleges you have applied to, before finalizing your decision. You will be spending the next four years (or more) at the college you choose, so the atmosphere is important. Do not let the cost of any school detour you from applying. Financial aid is available, and the majority of students are paying for college with aid money. Enjoy college to the fullest, but do not waste your time or money by letting your studies go. These are the best four years of your life!

Choose carefully, and don't listen to Admissions officers who can't tell you the names of at least fifteen students around them in the cafeteria. Most admissions people will say anything to get your kid here. Get the real story from an honest student. if it sounds like you're talking to a brochure, you probably are.

Do as much research beforehand as possible, via phone and websites. If you know what you want to study, check to see how strong that department is at the school. If possible, find students there to talk to. Once you have narrowed your list down, go visit the college. I would personally put more weight on if the school has a strong program for my major than what it looks like, but it's great to go and visit the campus yourself. Talk to students around; visit various classes; eat in the cafeteria. Maybe even stay in the dorms a night. The best way to know if you'll like being a student there is to "be a student" for several days.

Decide what is most important to you. What do you want out of your college experience? make a list of your top choices and how they measure up to what you want.

I would certainly encourage parents and students to seriously consider the cost of education at a particular institution and the prospective ability to afford that cost. While student loans are available to help defray the costs of college, and diligent searching and applications can help generate substantial scholarship money, assuming debt through student loans should be very seriously weighed before loans are taken out. If receiving a comparable education at a cheaper institution is possible, that alternative merits strong examination. Another important factor to consider is the sense of community and collegiality present at any particular institution. While classroom learning is a valuable and vital component of a college education, the relationships and friendships formed during college are often more lasting that cerebral knowledge. Therefore, choosing a school that will both challenge and support you during your college experience is an important component of the selection process and the college experience.

It is my opinion that choosing a college is a different experience for every person. There is no set format that I could suggest using, for every college student's story is different. However, for me, my beliefs played a huge role in the choosing of my school. It was important to me that the place I spent the next four or so years of my life be a place where I could grow in my faith and spend quality time with people who shared many of my convictions. Academics influenced my decision. I wanted the place where I received my college degree to provide me with a quality education that would adequately prepare me for what follows my schooling. The social aspect of the college in question was important to me. I desired a place where I could make lasting and valuable friendships in a safe and enjoyable atmosphere. The college I now attend has all three of these qualities, and has exceeded my expectations. While I do not have a specific formula for choosing a college, I believe that finding what is important to you in a school is what will make or break your college experience.

Traditionally, the step into adulthood has been more defined. Unlike tribal-style initiations into new life stages, our society is void of any such distinguishing marks of an adult from an adolescent; thus college often fills this role. It is therefore crucial that college be viewed not simply as a place to prepare for a career, but a place to prepare for life. This brings many extra factors into play concerning which college one attends and how one treats their college experience, but a couple principles come readily to mind that should influence these concerns. One principle is character matters over ability. Choose a college where the experience supports growth in becoming a better person, not just a more skilled person; then, at every opportunity, take advantage of the situation to promote this growth. A second principle is relationship matters over money. My greatest education in college has come not from the classroom, as important as that is, but among my peers. How to value others, how to relate to difficult people, how to apologize ? major in these; they carry us much further than the money we can make. As students, we must choose to become adults, not just professionals.