Auburn University Top Questions

First and foremost, PLEASE visit the campus. Many of my friends picked a school based on it's reputation, family ties, or what they found from a website. Visiting the campus, taking the tour, and seeing other students during a typical school day makes all the difference in the world. If the students don't seem like you at all, you probably aren't going to be happy. For parents, you want to make sure the campus seems safe, and there is a strong feeling of community. My decision was so easy as soon as I took the campus tours.

visit all the colleges that you can

Make your own decisions.

The best advice I could give someone about choosing the correct college, is to make sure it makes you feel like you are at home. I would also make sure that the college you choose offers everything that you are looking for, and that you would expect out of your school. Things like housing, meal plans, and academic credibility. I believe that to make the best out of your college experience, you have to feel comfortable wherever you are.

Follow where your heart beats the fastest. You want to wake up every morning more excited to be at your college than the day before. Challenge yourself, but don't feel pressured to try to be someone you are not. Also, know that you are not taking your parents or friends and all their opinions with you to college. This is your time to shine and make the memories that you'll tell Your kids about someday. War Eagle!

The advice I would give parents and/or students about finding the right college would be to explore your options before making the decision. If there is a school you have always had in mind, do some research and college visits, because the college may or may not be to your liking. As far as making the most of your college experience, I would reccomend studying hard (especially in the first year) and trying hard to stay focused. It is so easy to get distracted when you get to college. The temptation to stray from one's studies is very strong. It is okay to enjoy college life to the fullest (parties, football games, etc.), but it is still best to prioritize for maximum success. Maintaining a steady GPA and a good social life is in my opinion one of the best and fulfilling ways to enjoy the college experience.

Try to find the school that fits the students lifestyle. Almost all colleges are great, but all are different. Also apy attention to what the school is known for. Auburn is an engineering school for example. For parents, ask your child questions to see what they are looking for and listen to them when they comment on the school, good or bad.

be sure that you like everything about the campus from the food choices, clothing stores, sports teams, weather, cost of apartments, hospitals in local area and how you feel. You may have your heart set on one place your whole life and you find out they dont have the major that you wanted and then what do you do?? amek sure you look around at everything!!!

My advice would be to always remain focused and don't allow your social life to get in the way of academics. It's ok to be social and entertain yourself, but always study first. Time management is very important as a college student. It is also important to develop good study habits. When searching for colleges, it is important to find a campus environment that best fits your personality. Attending a college that interest you and is really in your heart may cause you to work harder, stay focused, and be academically successful. Once time management is mastered, everything else will fall into place.

find a school that fits your needs not only in the classroom but also outside the classroom. if you are a social person who likes to be surronded with intelligent people, find a campus with strong academics but located in an area with options for things to do outside of class. look for strong student unions and diverse organizations. college is at least 4 years of your life. make sure its fulfilling in all ways possible, because you can't go back and do it all over again.

visit

Try to get your kids to live off-campus. The opportunities really open you up for so much more that you wouldn't get otherwise. The financial savings are tremendous, it keeps you out of trouble, and the studying is much better. Sometimes living in the dorm you need a place to run away to. You dont worry so much off-campus.

I would advise parents and/or students to first off look for a college that tends to put an emphasis on tradition. This seems to imply that academics are coveted. I believe you also need to consider distance; seeing the family during breaks can be very important. Also, an emphasis on core requirements in the curriculum should be addressed. I would advise parents and or students to research a few things such as: student-to-teacher ratio, area/campus safety, housing, and overall costs in relation to education quality; check out the school's national rankings (in fields of study) and compare the cost of attendance. The next phase of research might seem secondary but actually helps in overall wellness. Facilities such as the library, student activites centers, and student unions are very helpful in fufilling a college students overall experience. Next, I would advise them to look at the surrounding area (off-campus); is it conducive to living a domestic college life, while outside of the classroom? Lastly, you get out what you put in; and by that i mean get involved. It will keep you going and open you up to new ideas and potentially wise decisions.

No matter what, make sure the student truly feels at home when visiting the campus. If they feel at home, then they will truly love it. Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way because these days fly by before you know it.

Explore your options and don't totally depend on financial aid if your middle class. Your too "rich" to get any and to "poor" to afford tuition.

It always heps to have an idea of what your child wants to do. I believe it is never right to force a student into a major, I've changed my major 3 times because I wanted to please my mom. Now, I pay for college by myself, but I'm doing what makes me happy

Take a tour of the campus first. Once you found what your looking for in a college, get involved in different programs on campus. Create study groups for your classes, so you get to know people. Chances are you will have classes with them later or they have already had classes you will be taking, so they can tell which teachers to get or not to get. And attend all the home football games and at least one away game before you graduate.

First decide what you're interested in and visit schools that excel in that. Look at the curriculum and try to meet with your perspective advisor. Try to meet as much of the faculty during your visit. Ultimately you will make your decision on whichever school you feel fits you (of course that's assuming money isn't an issue). DO NOT decide to attend a school you have never visited.

Be serious about your college experience. When in college, you're training to be a professional. You should certainly have fun, but many people treat college as "13th grade". The emphasis should be placed on LEARNING not GRADUATING!

The best advice I would give is to follow your head and not your heart. Too often I hear of people going to a certain school because of a friend or significant other but don't consider that college may determine what they're going to do in life and that friend or signifcant other may not always be there.