Berea College Top Questions

My advice for both students and parents when finding the right college is to go with your gut. Unless its unreasonable financially, the gut instinct is more likely the school students will enjoy and the parents will support the most. When it comes to making the most of the college experience, do not give up when it gets tough. The college transition may not be too difficult academically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, it can be rough. This is the time you have to put yourself first, and make your decisions based on whats best for you. Besides that, have a good time, focus the most on classes, and be happy!

In order to find the right college, you definitely need to visit the campus and maybe even talk to the students there. There's no way of knowing for sure if it's the right school for you until you actually start. If not, you're free to transfer. Before deciding to transfer though, you need to get involved. Participate in clubs, groups, sports, intramurals or anything else the campus offers. It's easier to find and make friends that will make your experience at school a lot better. If you don't get out and meet people, you will be miserable. Be yourself but make sure you reach out. Make sure you have fun, but also be sure to spend plenty of time studying and doing homework. That is what you're there for. :)

With parents and students about finiding the right choices, i would say that it is important to find someone who is attending or has attended the school to give you a precise idea of what the school is about and what to expect. Look for schools that will describe everything to you good and the not so great.

Follow your instincts. If the college if far away from home just remember that if you are really family oriented you won't get to see your family that often. Really look at the programs offered at the college and don't expect to graduate with the major that you started with, that rarely happens. Get invovled while at college, don't party until the wee hours of the morning and stay away from those people who know will get you into trouble. There will always be someone and it could even be your bestfriend that wants to do something that isn't right. Don't follow the crowd, make your own statement.

Choose on you see yourself in. Do campus visits, it helps choosing the college you want to go to.

To all the parents and students steeped within the throws of selecting the right college: examine yourself. Take inventory of values that are uncompromising to your character. Know your goals and where you eventually want to be in life, whether it is a career or just a feeling. Do you want to impact the world or be the first one in your family to write a best selling novel? Then, find a college or university that embodies your mission and will help you along your way to accomplishing your goals. In this way, you can be sure that as you grow and change, the college or institution you have chosen will provide an atmosphere that will be advantageous to molding you in the fashion of your dreams.

My advice to find the college right for you would be to find a school that has caring professors. If the professor cares about the success of the student, it drives the student to succeed. The school I attended has amazing professors and several of my former classmates agree that the professor makes all the difference, not only in success, but in enjoying the classes and really learning about the subject. When the professor is excited about teaching, it makes the students excited about learning. The way in which the class material is presented can make the difference in whether a student "survives" college or makes the most of it. Caring professors are also great resources to find successful post-college avenues; they may know someone in the chosen field or be a contact person for an internship. Small schools are usually the way to go if you want this one on one connection. Though there may be a sacrifice of the expensive, state of the art facilities and certain programs that only large schools have, it is worth it to have the support you need right there in the classroom and make college the experience of a lifetime.

I think a student should inconspicuously put their parent's advice aside and establish the true reason which they desire to pursue a college degree. Every parent wants what, in their mind, is the best for their son/daughter, but their ideas of what is best is often subject to extreme biased and favored beliefs which they have established on their own. I believe that happiness is the drive behind every student's desire for higher education, therefore a student needs to first off establish what they feel would inevitably make them happy. Once this is established, the student should begin their quest to recognize institutions which offer degrees and/or programs which embrace the field of study that they desire to pursue. The student should then itemize the institutions they have selected, and begin weighing the pros and the cons from each individual institution. The pros and cons from each institution will mostly balance out, but depending on the degree a student wishes to pursue, there will ultimately be around three or four which clearly stand out. Apply to them all, tour them all, and experience them all. Pictures do no justification to what an institution has to offer.

Just have fun and make the best out of every situation. If you dont get into the school you really want dont worry bout it because you will have a better time at the one you do end up going to.

Visit the school before making an actually decision.

I would tell parents and students to first narrow down their choices. When they have decided on several colleges, they should visit the campus to see exactly what type of atmosphere would work best for the student during their college career. To make the most out of the college experience, the student should work on time management. It is necessary to balance work with studying, all the while making time for relaxing and social activities.

Try and have an idea of what you want before you go; it makes it easier once you're there. The internet is an invaluable resource for finding schools. Be sure to contact the professors there and visit the campus to get a good idea of whether or not you really like the college.

Look around at all colleges avaiable that offer what you are seeking. Compare them and decide what you belive is the best college. Don't base everything on getting in to that college though. Leave yourself room to maneuver, so that you will not have to make hasty sudden changes at the last minute if you dont get accepted at a certain college. Once you get to college, dont slack off. Take your classes and work seriously. But also dont hole up in your room and be anti-social. Get out there and make some friends. They will probably last a lifetime. If your interested in a sport or club, go for it, thats a great way to make friends, and it can help you out with your future career. Enjoy your college life, because it will be over before you know it and you'll miss it.

Make sure that this is the college for your sons or daugters

When looking for a college that is good for a student the student should try to contact the professors in the field they wish to study in. With this information a student would be able to find the area that best suites them without the advertising or the deception that colleges sometimes attempt to enact in. Colleges seem to prefer fluff over function, advertising "This college is great, the professors are great" when in reality the people writing those advertisements do not seem to speak to the professors or the current students, only caring about putting money in their pocket, whether it be through research for big universities or through attendance and donations for smaller colleges. Speaking with the professors in the field of study will allow the student to also find out if they really wish to engage in that study.

Talk to as many students as you can, and I'm not talking about the ones that work in the admissions office of the ones living there in the summer. They are just happy to be where they are. If you want the real scoop talk to the students that aren't stuck there or working for the college. And research financial aid well, just because you didn't get a scholarship to your school of choice doesn't mean that you can't swing going there.

If your looking for the right college you have to know yourself or your child. College is something that no one is really prepared for as it is a different type of lifestyle. By knowing what academic pressure you can handle, as well as finanial assistance you need will help you decide which college is the best option for you. College is a place where someone is when someone leaves the house of their parents (on usual circumstances) and finds themselves, as they are now on their own and able to make their own choices. To do that, you have to select a school that you feel you will most feel at home at. Check out multiple colleges, and make campus visits, a walk through campus and conversations with students can tell you the most about an institution, and if it is right for you.

GREAT

My advice is find what is right for you. Find the place that has your major. Be careful and try not to get in over your head with too many outside activities. Focus on your studies. Have fun and dont stress too much. Love what you are going to school for, make sure it is something you are passionate about. Dont jump into a loan without reading the fine print. Having a roommate is awesome. Be yourself and make the most out of any situation. And things usually seem harder than they really are. So dont stress, love yourself, and be yourself. Everything else should fall into place.

Don't get blinded by the money being offered to you, chances are there is some catch that will catch you off gaurd and hurt your plans.