Boston University Top Questions

For me, the most helpful step in choosing the right college was physically going to visit the campus. Every school sounds great on paper, but going there allows you to see how well they maintain the campus, what the students are like, and even sit in on a class if you would like. It allowed me to visualize my future at different prospective schools, and helped me to outweigh the pros and cons of attending each. Once I had decided on going to BU and had actually started my freshman year, i made sure to get out there and meet as many people as possible. I personally chose to do Army ROTC as an extra curricular activity, a decision that i stand by to this day. I have made life long friends along the way, and gained valuable advice from upperclassmen who i otherwise would not have gotten the chance to meet. The ROTC program also taught me valuable lessons such as time management and leadership skills, all of which have come in handy in my academic life. Bottom line, when you get to school, keep and open mind, be willing to try new things, and meet lots of people.

Visit the school. It's the only way to really get a feel for what's going on there. Speak to students and people who are studying what you intend to study. Take the temperature level of the passion with which people speak about their schools. The school you choose to be at for 4 years of higher education should be one that meets your standards and will keep you learning and happy. Learn all you can before making a decision and then jump into it full heartedly.

You have to find a college that has the environment you are looking for. It has to have the lifestyle you live or you won't be happy. For some people, it's harder to make friends. Then you want to be around a smaller campus where activites are more conducive to making friends. But no matter where you find of yourself, you have to make the most of what you have. Each campus offers so many activities for you to get involved in it. Get involved. Join clubs. Do volunteer work. Get to know your professors and your RA's. Get to know the people who work for you. Take advantage of every resource available. Go to tutors. Go to seminars they offer for free. Go to programs that the Students specially arrange for other students. Explor your campus, your options and everything outside of school to really be independent and to understand that you are taking full responsibility of the freedom you have.

try not to get too stressed out and take it one step at a time

I think the most important thing about going to the right college is to have an open mind and to not be afraid to explore. If you do both of those things, you will find a new home in the strangest (a best) of places.

Go with your gut. It may seem cheesy, but I think it's true. Only you know what's right for you, and you should give yourself the credit and trust that you know what the answer is. Find a place that fits you academically, socially, and spritually--don't pick a school that has one really great side to it simply because you think that's what's most important to you. Without a health combination and balance of all the significant aspects of college life, you'll find yourself seriously disappointed and unhappy. Trust yourself.

Go to visit the campus before you choose to attend, that really helps you determine whether you will enjoy the environment or not. Also, you should do more research about the programs that you are interested in, learn more about the activities and career opportunities they offer, and learn about whether the students who graduated from this college are happy with their current jobs or not.

The phrase, college experience, has the word "experience" in it which is what you need to do--experience the school for yourself. By all means, take a tour but that only shows you the facade of the school. Talk to an upperclassman, get their feedback, learn from their mistakes. Get a feel for lectures by sitting in on one and talk to the professor afterwards to get his/her point of view. See if you can look into a dorm room to get the feel for where you may potentially be living for an academic year. Walk around campus to see what there is to do and stop a student on the street to find out what students do for fun on the weekends (if your school is as friendly as Boston University, then that student you stop on the street will be happy to help). See if you feel comfortable in the atmosphere. Parents, see what the tuition is like, what kind of financial aid is available so that you can do your part to help your son/daughter go to the university of their dreams. First experiences are key for a good collegiate life--don't hold back.

Seize the opportunity to experience something new and exciting. For some, that will mean going a long way from home to study; for others, it will mean staying close, but becoming involved with groups completely different than they ran with for the past 18 years or taking courses in subjects that sound fascinating but perhaps get them no closer to graduation. Have an honest discussion about what an acceptable level of debt would be after graduation, because the last thing you'll want is to feel trapped by the baggage with which your education saddled you. Once there, try not to be afraid to admit that something isn't working, whether it's a course, your major, your social life, the climate, the surrounding area, the feel of the institution itself, or anything else, either. You're the only one who knows whether there's a problem, and anyone who thinks less of you for not having "made something work in spite of it all" holds an opinion not worth paying any consideration. This experience is about you and no one else, and the sooner you come to terms with that, the better off you'll be.

Visit the campuses - you'll know when you feel it!

Think about your expected major and career plans and evaluate what programs the school has to offer to make sure that particular college or university is the correct fit for you. You should not pick a college based on low tuition bill or geographic location, although those are definitely factors to be considered. The area around campus is definitely important, as often that is where you will want to spend your free time and you need to make sure there are activities there you want to do. If you love culture, don't pick a college in a "college town" and focus on one in a major geographic area, because the quality of entertainment will be much better. The best way to make the most of the college experience is actually to put a lot of time into your preparation: read about the adjustment to college from high school, plan out your courses, read the textbooks and lecture notes before class if possible so that you know what your professors are talking about. Making the most of college involves really being in college mentally and physically and yes, stress every little detail.

Choosing the right college can be a difficult experience as well as adjusting to the first semester. I would encourage the students to look within themselves and see what they have to offer to that particular field of their interest. Sometimes, the students don't always know what they want to do in their life. It's o.k. to visit colleges, talk to teachers, advisors and other professionals about career goals. It's good for them to volunteer in order to gain skills, but also to know their strenght and their weakness. By knowing their limits, the students could develop in any circumstance. Then search for a school that has the best to offer in that field. If in doubt about their college choice, they can make arrangement to attend a class in that school for one day. The key to success is to ask questions, but to also look for the anwers. Do the all the assignments regardless if the Professors make themselves available or not. Learn to communicate with difficult instructors by humbling, but most of all the tudents need to learn how to balence their schedule with work, activities, school work, family and friend.

The best advice I could give is to keep an open mind. The one thing I knew was that I didn't want to go to school in Boston, but when my mom suggested I give it a shot, I kept an open mind and as soon as I walked onto Boston University's campus, I loved the location, the campus, the students. It's also important to (generally) find a good liberal arts college since most students, including me, change their major a couple times and it's important to go to a school that has a good program in just about everything. When looking at colleges, really trust your gut feelings about the school. This will help you end up at school you love where you really can be happy and make the most of your college experience.

After transferring from the University of British Columbia to Boston University last fall, I realized that it is not always up to the university environment to make a student happy. I think that there are many "right" universities for every given student, and what students and parents should remember is that in the long run, the student is getting a thorough education and being prepared for the future. To make most out of the college experience, I would like to give three points of advice. First, get to know your campus. Walk around when you have some spare time and find little niches that make your large campus feel like home. Second, remember that you have the power to choose your academic path. Do not let other people force you into studying something that you are not passionate about. And third, remember that you are responsible for your own happiness. When I first came to Boston I felt very lost and alone, but after spending more time on campus I felt part of a community and I forced myself to make new friends. It was up to me to make a better experience for myself at Boston University.

I can honestly say that I did not take the college application process as seriously as I should have. There is a lot of paperwork and it all seemed like too much. But it does matter. A student should take their time to really research colleges and find the ones they want to apply to. You should first decide how big or how small of a school you want to attend. BU is a large school, and there is really no close knit 'campus'; however, a big city school was exactly what I wanted. I got lucky and found 'my people' my first year here. You also want to look at 'where' you want to go to school: warm weather, cold weather, a big city, small suburban area, etc. You want to look at what you want to major in, and decide based on the programs they offer for that. Money is a hug factor as well. You want a school that will offer financial aid packages with grants and scholarships. It's going to be hard to start paying loans after college.

Don't pick a college by a major. The college should have the major you are interested in but don't always look for the best program. You will be happy if you answer te big questions first. Do I want to be close or far from home? Then decide if you want a city school or rural campus. After that, it's how big. Do I want to know everyone or see different people all the time? Then go to those schools and see if you like the people there. You don't want to end up at a really liberal diverse campus just because it fits all the other criteria if you are really conservative and wouldn't adjust well.

look in to financial information programs.

To really take the time to learn about the colleges they apply to.

know that your education is worth all the money in the world, and that financial aid is possibly the greatest thing on earth.

Be Socratic in your college search: know yourself. Determine your core preferences, such as what type of environment makes you happy, then use that knowledge to pinpoint several schools that match your personality. Don't apply to a school unless you can truly see yourself living and thriving there; if you use a school's rank or reputation alone to decide, you may ultimately end up unhappy. After all, you want to choose a place where you can be comfortable enough to have many personality-expanding experiences. At college, the best thing you can do to combat homesickness or nerves is to throw yourself into the swing of things. Don't overload yourself with coursework and activities, but stay quite busy. This should give you a sense of belonging more quickly. No matter what you choose to participate in, bring some love to it. People want to meet people who have positive energy to give...so don't be afraid to smile. If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, use your school's resources to help get you back on track. Never hesitate to ask for help. Finally, have fun! Allow yourself to enjoy the craziness that college often provides.