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!