California State University-Northridge Top Questions

Make sure your child knows what he or she wants to do in life before settling to any college!

Going to the college and getting a sense of the atmostphere will give you a real grip on how the campus runs and the students. Go to a class and see how a teacher conducts a typical class in your major. Speak to a student and ask them first had on how their expericene is. Knowing what you want in a school will allow you to rule out one once you've been there. Experience the lifestyle of a student first hand is the only way to really grasp the expericene that school will have. Get involved with campus activities and allow yourself to be open.

Make sure you know the school, make sure they tell you everything you need to know. Because time and money you can never get back

During the college search, it is important to focus not only on the future situation of the student, but on the current life as well. Not all students are meant for large, prestigious universities during their undergraduate years - this does not mean they are entitled to any less of an education or will not desire the larger universities in the future. Undecided students in particular should look for a school where they will be comfortable, and where they can have personal interaction with their professors, who can be the best resources a student will ever have. For students, meet with your professors often, even when do not believe you need to. Make friends and create study groups. Do not be afraid to speak up in class and argue your opinions, even if you are in the minority. When all else fails, take time off if necessary. It is better to take time and be sure you are where you want to be than to wind up with a degree you will never use.

First of all, I would tell parents to allow their child to choose the school that is right for them. Do not try to persuade them to go to a school that you like because if they do not like that choice they will deeply regret their decision and may resent you as a parent. To the students like I said choose a school that is right for YOU! Make sure you look into majors and housing and so forth. Once you find the right one all I can say is get involved! Join clubs, sports teams, fraternities, sororities. Join anything that interests you and that will make your college experience great!

The advice I would give to parents and or students about finding the right college is to go on college tours, get information and booklets sent to your house, ask students on campus their opinions on the school and to attend different school events that may be held on campus to get a feel for it.

When picking a college, take your time and consider finances, living situatons, and possible majors. You definitely want to take all of these into consideration because you don't want to have to deal with transferring schools because it is really inconvenient and difficult. As a freshmen in college, especially if the school is far from home, it would be helpful to join clubs or a sorority/fraternity to meet new people.

Have fun!

Parents and future college students should select a college based on their interests and research on what school best accommodates their needs. Although some schools may be more expensive, the cost may be worth it if the program is best suited for the student. Research all factors taht may affect your choice in schools and research the many options of financial aid that are available. It is best to pick a school with a good support staff. People who care about your success and are helpful in pointing you in the right direction are priceless. Above all, choose the best school that you feel you can be proud of and that will challenge you to be the best you can be.

It is important for students to truly know what they want to do with their lives. In most cases there are endless pressures for students in high school to succeed academically and enter immediately into college enabling the immediate facilitation of job placement upon graduation. Students who are eighteen years of age barely know themselves enough to determine what they wish to do with their lives and where their ambitions are. I recommend travel after high school, whether for the summer following graduation or even for a semester, possible even an entire year, until students are ready for the growth that college can offer. This allows students to better know themselves away from the societal influences of parents and friends that they have been conditioned with since early childhood. Travel always inspires personal growth, and personal growth is really what college magnifies for the student. Students who clearly know what they want from life will excel in college more efficiently then students who dont. College is deterministic, and sets our lives and our careers in motion. When students truly know what it is that they want from life, then they can fully take advantage of what college can offer them.