California University of Pennsylvania Top Questions

If I were to go back in time to give my high school senior self advice I would tell myself to have patience. When I was a senior in high school I wanted so much to be out of there. I wanted to make friends and explore myself. I wanted to learn more about the world outside of my little country town. I got so caught up in trying to get out that I didn't take the time to appreciate my home town school and the people there. I would also give myself advice to not get so wraped up in all the drama that surrounded the high school social life. Thanks to friendly drama I lost a lot of people that were close to me my senior year and we never got the chance to make amends. I feel that I would have had a much more positive senior year experience if I had this advice from not only my older self, but from anyone.

Look for colleges that have what you are looking for in a degree, decided the size and location you are comfortable with and the distance from home, make friends with as many people as you can and get involved with things that you will enjoy doing.

Visit the campus ahead of time and trust your own instincts - does its environment match what you'd like to have your college experience be? I think a lot of students make the mistake of rushing into one program or another based upon others' opinions - trust yourself instead. Once you've found the right fit get as involved as possible. I've learned more from hands on projects with upperclassmen in my club than could ever be possible in a classroom.

I would tell parents and students when looking for the right college to factor in several things. Before visiting any campus' know abou the college academically, historically, and anything else you might want to know. Make a list of your favorites and plan to visit them. When arriving on campus first look at the it and be in love with it. Secondly, once in love with with the campus meet with the financial aid department and see how friendly and accessible they are. Next meet eith with academic advisors and see how accessible and friendly they are. These are the two most important offices on campus and you will wan to know wher they are and the people in the office. Next sit in on a couple of classes and make sure your learning style meshes with the teaching style and the settings of each classroom. After visiting all of your choices narrow it to three to five and apply to those choices. Your choice made be made for you if not accepted. If not you have a tough decision to make but ultimately you will be happy if you have completed the process previously mentioned and like your choices.

The advice that I would give parents and students would be to research the field of study they want to persue, and then choose a college based on that. When looking at colleges, my advice would be to talk to as many students as possible to determine their experiences at that college. To get the most out of their college experience, I would definitely advise that they make as many friends as possible, both in their classes and outside of them. If you do that, study groups can turn into your second family and you will create friends that will last forever. I would also suggest to get involved in as many activities as possible, and always support your school sports teams by attending any games you would be interested in. That way you will create a relationship with not only people, but will also have a passion for the place where you will be spending at least four years of your life.

I would look for a school that fits my academic and social needs. A place that is committed to the students first and foremost.

When making the decision of which college is best for you, there are several things to look at. First you want to know the area, such as city, woods etc. Also you want to look at housing. Living comfortably really helps when dealing with school work. Also look at the enrollment to see if the college is going to be too big , too small, or just right for your liking. Technology plays a huge part when attending college, so its always best to be sure the college is up-to-date with computers and internet access. I have a motto that I use while attending college - WORK BEFORE YOU PLAY. In the college atmosphere there are always many ways for one to lose their attention and easily become distracted. This motto works well. Do the work that you need to do before you get yourself involved in too many distractions. It's that simple and it works.

Go on tours of all the colleges you're interested in, and be sure to check out your major while you're there.

Choose the right college for you - think about size, location, and the programs it offers. Don't throw away other people's opinions of the schools in which you're interested, but keep in mind that your opinion is what matters most because this is about you and your growing experience. Be open to meeting anybody, because you never know who may impact your life or whose life you may impact. Most importantly, take your studies seriously because every piece of information given to you can be used in the most random and unexpected moments of your life.

Always look to see how academically they rank and how well open are the teachers are to helping students.