Clemson University Top Questions

When you arrive at the correct school for you or your child, you all will know. When I came to Clemson for the first time, I took a campus tour in the pouring rain. In spite of the weather, I fell in love. My Mom told me that if I can love a place when it's raining, I will love it even more when it's sunny. From that day on, I knew Clemson was where I was meant to be. To make the most out of the college experience, I think it is important to get involved on campus. By doing so, you are able to meet and learn from many different kinds of people. It is also important to never take a single day for granted because college is supposed to be the best four years of a person's life!

Make sure you spend some time at the college, find out what type of people are there, what the rules and regulations are for class and campus living, and look at the dorm living.

A great deal of research is necessary before you plan to attend any college. You do not want to waste your precious time studying in a college and in a major which you don't like. Get the brochures, make a visit to the college and talk to the students and faculty there, to get a vast idea about the college(or difference of opinion ;) ) Do this at least 6 months before you finish your high school graduation. Thanks! -Divina Varghese

Parents, don't crash-visit your child on his/her 21st birthday. If you've done your job before that then the student will be fine without you. Football is fun, but marching band just isn't the same as it was in high school. Don't go to school to close to home. Live on campus as a Freshman.

Go where feel rights to you not your family

Take as many college tours as possible

In this age of very expensive schools and competitive job markets, I am of the impression that you can make the most out of your education wherever you are. ON the one hand, expensive private schools looks good on applications for jobs and can help you to furthers your career, but those schools are easier to get lost in. I would agrue that it may be better to excell and shine in a not as great school, then to be average in a good school. I now attend Duke University for graduate school, and I got here from an average schooopl, by taking advantage of all opportunities available to me outside of the classroom and getting noticed. I am glad that I chose to go to a less prestigious school, because it got me to a better place than I might have otherwise. You can't put a proce tag on a school, you need to go somewhere you can be happy and figure yourself out, while still getting an affordable education with opportunites to succeed after graduation. You can get a good education almost anywhere, depending on how hard you are willing to work. Good Luck!

I would tell them to find a college where they feel that they will not only get a good education for the field they are interested in, but also choose one at which they think they will be happy. If a student is lonely, or feels too pressured, their well-being begins to impact their studies and their emotional health. A lot of students overlook emotional health as a large factor in acedemic success, and end up in trouble at some point. I would also tell them to be open-minded to different peoples on campus, and make lots of friends, because you never know which of your acquaintances will be useful during a really hard homework set.

Finding the right college is all about finding a place you feel you'll fit in. Talk to the students and teachers about what happens at the school during classes and on the weekends. Find out what the students are like. Stay the night in a dorm, a little later in the semester (if it's fall), so you can see what the dorm life is like. Take a tour of the school, and most importantly, while on the tour make sure to relate everything you see (classrooms, dining halls, sports facilities) back to where the potential dorm you'll be living in is located. If you know you'll want to be focusing on your school work, make sure you find a school with an environment that will encourage that. If you want to focus on your social life, then don't worry about finding a school with a strict academic enviornment. If you can't find a student who doesn't love the school, then you're probably in the right place. AKA Clemson University.

I would say that parent helping their children is a must. The whole process is can be very overwhelming when attempted by oneself. Since there are so many colleges to choose from, I suggest the student take some time and serously reflect on his/her personality, likes/dislikes, and vision for the future. Afterwards, he/she should make a list of 5 or 6 characteristics that he/she desires in a school and would not happy without. This part should be done independently from the parents so that the student does not confound their desires with that of their parents. The students and parents do need to sit down together though when it comes to identifying financial capacity of the family. The final decision should not be made until a campus visit has been done. This is extremely important because all colleges try to sell themselves on paper/internet ads - you need be in the presence of the campus facilities and administration in order to make the most informed decision. Lastly, be positive! Realize that attitude is more than half the battle. Make a decision and go with it :)