College of Charleston Top Questions

I'd tell them to start looking early. To find a place where they can see themselves living for the next four years. To look into the types of extracuricular activitys the college offers. And to fill out every single scholarship they can, because every little bit helps.

Visit as many schools as possible. Talk to as many students as possible. Know what you want out of your college experience but be open to changing those views.

Of course the first step to making the most out of the college experience is finding a college specializing in fields of interest, but the most important aspect of college is being open to new things. Experience and trying new things are the best ways of determining how one desires to live out life. Students should join at least two on-campus clubs or organizations to feel apart of the school and connected with a social life. This gives more opportunities to meet people, a drive for working hard in school, days to look forward to, and also a stress outlet. I would also recommend moving, because it forces the student to be open, make new relationships and understand life for themselves. Culture shock can bring new melancholy feelings but helps people grow and learn immensely. I recommend seeing the sights and doing all the regional tourist activities offered because even this small travel opens many doors, helps better understand different people and encourages learning. All in all, the most important way to being emotionally and physically successful in college is staying positive. Being positive is the easiest way of getting through the difficult parts of life.

Do not stress out about trying to find a school and completing the application process. The right school for you will choose you if you fit with their curriculum and difficulty level. Overall you need to be involved in the campus; you will make lifelong friends and establish relationships and networks with those who have similar interests. College is supposed to be on of the best times of your life, so make the most of it and get out there and learn!

To find the right college: do not go where your parents went to school, do not go where your friends are going, do not be scared to go out into the world and discover who you are. Trust yourself enough to make a good decision for your future. Choosing where to go to school will shape the direction of your life, so be bold and dream big. Do not be afraid of student loans, you are lucky to have the opportunity to go to school. Education will be your freedom. If you can find what you love to do and then make a living out of that passion, you will be one of the lucky ones- a person who knows what they want out of life. So find what you love, love what you do and change the world. To make the most out of your college experience, try everything; take a class you know nothing about, make friends with someone you normally would not, discover who you really are how you can make an impact. My advice would be to let go of everything you think you know, and learn everything you can.

My advice to parents with students about to start college would be simple. Let your student make the choice. Even if you think it is a bad one. They will either eventually realize you were right, or it will end up having not been a bad choice at all. The worst thing you can do is try to limit you student, even through good intentions. My advice to students about to start college, don?t worry about it. Any college is the right choice, as long as you are willing to put yourself out there and make friends. You must also be willing to make mistakes, because you are going to make a lot of them. However, often making mistakes is much more fun than not making a mistake!

I would give the same advice I was given and that is never let price choose where you go to college. There is financial aid out there. Also make sure in your choice you think about location including if it is a city or rural area, weather patterns etc. Housing should be considered, in the sense if you want to live on or off campus and if you have that option. One other thing to consider is if the school is right for your career and major choice. There are of course other things to consider like school size; close knit buildings or spread out over the city, class size, teacher to student ratio but the forementioned were pretty important to me in my decision. I loved the idea of being near the ocean and that my school had very good science departments.

To pick a school that you are comfortable with the amount of students that will be in your class. If you learn better in smaller classes go to a smaller school for example. Pick a college that is in a town you feel comfortable to live in. Try to get as many scholarships as possible.

Be sure to visit all of the types of colleges you are looking at and visit a variety of every type of school. I visited numerous schools when I was applying and talked to students and counselors while I was there to get the best feel for the school. It is important to find out as much information as you can about the schools you apply to so you can make the best educated decision as to which school to ultimately choose. It is also important to apply to as many schools as possible so that you have many options if you do not get into your first choice. Also a great help to me were the college match up quizzes that you can take on many websites including www.cfnc.org. The best advice anyone can get when applying to colleges is just to get as much information and experience at the schools as possible.

After taking classes on three different campuses, I tell anyone who will listen the importance of being flexible and having fun. College is an amazing time of growth and discovery and students as well as parents need to relax and enjoy themselves. I recommend living on campus and trying to be as involved as possible. There is cool stuff to do, but it can't come to you so get out there and try new things. I would remind parents to be supportive and understand that your student may be under some stress during their college years. Don't try to fix their problems, just listen and offer advice. Parents, also remember how you were back in college and try not to smother your student, you both need this newfound freedom whether you know it or not!