DePaul University Top Questions

What should every freshman at DePaul University know before they start?

Elizabeth

Follow your heart. If it turns out that your choice was not the best choice of school for you do not sweat. You can always transfer it is just the beginning you are nowhere near the end.

Katherine

I would highly reccomend exploring options. Although it is easy to get distracted by a "dream school" or first choice school; it may always not be as wonderful as you had imagined. Take into consideration the class sizes, the surrounding enviornment, the facilties, and the reputation of the advisors. A school with friendly advisors and helpful faculty who truly care about you, will take the time to talk to you right then and there. I would also reccomend browsing your school choices' websites and briefing the syllabi for the courses you are interested in taking. This is a great way to get to know the expecations of most courses and the kind of material load you will be facing. I would also reccomend visiting each campus for more than one day and talking with current students (overcome your fear of being judged, etc) about their life there. Don't forget, if you get there and decide its not for you, whether you have been there a year or three, you can always transfer and take comfort in the fact that you learned something from the expierance.

Christine

Visit

Traci

Follow your heart.

Patrick

I belive from my experience that the best way to find the correct college is to start looking at colleges early and take trips to visit your potential colleges so that you can get a feel for what the college is really. Another important thing to do is to contact the school and find out about financial aid and other funds available for your student. The best way to make the most out of your college experience is to just get out and get involved in your school and see what it has to offer for you. The only way to make the most out of college is if you get out and try to succed.

Melissa

I would say make sure you know as much as possible of the school you are intereseted. Find a place that fits your lifestyle and interests. Speak to students about their experiances. Tour the surrounding area of the school so if you chose to go their you know where to go. Keep yourself active and participate in different activities there are many to chose from and it is a great way to meet new people and feel part of the school. Parents should make sure their child feels safe and is liking the school if he/she is not look for a school that he/she will like and feels safe in. Be social there are so many people to meet ive made some of the best friends in college and we help each other out. Study groups are very helpful. Be open-minded and ready to meet, do, and experiance new things.

Robert

Do what you feel is right, most of the time you will chose the right path. Go with what makes your kids happy.

Drakia

It is very important that the student consider the school and how recognized they are in the student's program of choice. If the student is unsure of their major, it is essential that they select a university that offers a wide varity of options. Although socail life is something to consider, attending an institution because your friends are or because it has a good social scene is imprudent on the part of the student. They must ensure that this university can accomodate not only their educational, but career preparation needs as well. One thing I would encourage a student to investigate the most is the success rates of people who grauate from their programs. Even more so, does this institutio provide you with a location cohesive to your major? Are you surounded by the nationally recognized hospitals that provide internship opportunities for medicine majors? Are you surrounded by Corporate Real Estate Law firms and Companies if you are studying Real Estate? College is not solely for the purposes of education in the classroom, but outside, too. Can you leave campus and get hands on experience in your field? Or will you graduate college with a degree and nothing more.

Andrew

After narrowing down the selection by location, major, and all other requirements that need to be met to be your potential school, you must make a visit to the university. By doing so, you can browse the campus and see if it's a good fit for you, but more importantly, you can see the student body and talk to people about their experience at the university. The student body is the best measure of whether you would feel comfortable at the university or not. When you look around, do you see people that you can associate with? Can you see yourself feeling at home in this environment? The answers to these questions will determine how happy you will be and whether the school is a good match for you. So to make sure you are choosing the right college for yourself, talk to the students that go there! Don't base everything off of the statistics that collegeboard gives you. To get an accurate picture of the place you are entrusting yourself with to enjoy the next four years of your life, you just have to talk with the people of that community.

Mikahl

It is important to have an open mind while applying to schools. There are a ton of colleges and universities out there, each with numerous opportunities. A student should choose the schools they want to apply to based on how well that school fits them, i.e. their personality and personal aspirations. Every school has its pros and its cons, finding perfection is impossible. I suggest forgetting all about surveys that rank the top colleges. It is better to find the best schools by actually visiting campuses, or reading schools' websites to see if the classes and activities that school offers are right for you. The most important thing to do in order to feel successful about your choice and your time at any school is to make sure you know about all the opportunities your school makes available to you. Then, challenge yourself to take advantage of all these opportunities, and everything else your school has to offer. As long as you surround yourself with things that interest you, and activities that will help you accomplish your personal goals, you will effortlessly meet new people and start to create a comfortable niche for yourself.