Drexel University Top Questions

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

Dianne

First of all, money is not everything. I know it complicates things and is a concern, but attending the best program for your career and getting the grades is the most important thing. If you do that, you will get a job that allows you to pay off all those loans. The most crucial advice I can give is that students need to push themselves and challenge themselves! Choose a school that allows you to be challenged, you will enjoy it so much more and be a better person for it. Boredom is the enemy of any student. An "easy A" can quickly change to a failure from boredom and complacency. A school with a semi-flexible curriculum that allows students to challenge themselves within their field can be so much more rewarding. You are going to pay a lot of money for these years of education. Don't waste it. Learn all you can, while you can and never stop learning, in college and in life.

Gloria

Look into the campus life and environment and try to picture yourself in that setting.

Jessica

Don't let your children go to Drexel unless they really understand the term system. It is really hard to get used to the pace. Everything flys by fast and you have to stay on top of the course work.

Elizabeth

The most important advice I would give to anyone seeking a college where they will be happy is that this time is a jumping-off point for the rest of one's life. Rather than comparing it to what experiences you might have had in the past, including your upbringing and high school experience, think instead of what you want for the future. Not only must one think about what they want in their career, but in the kind of people you will befriend and in the person you want to become. It is easy to get caught up in your superfluous wishes in what one wants in a college, but it takes a more thorough search to discover what deeper knowledge you will learn there. Also ask what makes one college different from others. If it is a place that gives you a distinct image, then it will also impress you in a unique way during your time there. Above all, make the decision for yourself. As much as other students and critics have some opinions, it is your own viewpoint that will most form your experience.

Nupur

Although you may not get into your first choice school, everything happens for a reason. Make sure to make the best of the school you do choose to attend, involving yourself both within campus activities and clubs and also outside of campus, in a workplace, for example. These are the best years of your life, the time you have to find yourself before selling your soul to a graduate school and then afterward , the workplace. This is the time to sleep in, stay out late, party like you're on spring break, because after this you're too old for everything.

Jordan

The college experiance involves not just academia, but also a broadening of social values and experiances. When choosing a college it is best not to focus completely on one to the extent that the other slides out of focus. An engineering school may have an excellent chance of you graduating early and getting a competative edge in the job market, but you will be miserable there if you don't enjoy Texas Instruments as much as your peers do. Always keep your interests at heart to ensure you do not end up as one of the many dispaced students floating about struggling to figure out why they don't fit in. Conversely, don't join a school only known for it's parties. A party is only fun for a couple of hours, which is why they only last that long. You will quickly become a profoundly bored alchoholic if there is nothing intellectually stimulating about your school of choice.

Ramen

Make sure the university takes a huge part in understanding how the student feels and that they will do everything they can to help the student when they are in need.

Chris

Visit the campus if possible, talk to students who will be in your major who are not part of the honors program, and who are not your tour guides or your tour guides' friends.

Tony

When looking for the "right" college, first understand what the student wants to do when they graduate. If they don't know, make sure they go to a larger univeristy with many options. But if they are looking for something specific from their college, then the oportunities available in that field should be your determining factor. Also, You done have to go to a top 'party school' to have a LOT of fun; its college, your going to have fun!

Julie

Finding the right college is all about you: what you want out of life, and how likely it is that that will change. Many people go into college not knowing exactly what they want to do, or not feeling certain about their decision. This is why it is important to consider what you might do if your chosen major doesn't work out: will you transfer, will you change majors, or will you drop out altogether? I believe it is very important to be able to test out what you will likely be doing when you start working. Choosing a school with a strong internship program is a very good idea since you can figure out whether or not you really want to continue with the major BEFORE it's too late. One thing I found is that life's no fun if all you can ever do is stress about classes and grades and never have time for a break. Getting into a fantastic school is great, but do you really want to overburden yourself to the point where you can't go to school anymore? Be reasonable about your abilities and choose a school you can enjoy.

John

First and foremost you need to pick a college where you will be able to succede. Dont just choose a school for its social life, however at the same time make sure there is some kind of social aspect. It is very hard to succede somewhere when you are not happy where you are. Try and find the right balance of academics and social life in your choice of school.

Aynes

The one advice I would give parents and students about finding the right college and making the most of the college experience would be to do a lot of research. College visits and research is important into getting to know the environment of the school and knowing how the campus operates. Understanding the college's mission and obligations is important. Also, getting involved in extra-curricular activities, sports, clubs, and community service is a fantastic way of making the most of the college experience. The student will develop, adapt, and learn how to make new friends and work with many different people. It is important for the student to expose him or herself to the campus and explore every opportunity that may interestest him/her because you never know when an opportunity may come again. The student can develop the greatest friendships in the least expected places and gain professional experience that can be taken into classes or the student's future career.

Dennis

Go with your gut instinct not what some magazine article or report tells you. Visit the campus and get to know the professors.

Clifford

I'd advise students and parents ro research the school they interested in. Take a weekend to visit the visit the school and look for the following: the social atmosphere, student's opinion about the study he or she is interested in, the distance between campus and home, and overall finances. While researching these factors consider whether is the compatible to the student's preference. Furthermore, the outcome of social gatherings shouldn't be the primary factor in finding the appropriate college. There much more to college than partying at wee hours of the morning. Students should think about the curriculum they are interested in. They should focus whether they will enjoy applying what they have learned in the long run. Once student's have chosen the college they have select, parents shoudl fill out the FAFSA forms early. The earlier it is filled out, the faster parents can act on the difference if the full scholarship isn't applied. Lastly, students should be aggressive on the scholarship opportunities they possess. The benifits to most grants and scholarships is students don't have to pay them back.

Charles

buy a corvette instead

Havon

Find a college that offers the major you WANT to do, not what you think will offer the most money. I go to Drexel because it offers what I love to do, writing. Writing is my passion, I'd never choose Medicine over Screenwriting just because it pays more since I have no passion for it. Also, find a college you are sure you can afford. Money is just an unnecessary stress.

Rory

Make sure its what the student want. Do not let the parent choose for you. It's your life and your future.

Julia

I think I would give advice to students about picking their college is making sure they go big first and then narrow it down. By this I mean make your first decsions very broad, pick 10 or 15 schools that you like based on superficial things. Then look at each one individually and start to look at more impotant things within those schools. Like programs, size, faculty to student ratio. Make sure they have things you enjoy doing and make sure it is in a location you like, remember you will be living there (or most will). To parents I would say deffinatly help your kids out, it is a stressful time in a childs, yes they are still children, life. They need all the help and support so they make and you make a good thoughtout decision. I hope that tghis information helps. Thank you.

Alex

Make sure you visit the campus and actually get the vibe of how it would feel as a student there.

Catherine

I have two pieces of advice to offer. First, plan far in advance for financial aid; it may take you longer than you anticipated to get what you need. Starting to look in the February or March before the beginning of fall term is not too early. Second, shop for books. Drexel University, at least, suggests that you budget around $2,000 for books for a year. While books are more expensive than many people anticipate, you can often find them on the internet and in used book stores for much cheaper. Some useful sites are Craigslist, Half.com and Abebooks.com. Additionally, many books are often listed as required but that is not always the case. You may want to purchase the main text book for a course and hold off on secondary materials until you get a syllabus. If you prefer to buy your books online, it is best to buy all materials before classes start, since shipping times vary. Be prepared and informed on how to return books. To avoid purchasing textbooks, many professors put copies on reserve at the campus library. Other college/university libraries or local public libraries may also have them available.