Emerson College Top Questions

Take many tours from many different schools

With the wisdom of experience, I would tell any incoming college student to never have the audacity to think you can plan your life out. You may enter college convinced that your major and career path are absolute certainties, then realize a few years later that you're meant to make an impact elsewhere. Thus, you should always be open to any learning experience and never consider anything you've done to be a mistake or cause for regret, rather an opportunity and a contribution to your overall education. Since you don't know for sure this what you'll spend the rest of your life doing, grab on to any class, program, organization, or volunteer work which attracts you, and along the way either you'll find your calling, or find a path which will lead to your calling. In the end, you will be very happy, I promise. And parents, give your children permission to explore and dream and make their happiness and satisfaction the paramount results of an education...but also be clear when the ties to the nest will be cut.

Finding the right school is critical! I spent the first year of college at a university at home, because I was too afraid to move 1,500 miles away. When I transferred the next year, I realized how worth it it was. Take risks! Challenge yourself. Find a place that you truly feel like will give you the resources to do what you want to do, and put your full heart into it. ASK QUESTIONS!! Talk to your professors after class. Build relationships with them--you'll regret it if you don't. They're real people, you know, and usually real people that work in the industry: fantastic resources, references, and human beings. Make friends, but don't be afraid of your peers--if you focus on yourself, realizing that when you walk at graduation, that education is yours and only yours, you won't regret any of the sleepless nights spent pushing yourself to be where you need to be. And make sure that you DO push yourself!

Go with your gut. There are lots of colleges out there, and there's plenty of places that are so close to right for you, but might have those few things out of place. If you're from the suburbs, try for a rural small college with a tight-knit community or an urban campus where you'll be surrounded by people. Changing up what you know is invaluable to the college experience. If you stay home, live with your parents, or go to somewhere exactly like home, you won't ever grow as a person. College is just as much a social education as an academic education. And finally, don't let money hold you back--graduating with loans being a happy, improved person with a bright future is always better than graduating debt-free and being the same person you were in high school.

I would say, first and foremost, to look for a school that has a strong program in your area of academic interest. A school could be in your preferred location, be the right size, and have a wonderful mealplan, but if it doesn't have what you want academically, you most likely will be dissatisfied with your educational experience. I am a "go big, or go home" kind of person; I make the most of my college experience by wholly dedicating myself to the things I am passionate about. Dive in, and dive deep. I remember how stressful applying to college was, and it's crucial to keep in mind that ultimately, you should just go find your dreams. If you're not happy at a particular school or in a specific program, find something else that you can really sink your teeth into. You owe it to yourself to find something that is worth your time and money. Is isn't always the college you chose, it's what YOU make of your college experience.

Finding the right college is a difficult task. Choose a school that fits all your needs academically, socially, and financially. The advice I would give students, which may worry their parents, is to not be afraid to transfer if you feel another school fits your needs better. The first semester of college is when you really start figuring out what you are want out of your college experience and for the future so it is never a bad idea to look at your options. In terms of making the most of your college experience that is up to you. College is what you make of it. Don't hesitate to get involved in extra-curricular activities first semester. I would recommended getting invovled right away and using the resources that are given to you during those four years because you might never have them again.

Do what you love. Do your thing. Don't follow into any trends. Be unique and creative and follow the path you want to take, not the one others want you to take. It's very important to be happy with the choices you make. Be open-minded, but ultimately, make your own decisions. Be ambitious and driven and keep working hard at what you want, no matter what stands in your way. It's possible.

Kids: do your homework when hunting for a school. It's not your parents' responsibility to find which school is right for you. Book the tours, book the flights, memorize your social security number. Parents: don't shadow your kids, it's a disservice to the development of their autonomy, they WILL struggle when you ship them off to college. Let them do their laundry, teach them a few dishes to cook, & if they're not interested in anything you have to say, simply say, "Alright, but you'll miss this."

You have to see a campus, really feel the atmosphere, to know whether it is right for you. Nothing feels better than arriving on a campus after a 6 hour drive and saying "no, this isn't the one, let's go home". When you get there, making friends is easy enough (read the hand outs, listen to your RA) but what's important is getting involved with something you love. If you don't have that connection with an extra-curriculur, grounding you, but still separate from your school work, you'll never feel like you 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} belong. Don't room with your friends. Just don't. Stay on campus for at least a year. Go to class, save your absences for crunch week (or month as it turns out) Find the Counseling Center, the Academic Advising Center, and the Student Services Center while you're still a freshman. Having to look like an idiot asking where the Financial Aid office is as a junior is not fun. People will laugh. Love your advisor, but make sure they know how to work the system. They are a tool for your graduation. Respect your teachers; their your ticket out.

Feeling comfortable on the school's campus and with other students is a good indicator of how well the school suits you.