Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus Top Questions

An important factor in choosing a college is choosing one that fits you, not one that gives you the most money. Many friends that I have known choose schools based on money only to transfer out of the school because it does not suit them. The best way to choose the school is to let the school speak to you and this can only be done by going to the campus for a visit. The students need to be outgoing and wander around the campus while interacting with students and faculty. By doing so, you will be able to know if the school is for you. The students and parents need to also understand that the tour guides are suppose to only tell you the positive points of the campus, thus you need to wander around campus and intermingle to see what the campus has to offer. The environment of the campus is a big part of the student's life while in college, so the student should feel comfortable at the school. As a result, the parents should give their children the option to go to faraway colleges so the children wil be able to find their own niche.

Answer the question, ?Why am I going to college?? and make that your goal. Imagine your ideal college experience then chose the college that fits that description. Take at least one extra class each semester. Set clear goals for each class. College is all about self-discipline and doing thing on your own, on your time, your way. Get an early start to each day. Learn material the very first time it?s presented. Master advanced memory techniques. Visit campus and ask a lot of questions. ? Explore colleges and majors that match your skills and interests. ? Don?t rule out schools because of cost. There are lots of financial aid that might be unknown to you. ? Be aware of dates and deadlines ? Think quality, not quantity. When it comes to extracurricular activities. Have some serious fun! Take a good look at yourself. Admission counselors look closely at your letters of recommendation and personal essay to get a better feel for who you are. Be prompt. Give your teachers and counselors plenty of time for recommendation letters ? don?t ask them the week before application deadlines. Choose wisely. Ask teachers who teach or work in fields where your principal interests lie.

First and foremost, inorder to enjoy the college experience it is ideal that one would not have to leave before graduating due to lack of funds. Making sure that the tuition fits into the family budget is most important. Also, visiting the school before making the decision is a must. Certain times a person will enter the campus and get a feeling of absoulte comfort or the opposite. Choose a school that has the amount of people the fits your comfort level. Some individuals love the big campus where you meet a new person everyday, other people (like myself) like a school where you walk around seeing familiar faces all day. Finally, absoultley get INVOLVED. I am part of the Greek community and would have it no other way. Being a part of something only enriches the college experience and makes it as unforgettable as is it suppose to be.

Make sure (student) you are going where you want to go based on your needs (not your wants). If you know what field you want to get into, make sure the schools you apply to have well-reputed programs for that particular field. Make sure you consider multiple factors with a pros/cons list which may include programs, class size, faculty biography (where they received their schooling and the research they do), location, surrounding community, campus activities, clubs/organizations, campus size, etc.

Make sure you visit each campus. Seeing a school on paper is great, but you don't truely get a feel for the campus without visiting it!

Could you imagine furthering your development in an atmosphere filled with people of a like age who are furthering theirs as well? Where you grow, not only in mind, body, and spirit, but in maturity as well? Where you learn the importance of making choices? This place is college. Sure that leaving a nurturing atmosphere like that of home and being plunged into a world full of young adults is frightening but this, besides academics, is the most important part about it; being social and making friends. Both dorming and building strong friendships are fundamental as you are not only gaining independence and maturing, but you are also building contacts. Today's world is all about being connected, not just through the internet, but through peers. Here, you learn that sociability is a crucial weapon to success, first on campus, then in life. See that your college of choice provides ample extracurricular activities be they an array of organizations and/or sports. Get involved.

Locating the most suitable college may be very time consuming. Finding the right one revolves around what programs and activities that school provides. The school should include an adequate cost, your desired major, and your preferred distance from home. Some less significant, yet intriguing, factors you should check out are the scenery, weather, or diversity of the campus. These aspects increase the pleasure to the whole college experience and add comfort to your campus of choice. Make a list of priorities that consists of the features your ideal school and campus should contain. Write this list according to which is most significant at the top to least significant at the bottom. This should decrease the complexity of your search through catelogs or the internet for the best school. Whichever school(s) has the most features at the top of your priority list, make an appointment to attend an orientation there to see if the campus feels right to you. Best wishes to you on your college search!

Make sure to become involved in extra-curricular activities. The activities you participate in are likely to shape your view of the collegiate experiece, and will most likely be the more important thing you take away from school, at least as a liberal arts major. Make sure that whatever school you attend provides a wide variety of activities so that you will be able to find a club that fits your interests.

Take your time and do your research. Only you know what will be the right place to help you succeed. Don't go somewhere just because your friends are going there. You will always make friends at school, while keeping your old ones. Get involved on campus with anything - sports, clubs, etc.

Look around. The college you or your child chooses will stay with them for the rest of their lives, so make sure that the programs and activities it offers are going to fit their needs. Looks for a school with an orientation program before the start of the school year, this is very beneficial. Orientations like this are where you will make the friends that will stay with you through the course of your higher education experience, and no matter how silly the orientation activities seem its best not to blow them off because then when school starts you have to adjust to classes and making friends at the same time. The next best piece of advice I can offer is to take advantage of academic support centers, they are there for your use and your benefit. On top of that, teachers love to see that you took the time out of your day to go and get extra help for their classes, and it can often mean the difference between an A and a B. In the end, it is the start of your adult life, so try to make the best of it.