Franciscan University of Steubenville Top Questions

If I could go back to high school and give myself advice I would tell myself that grades and involvement in extra curricular activity is far more important in the long run than who is most popular or any of the other petty things that typical high school teenagers worry about. I would tell myself that once I get to college I will realize that the world is so much bigger than what surrounded me in high school and that I will be far more thankful for a high GPA and hard work than that I was popular or accepted in my little high school circle. I would also say that college is not just the next step. It is completely different from high school, it is a real, hard, transfer in to the adult world were you make decisions that will affect the rest of your life and learn to make choices that have real and sometimes scarry consequences. Prepare to work hard, grow up, trust, and persevere then you will be ready for one of the greatest and most rewarding adventures in your life.

The greatest tool for success in finding a university is self-knowledge. This is the foundation and springboard of discernment.

The advice I would give to parents and students about finding the right college and making the most of the college experience is this: can you picture yourself on campus, taking part in the extracurricular activities the school offers, and being excited about what each new class will bring? When I visited my school for the first time I was a little apprehensive about being 600 miles (11 hours) away from home. After that first visit I was confident that the adjustment would be easy since I had observed and learned about the community-like environment. It was true ? I fit right in. I knew that similar, friendly, and like-minded people were students there so I was welcomed in a great way. You want to find a school where you can feel that atmosphere and you definitely want to visit all of the schools you are looking at to see which ones will be the best fit for you and which ones you can picture yourself walking around campus at. Even if you have to go far to find a school that is the perfect fit, it will be more than worth it!

The best advice i can give about finding the right college is to visit the college and just sit and watch the students walk by. Any college that you can sit and not see a single group of people walking around is for those people that like to sit inside and watch tv and movies all day. A college where everyone walks around without talking to eachother is for those who really want to study hard. And a college who's students walk together talking and smiling and are everywhere is for the people who love the social life. My advice is to figure out what you want from the college experience and search for a college that will fill your need their is a college for everyone don't settle and whatever you do don't follow a girl or guy to college it will most likely end badly.

Do what YOU want. If you have a desire to go to a cetain school or study in a certain field, then by all means go for it! God gave you that desire for a reason. Listen to Him. As far as practical advice, the main thing that helped me was sleep. Don't stay up until the wee hours of the night . A regular sleep shedule helped me to stay focused. If you have any questions about anything in your classes, go talk to your professor. My professors loved it when I did that. I even found a friend in one of my professors by doing this. As a result, I got so much more out of her class. Visiting your professors may even earn you a few extra points in your grade. Do your best at everything. Live your college life to the fullest. You will get out of your college experience what you put into it. Even if your grades aren't the highest, and your social status not the most glamorous, just do your best. That is all you can and are meant to do.

It is important to take the time to figure out what is important to you. This better enables you to find the university that will fit you as an individual and not just as someone who wants to have fun at college but not grow as a person. Morals and ones lifestyle is extremely important in this search because it limits the amount of universities that take such issues seriously.

You must enjoy the atomosphere of the campus. Ask current students questions about living and academics at the college. Make sure it has a broad range of academics to major in incase you switch majors. Don't pay loads of $$$ somewhere you're not sure about. Overall, you should be satisfied with your choice and feel at peace about it.

Understant the fianacial Aid!

My advice to parents and students who are looking for the right college and making most of the college experience is to find a school that your child is going to be the most successful and most happy. Making the most of a college experience for future undergraduates would be to get involved into community service, ministries, clubs, and even sports to meet friends. Also, finding a group of moral people who can hold you accountable and to go to church with will help you through all your college experience. Having faith will get you through the toughest parts of college: mentally, physically, spiritually, or emotionally. Finding the right college includes seeing what they have to offer, finding out if the website for the school is really what the school is about or if the college campus is not really what the website declares it is, spending the night to get a feel of college life, seeking their extra-curriculars, talking to students around campus and even professors. It is so important that the student feels comfortable on the campus and can see themselves being successful and making friends at this place, especially if it is out of state.

The search for the right college can be strenuous and scary when one is searching for "the right school". To be concise, the largest determining factor in my experience was to realize that the four years a student will spend as an undergraduate are some of the most formitive years in some people's lives. Therefore, a potential student shouldn't worry about finding a school "made for them" so much as they should realize what type of formation they should do. It is possible to go to a good school offering a more than adequate education, and learn nothing but party games and how much beer you can drink. Many people waste their time and money this way. The one who strives for the presence of mind to utilize the education offered to them will be closer to realizing their potential for greatness. This is not to say college is all about books and tests-- a college student may learn more about who they are from their social life than from a class about journalism. The point is this: Choose a college that will challenge you to grow and become more fully who you are meant to be.