Grand Valley State University Top Questions

My advice would be to plan ahead for finances. You never know what will happen and help your child with money and only allow them so much so they dont get into trouble. Make sure you get second opnions on consulers and plan your sdhedules out for the next few years so you know where you are going. Grand Valley is a wonderful college if your heart is in it, then the staff will be too.

Trial and error! Visit campuses, read reviews, talk to attending students. The location, services and social life can really help or hurt you in the long run. Parents: don't pressure your kids to pick your choice, this is the school they will attending for the next for years of their lives, not your lives. Students: Sometimes your parents can have a point. Listen, but remember the choice is yours alone, you have to be the one to see the school everyday, make sure it's what you want. Once you found the right one, make friends! Join clubs, volunteer groups, a sport, etc! These things really push you along in making friends and believe me when I say, friends are your most important resource on campus. They will help you through most of your problems, more than faculty and staff together. A healthy social life can make a healthy acedemic life too. When you've got that tough paper or project due, it helps to know that when it's done, your friends will be there to celebrate with you that it's over. And remember: College is what you make it! Make the experience worth it!

I would say to all parents, let your child decide what they believe is the best choice for them because they are going to be the ones who have to live with it. For students, I would say don't concentrate on where your friends are going, you will make new friends no matter where you go. Look for somewhere you will be happy to reside for at least four years, somewhere that suits your personality as well as career path. If you aren't absolutely positive on your choice, ask around, freshmen are typically a good source of any information you may be curious about.

Go into college with an open mind, undecided as a major and a willingness to meet people of all kinds. Live on campus. Join greek life. Join the residence halls. Work out often. Do all that you can; the more you pack your time, the more likely you are to stay in good academic standing.

College truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you know what you want to do as a career then look for a college that offers that. If not then, just relax and breathe. You still have time to figure it all out once you are in a college. If you like smaller schools, there are many available. In that same thought, larger schools with larger classrooms are also around. As a student, you need to know what you want, even if your parents don't neccesarily agree. You are beginning your life and it starts with important decisions, like where you want to go to college. Once in college you can truly become who you want to be. You start your first semester with nothing, no old enemies or drama. Create who you want to be known as or what you want for yourself. Shock the world. Meet new people, join different clubs, live the life you want, without the fear of others holding you back. It's the beginning of becoming who you want to be. Take that chance for all it's worth and go. Live your Life. Have fun, you have one chance, be great.

Find a college that is suitable for the student. It is important for the student to stay on or near campus to get the full college experience. Leaving for college is a learning experience, not only in the classroom, but a personal growth as well.

Going to college is a scary and exciting time for both parents and students. So students don't get annoyed too easily if mom and pops start calling, e-mailing, snail-mailing, a bit more than what they used to. They are just proud and scared that you are growing up. Parents, if your child has already made good decisions that have lead them to a college or university than you have done well. Your child will continue to make good decisions even out of the comfort of your home. Finding the right college is different for everyone. For me as soon as I walked on campus I just knew Grand Valley was the place for me. See if you can find that feeling. Make sure your college offers plenty of things to occupy your brain while you are not in class. Students to make the best out of your college experience: JUST GET INVOLVED! Getting involved on campus in clubs, groups, and even in your dorms as soon as possible will make the transition even easier. Just remember that everyone around you is just as nervous as you are no matter what background they come from.

Make sure to seach around to find the best college that offers needs to certain students.

Attend a 4 year university, do not start with a community college. Ruins the experience and limits friendships once you migrate to the 4 year university.

To help students, and parents alike, discover which college would be the best, I would highly encourage them to figure out which college would make them the happiest. Life is hard enough as it is, and growing up is certainly a challenge that we all have to face. College decisions shouldn't be so hard. Visit schools, do your research, and picture yourself at a school that will help to make your dreams come true. Don't worry about money--everyone has to take out loans. Just be happy with your choice, and be confident that your education will lead you on a path that will help to fulfill every dream and desire that you have. When it all comes down to it, money isn't everything, as long as you're happy doing what you know in your heart is the best for you. Once you figure this out, you'll absolutely be on the way to making your wishes come true.

Keep working at it and find the one that's just right for you. You'll know.

Start looking for schools early, live on campus if you can, and try out as many social extra-curriculars as you can, just to get a feel for what you like and to develop a group of friends. It can be scary to go to a new school, knowing no body, but if you keep submerging yourself in what can be awkward social situations, you will make at least a couple new friends! College is about growing up.

I knew where I wanted to go by visiting the campus. Make sure the student feels comfortable in the environment and enjoys being there. The academics are important, but if your student doesn't enjoy their school- the quality of academics doesn't matter.

The best advice I can give is to visit the campus. Guided tours are great when first visiting the campus, but I found it best to actually stay with a current student for a weekend. The experience of staying with a student gave me a sort of preview of what college might actually be like at the university. The experience allows you to see all the different parts of the campus, the parts that students visit most, the parts that student use and like the most, which places are best to eat at, and most of all it allows you an opportunity to talk to many different students to get their honest opinions of the school. When it comes to making the most out of the college experience new students need to get involved. It does not matter what the student gets involved in, whether it be sports or a sorority or a volunteer club, just so long as the new student gets involved. This really allows the student to meet new influential people and to feel like he or she has found a second home, a home away from home. That is what college should be.

Now is the time to start thinking about the future. The mailbox is piled with college announcements, but what school is the right pick? Before filling out application forms, visit schools of interest. Most colleges will allow a tour and meeting with a councilor. Ask to see dorms and classrooms as majority of time is spent there. Also, ask questions about jobs available, meal plans, and groups that encourage involvement. After all tours are complete, take time to sit down with your parent or child, and discuss what was liked/disliked about each school. Now months have passed and the acceptance letter has been ripped open. It's important to plan for the school year by immediately contacting your roommate. Try to meet your roommate before school starts and go over what each of you will bring and rules you may have. This may seem unnecessary, but tension can be solved by going over topics such as curfews for guests and cleaning duties. On move in day, meet students who live on your floor and plan to get lunch together or find an activity on campus to attend. Overall, the most important task is to enjoy college and become involved.

Don't always look at expense right away if you don't have the money, look at the quality of the school and the campus life as well as the professors. I know that GVSU is very ready to work with students that need financial aid, and they offer many scholarships. Trust me, you will appreciate it more enjoying your college experience and being a few more dollars in debt than going to a school just because it was the cheapest. Once in college, get involved! The best way to make friends and really enjoy the experience is getting involved with campus activities/groups/sports. You will make a bunch of friends in no time, trust me.

Visit the schools. Every student will get a "feeling" when they know they are at the right school. You will feel very happy and well-placed. Also apply to several in state and out of state schools.

Take your time and visit the colleges you are interested in attending. Taking a campus tour and talking to advising faculty was one of the most benificial things I did when deciding what college I was interested in attending. College is more then just academics. It's going to be your home for the next 4+ years, so it's important that you feel like you fit in there. Size is a personal preference and really depends on the individuals personality. Having small class sizes and proffessors that really care in helping me succeed have been the cornerstone of my sucess. Getting involved and knowing about all my academic options during my freshman year really helped me make the most of my college experience. I developed many great friendships that have been great support and encouragement to me, as well as challenged myself in new ways by joining different clubs and organizations to expand my interests and knowledge about the world. By taking time to volunteer at college as well as get a job, I have learned more about my community and the responsibilities that I will have to take on once my college experience is complete.

Go and look at the college, walk around, observe what is going on around. How the students look is a good indication on how the students like it at that school. If you look at just the brochure, you won't get the whole picture and make sure that you know what you want to do before you go to a university. Why spend all the money on something that isn't going to get you anywhere start off at a community college and figure it out at least you can go from there.

Find one with the right programs at the right price.