Grove City College Top Questions

What should every freshman at Grove City College know before they start?

Katie

The advice that I would give to students towards the perspective of finding the right college would be to go to the college website and learn everything you could possibly learn about the college itself. Find out everything such as sports, clubs/organizations, and academics. I would also encourage college visits. This assists in the area of learning about the college and experiencing it first hand. Once the right college is chosen, I would encourage the student to get involved in as much as possbie. Do not turn down a great opportunity to be with friends or to even have an opportunity to meet with a professor about academic standings. Develop a relationship with friends and especially professors. The benefits of these relationships will help in the long run and something that will never become a regret. One thing that I strongly encourage towards students and parents is pray! When a person gives everything to God, he gives answers in return. Praying and having a strong and true faith assist us in times of need. Praying about college and the many decisions that come along with college can help a person become more assured about the whole situation.

Drew

The greatest help to me in finding the right college was to use the abundant resources that are readily available to high school students. Books, magazines, articles, and websites offer so much information about majors, careers, and colleges. Setting aside time to utilize these resources was extremely beneficial and helped guide me to the right college. However, the greatest resources to me were the people that surrounded me, such as guidance counselors, parents, teachers, and friends. The knowledge, experience, wisdom, and intuition that they freely gave to me was priceless. They were able to guide me through my decisions and helped me identify my strengths, weaknesses, and where my talents could best be nurtured and developed. I encourage high school students seeking a college to use these resources ? they offer valuable advice. Once you find the right college, maximize every opportunity to grow. Don?t let any opportunity pass you by, because college ? and all the experiences, learning, and fun associated with it - only happens once in your life. Attend class, get involved in extra-curricular activities, make connections, and work hard so that you can leave a positive impact upon this world.

Matthew

Research schools thoroughly and then visit them. Go to some classes and walk around the campus to get a feel for what life would be like there. Be bold and ask some students how they are liking it there. Once you get to college, become involved in activities. Keep active and avoid the Freshman 15.

Nicholas

talk to other people that have went there. its the only way to really see the truth.

Brittany

Choosing a school: Take a deep breath. You have a lot of people on your side-- family, high school faculty, the college admissions; no one wants you to end up in the wrong place. Talk to your high school counselors about schools with a good academic fit. Talk to your parents about you can afford. Talk to the admissions & always visit the schools you are seriously considering. Walk around, talk to the professors, talk to the students, & see if you jive with the campus atmosphere. Most importantly, listen to your gut. What sort of dreams have you always wanted to pursue? What sort of person do you see yourself becoming? Some people have that figured out, but most do not. If you're like the majority, consider college a time for finding answers about who to become. Examine your goals and decide where you think they would best take off. Once you're there: Even if you're new on campus remember that your time is short. Use your time to explore and challenge your goals. Know that your friends become a second family. Fight the stressors of school with exercise and planning, & never be afraid to try something new.

Elspeth

When looking into a college, it is important to think not only of majors and careers, but of the whole person. Certainly majors and careers are a huge portion of your college experience, but what really constitutes a life well lived? At the end of your life, will your identity rest in your job and your salary, or in what kind of person you were, and what kind of life you lived? Did you love your job and serve faithfully in your career? Did you make a difference in the world, or your particular sphere of it? Finding a school that will not just prepare you for a career, but will in addition shape who you are as a person is like looking for a needle in a haystack. And it is worth every minute of the search. Going into college with the attitude that you're going to have a big impact is a false notion. Expect to be changed, stretched, broken and challenged by your classes, your new friends, your professors, and your campus community. It is up to you to make the decision to put yourself in a place where you will be changed for good.

Anna

Looking for the right college is an extremely important process. Not only do you have to look for the place where you will be given the best opportunities, but you need a place that will not send you into a finicial crisis. With the economy and the cost of living being in such a massive upset, finding both is usually quite a trial. My advice is to not pay attention as much to the cost as to the atmosphere of the school and the activities available there. Finding a place where you can bring some of your interests with you is critical to the college experience because it wil help you to maintain some of your identity. college is a life changing experience; a time when you discover what you want to do with your life. If you leave behind the things that you love the most, then you will look back years later and wonder what could have been. Instead of doing this, be willing to take risks and discover your own passions in every field, not just in your major. Learn from your mistakes but never regret them. Find a school that will let you be yourself.

Andrea

I believe you need to choose a school that will allow you to meet you personal goals. I would encourage students to carefully plan finacially for their education and consider the possibility of starting out at a community college. By starting slow you give yourself more time to decide what you want to do with your life. One of the most important practical concerns is choosing where to live and with whom. Students should look into all of the alternatives before committing to campus housing. Sometimes their are better deals off-campus. This decision can be the prime decider on how you feel about your college experience. Most importantly, students need to look on their college experience as a growth opportunity where you are allowed to approach adulthood slowly and carefully. Look for opportunities to learn and take responsibility instead of avoiding them. There will be significantly less shock when you graduate if you have those experiences. Above all, college should be a enjoyable time where you refine your personal worldview and begin to make the difficult choices that often develop your character and influence your future.

Matthew

I would suggest tapeaking with current students at the college to see if your personality will fit in with the population. Remember that tests and finals are a different expeience in college than in highschool-- begin studying before the night before the test. Remember that, although it is important to get good grades, it's just as important to have a good time. Make friends that will encourage you both academically and socially so that you can have a balanced and awesome experience.

Emily

Parents and students should consider the reputation, location and character of the school. They need to ensure that the college fits their academic and social expectations, and that they can afford to attend there. Once students are at school they should become active members of the campus community, while balancing their school work. It is important to get involved in campus life by volunteering and joining campus groups, because this allows one to meet people as well as contribute to the community. However, it's important to maintain good grades, because graduating is an important aspect of the college experience, after all. Students should accept that they probably are not going to get A's in all their classes, and realize that as long as they are giving school their best effort it's alright to not graduate at the top of their class. Work hard. Play hard. Have fun! These are the best years of your life.

Elizabeth

Go to the college & walk around for 5 minutes, take a look at the buildings & examine how you feel inside. Does this college have majors that center around your passions? Follow your heart.

Connor

Everyone knows the typical advice for choosing a college-- famous ratings publications, guidance counselors, and the panoply of books on the subject. This is just a start. Once you are focused on a school, getting in-depth information about it requires digging into the internet, because that is what the current college-going population uses to communicate. Use search engines extensively. Read blogs from students at the school. Find any unofficial, student-made forum or website. Look for websites by alumni, too. Keep in mind that students often use the internet when they have an axe to grind, so assume negative comments are exaggerated. However, there is much positive information to be found, and it is invaluable. Normal books will give you short, superficial quotes from a few students. The internet will give you an entire book's worth of information from hundreds of students. Doing this will save you from surprises once you arrive, and will help you throughout your college career. Your most unpleasant surprises about school are things you could never predict. Knowing about recent school controversies, titanic or insignificant, can help you know what you are getting into. Forewarned is forearmed. Your investigation must be thorough.

John

Visit the college and talk to the actual students. Don't believe pamplets, tour guides, or admissions counselors.

Wes

Goodluck

Becky

Make sure to pick a school with all majors you might be interested in; lots of students change majors during college. Make a list of the top most important things you want in a college before you begin the search; be sure to consult this list everytime a school comes up. use the princeton review website and college search, it was really helpful. Once you get to school, no matter what, determine to have a positive attitude about your college. Determine to make friends, go to all the freshman activities and enjoy them, try things you've never tried before, be friends with people outside of your major, work hard at your studies, have fun!

Lauren

Ask tons of questions from the administration, faculty, and students and in the end, pick a school that represents your values.

Catherine

Work hard, and have hope. Seriously.

Cara

While the choice of which college to attend should be primarily a future oriented decision, the importance of the life lessons learned at college should not be underestimated. College serves as the foundation for learning to cope with life independent from parents; therefore, it is important to choose a college that is a safe and healthy environment for learning these essential skills. As friends from high school fade, remember that friends from college last a lifetime, so choose wisely what type of people you befriend. Do not be afraid to try new things-- college is a time for exploration. Take lots of different courses because you never know what might captivate you, and when you find something about which you are passionate, cling to it and give it your all. Make sure that you carefully research what your major will translate to in the 'real world.' A lot of times students form this ideal career in their heads only to get into the 'real world' and find it does not exist. Work hard, but play hard, too.

Nikki

Don't take everything at face value--dive into the exploration process and discover things for yourself! Visit schools you're interested in, talk to current students and professors, and learn about the campus and campus life. Most importantly, keep an open mind--that school that may be your last pick today could end up being the very place you spend the next four years of your life! College is a time of self-discovery--it's a time to find out who you are, what you believe, and what you want to do with the rest of your life. You're going to meet friends who will be with you for a lifetime. You're going to learn life skills that you'll carry with you forever. Who knows--you may even meet your future spouse! Keep an open mind about your options, try things out for yourself, and find a school that's going to challenge you and allow you to grow in every area of life, not just academically.

Katie

Do your research. Stay overnight at the college. Think about how your particular school will help you get to where you want to be in life.