Hamline University Top Questions

Dont concider price. If you do concider price you will regret it. Go with your instinct, if you love a place stop looking and be content with it.

I think you need to think about what would be the best learning environment, and where you would be happy. You need a place where you will feel comfortable, because this is where you will be spending 4 years of your life. It is also important to look at how the college is rated and how it would affect your chances of getting the job that you are thinking of going into.

Find someone you know who went to the school and ask them what it is really like. Not just the classes, but the social life also. If I would have known that 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the campus would have been empty everyweekend, I may not have gone to Hamline. Make sure your political opinions are welcome there, but don't try to be too much into the majority or else you will just learn rhetoric. If going into science programs, ask what research options there are for undergraduates, and if going into business or something similar, find out where current students are interning. The more possibilities for sucess after graduation, the better.

Start early! I know it can seem like a bother to be thinking about college while you're still a year or so away from having to apply, but the more time you have to learn about the college system and all the options that are available to you the easier the big decision will be and the more likely you will be happy where you end up.

Life paths change. This was the first thing I realized as I stepped onto the 9-block square campus of Hamline University. It was as far from the Air Force Academy (my school of choice since age ten) as could be. The USAFA is stringent and dedicated to a common, directed cause. Hamline is liberal and made up of a swath of paths that you yourself must chose to navigate, to find your way to where you want to be. I was only then discovering that where I wanted to be might be far, far from the idea I had of myself and my career. You may have an idea of where you want to go, and what you want to be. This is great! Don't lose sight of that. But don't let it overwhelm you either. Sometimes, something new-- even something better-- comes along. If that is great too; if it looks right and feels right. Go with it. I went with it. I went with red brick instead of blue metal. Gorgeous trees and forgiving professors instead of high mountains and angry drill sergeants. The change changed me. It was the best choice I ever made.

Start looking for financial aid earlier than you plan on. If you plan to look for financial aid in a month don't do it. Start now. Scholarships are so frustrating when you are the plain Jane, don't expect to get one but don't give up even though that doesn't sound right. Don't let tuition costs stop you from going to the right college. If it's the right learning environment then the education that you will get should be solid enough for you to be able to pay your student loans and then gain a substantial amount of profit there after.

Visit each college you're thinking about going to. While the asthetics of a campus shouldn't be as important as other factors, it is important to feel at home at your school. Also, apply for as many scholarships as you can! In addition, I would strongly reccomend living on campus at least your first two years, unless cost is a huge issue. My experience would have been much different and less fulfilling had I not lived on campus I believe. Also, don't take things too seriously. Not that college isn't challenging and you shouldn't take it seriously, just don't take it TOO seriously. Have fun, meet people, party (in moderation) and use the experience of college to find out more about the world, but also to find out about yourself. Finally, take a second every now and then to stop and smell the roses, as they say. College is a blast, but it's important to stay down to earth and realize that these next few years will fly by and before you know it, you'll have to deal with the "real world". (College is waaay better than the real world!)

Always look at every college and what they have to offer. Make sure to do the campus visits and sit in on some of the classes to get a feel for the environment. Always make sure you have financial options available if you decide to go to an expensive college because it takes a lot of work to get the right loans and grants if you can't afford it all. Make sure the college you are trying to attend offers your degree options and make sure that you see which classes you are expected to take so you can better prepare yourself for the work that will be expected from those classes. Just make sure that the school and what it can offer you match your needs because it is a waste if you decide that you don't like it where you chose to go.

The search for the right college is really nothing to sweat over, especially if you haven't yet picked a major. Prioritize the most important qualities (closeness to family, money, public v. private). If your school does dissapoint you, you can always transfer. Before a student leaves, they should make a list with their parents of what they would like to accomplish in their first year--this way, parents know and can help their student stay on that track, and the student doesn't go into college nervous or confused. A smart student should create a budget for at least the first semester, along with a list of things they need or might want. Even if you get a part-time job, spending can get quickly out of hand if you don't have an efficient system for keeping track of your money. And we all know, money is a much-needed resource for poor college students! Ask questions of everyone you know. If there are only certain people you can ask certain questions of, don't be shy about approaching them. Lastly, seek out leadership opportunities. Employers love students who can prove that they know how to take initiative.