Hofstra University Top Questions

If I could return to that time, I would stress to myself the need to be selfish. I would recommend looking at private universities. They offer smaller classes sizes and the feeling of belonging to a small community. The atmosphere is filled with pride and a silent kinship. The Professors remember the students and call them by name. I would also stress the importance of looking into activities on campus for the addition feeling of belonging.

I would say, "Bonnie, you will be discouraged at times because of certain teachers who you will encounter, but don't let them get you down. Continue on your path with becoming a teacher. It is what you are meant to do and you have a lot of support from your family and friends."

I would had told myself to not listen to the negativity of the college counselor in high school because they just discourage you. Research all options the year prior to entering college. Find colleges whose programs reflect your type of character, most beneficial to your desired career and has great extracurricular activities to be able to relieve the stress that school sometimes has on an individual.

The advice that I would give myself is to research each major before declaring one. Try to determine which major is most suitable to what you are trying to accomplish in life.

I would tell myself to really get my priorities straight when coming to college. Sometimes you have to miss out on social events so that you get your homework done. I would also tell myself that it is okay to be different. I am a dance major, and despite what people say about it being an easy major with less work, you know how much hard work it takes to do well. Never give up. Plan your time well and don't spend your savings all in the first semester.; manage your money well. You will want to feel independent; and having to ask for money all the time from your parents is not what will make you independent.

I would tell myself not to worry so much and to try and enjoy the process more. Making the college decision should be about where makes you feel comfortable and not what others will think of you based on your choice.

I would tell myself, don't go into a major just becuase you got money for it. You can always find money somehow. go into the major you want to and excell in it, don't waste your time doing something you don't want to do in seven years. Also, follow your heart, don't become friends with people who will bring you down. Explore your paths, don't stick to the clean path, take some risks and chances to find out what you really want to do in life. And please, please, take all your pills and vitamins so you don't get extremely sick your first year!

If I could go back in time and have a conversation with my high school senior self, I would say a good many things to that seventeen year old girl who thought she had it all figured out. Mainly, I would tell her that all along her parents and teachers were right, keeping those grades up is of the utmost importance. I would tell her to stop looking at that football player and put her head in the books. Money really doesn't grow on trees, and a scholarship would be the best way to pay for college. Loans add up, and being in debt before you've scored that dream job is not what you want. I would tell my high school senior self to take those SAT's one more time; sure a 1700 seems good for the first try, but why settle? Aim for more. Stop settling would be my main bit of advice. Stop settling for that B when you can get an A, stop saying "Hey that's good for not studying." Hit the books. Ultimately, I would tell myself "Dream big, aim high, work hard."

The best advice I could possibly give to students who are trying to find the right college for them, would be to visit all of their choices and see where they fit it. Go to the campus and talk to students. Walk around and take in the full experience of college life. This is a great opportunity to see if you will fit in and feel comfortable. Finding the right school for you is so important because this will be your learning and living environment for the next chapter of your life. Once you have found the right school be prepared for a wonderful and life changing experience. College is a new and exciting experience, so make the most of it. Don't let anything or anyone hold you back. To the parents of students trying to find the right college, it is very important to allow the student to find the right school for them.Although you may not be happy with their choice, remember in oder for them to succeed in college, they have to be happy with where they are.

When I was looking at schools, I didn't have that one school that I loved and wanted to get into. I actually used collegeboard.com to help search for schools that had a variety of different things--all of which I was interested in. My advice would be to keep an open mind in college searching. It was the college I thought that at-a-glance I said I wouldn't go to that I ended up falling in love with. In addition to an open mind, definitely put in a good effort to visit the colleges you've decided to apply to before making a decision. If you have a college that you're very interested in, I would say visit the college, apply early, set up an interview and really express your interest in attending. You may have been accepted anyway, but they may boost your scholarship because of you're continuing interest in the school. When you get to school, definitely participate in anything that sparks your interest. I didn't quite do that my first semester and I really wish I had. It would have made my time even better.

Parents and students looking for the right college need to keep in mind that the first year is all about adaptation, so comfort in your academic and social environment is important. At the same time, it pays to challenge yourself and try something new, so the final decision shouldn't be too comfortable.

I think finding the right college and making the most of the college experience comes down to the student finding the place where he/she can call home. The student needs to visit campuses with his/her parents and eventually they will come to a place where they just fall in love and compare every other school to. That is the place where he/she will be the happiest. I think it is also important to find a school that has a large number of options in terms of degrees, you never know if what you want to do is what you are going to love doing. Find a place where you can be happy, have fun, and get a good education.

Do your research and then do it again. Definitly visit the school and talk to the studens. They usually have the most honest and unfiltered awnswers.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU CHOOSE A SCHOOL THAT FEELS GOOD TO YOU, ACADEMICS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, BUT IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO CHOOSE SOMEWHERE THAT MAKES YOU FEEL AT HOME, AND NOT OUT OF YOUR ELEMENT.

When I started my college search, it was hard, especially without a major in mind, to decide what I wanted. But, I needed the college that would give me the ?real world? experience I craved. My advice to anybody college-bound is to think hard about where and how you want to live. Although the program you choose is important, you still live at your school! I can?t say how many of my friends and classmates have transferred, but I know what they had in common. They picked because of distance, their major, or a significant other. Now, I haven?t seen many cases where those reasons were enough for choosing a lifestyle. There?s nothing wrong with transferring ? life is trial-and-error. But what?s better than getting it right first try? There are colleges in that offer all kinds of experiences ? all you have to do is look! It's easy to forget, with big things like academics and financial aid to worry about, to think about the little things that are going to make up the life you will live for four years, and the experience you will remember for the rest of your life.

I would advise students to do extensive research about their colleges of choice because I know from experience it will make or break a decision. I would also suggest students to look into job/internship placing programs the school provides. Especially in such a competitive market these days it?s important for students to an edge especially coming out of college. I would also suggest doing research regarding the surrounding area of the school so the students can become acclimated before attending the college. As for parents, I would suggest providing as much support possible for your child. Even though as parents, you all have hopes and dreams for us to become very successful, but you have to remember your child is attending college to make of their own. It should not matter to the parent the child?s major or minor choice. The best help parents can provide is support and it really does go a long way.

When looking for the right college to go to, make sure that the surrounding area is to your liking. If you like the city, choose a city setting or right next to a city, if you like the country, go to a countryside school. Also, check to see the activities on campus and get involved! The more school spirit the more fun you will have. Finacially, look for schools that have a good finacial aid program and choose someplace that you know you can get a scholarship. Making most of your college experience involves a lot of accepting and adjusting. Accept that your roommate may not be your best friend and accept the differences in your life to be positive and effect your life in a good way. Get to know different people. There's a lot about culture that you can learn from just one person or a lot of people. Be open to change and knowledge. Go outside of your comfort circle because when you do, that's where life is.

Make sure to think long term and find the school that matched your personality. Do not select a school just because of the name- make sure it is the right fit for you.

I would tell them do visit all the campuses they can and also to visit them together so the parents can help the student find the right college for them but untimitley choosing the college they go to should be the students choice.

When finding the right college, I'd advise parents and students to each make a list of all of the attributes they desire their dream college to have. Then I'd tell them to exchange their lists and see what attributes could be compromised. Then I'd tell them to visit the colleges that fit their desires and discuss what they liked and disliked for each. Having a child go away to college is very hard on the parent and it is important to keep an open mind and be understanding. It's time for the student to find himself and figure out what he wants out of life. The college experience should include taking chances while being focused in school. The college process and experience will be more enriching once both the parent and child find common ground.