Iowa State University Top Questions

Save money years in advanced, its hard to be a full time student with a near full time job that you have to have just to get by.

A good education takes much time, effort, and responsibility. It is as much the parent?s responsibility to help their child attain a quality education as it is the child?s responsibility to put fourth time and effort towards education. It is best for parents to prepare early. Long before college, parents should form financing for tomorrow?s rising education prices. It is very important to evaluate the student?s learning style. In order to make the most of a child?s education, both the child and the parents must know how and in what environment the child learns best. After the child finds a desired choice of study, parents and students need to research institutions that fit in environment, learning styles, and educational quality. Parents and students should plan college visits before making a final decision. College life is a big change for new students. It is best for the student to finish preparing supplies, books, financial aid, and living quarters a week prior to the start of class in order to accommodate the rapid lifestyle change. Students should stay on task and involve themselves in campus events, clubs, and sports to make the most of their college experience.

Get involved with the various clubs at ISU. Judo, canoeing, solar decathalon, formula one race car, etc.. Obtain good sleeping/eating/organizational/productive habits.

The best advice that I could give to parents and/or students about finding the right college would be to actually visit the school and go on a campus tour. You learn a lot of helful information on the tours and you can get a feel for the campus before you agree to anything. To make the most out of the college experience be sure to get involved in a lot of activities offered by the school. Not only will you have a great time participating in them, they are a great way to make friends and the involvement will look good on your resume. It won't hurt to give them a try.

Visit, apply, enjoy and don't get stressed out!

Parents need to remember that its not fully up to them where their child goes to school. It needs to be a good fit for their child and even if its not the best fit for the parent. New students need to look at a school that offers a lot of options as far as getting involved goes. School is all about finding balance between work and play. If you do not get involved in something early on you may feel lonely or left out.

In my case I started college with a child so finding a school that has flexible courses and times is a plus. Otherwise, for the traditional student, I would advise them to think about how big and social they want their school to be. Also, think about how much research you want to do. ISU is very research oriented, so if you're not into that you might want to pick another school. Definitely make sure to check out all the clubs and organizations to create a social network. That way you have an edge when you graduate.

My best advice is to look at what you would feel most comfortable in. Look at the class sizes and how much professors make themselves available to you. As a student I wanted a university so I would feel like I was not in high school anymore but I also wanted to be somewhat close to home. Always keep an open option and visit many colleges even if you think you have found the one. My main advice is to always follow your dream and do what you want to, not what a loved one would want you to do!

Go for what your gut tells you. If you feel at home, like you should belong there, don't let the size of the school or little issues bother you. Be daring, visit a lot of schools that you might not have thought of, you never know what you'll find out or what you'll love until you go there. Once you're there, don't be shy. People are so accepting and willing to make friends (they're in the same boat as you!), so don't think that they won't want to meet you. Lastly, go out and have fun. Don't spend ALL of your time studying... Half of your college career is meeting people and having fun!

When you visit a college campus, do everything you can to learn about the services they provide, whether it is academic services or clubs/activities you can get involved in for your major or for fun. Make sure that you like everything about the school. Check out the classrooms, the availabilty of majors, and the variety of activities on campus. If you feel that the school is too big or too small, you are probably right. Parents need to let students decide which schools they like, but may also need to make sure that there is financial aid available if necessary. In order to make the most out of the college experience, students should get involved in activities they enjoy so they are not always working on school work and can get involved in the social environment. Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way whether it is academic help or financial assistance, but make sure you really like the school. Do not go somewhere just because your friends are going there. The school you choose will be your home for 8 months, if not more, so make sure you feel at home.