Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Top Questions

Be open-minded. If you get to school, and after a semester you find that it's not what you want, there's nothing wrong with transferring. I transferred twice before I settled in at my current school...and I love it! I was out in a big city and missed home, but once I transferred to a local community college and lived at home, I hated that too! So, I chose a school that's about an hour's drive from my house. I'm the happiest there that I've been in a year. In short, choose what you want, but if it turns out to be different, you still have options.

The best advice I can give anyone is to follow your heart. I know it sounds corny but the truth is the moment you step on the campus you will know whether you belong or not. Make sure you decide on the size of the college thats right for you and stay in your comfort zone when you think of how far you're willing to travel. I personally know many students that wanted to be as far away from their home town as possible and when they got homesick there was nothing they could do. Its like my mother always said, "You could be a half hour away, but if you don't come home, it could seem like your ten hours away." College is simply a personal choice so don't let others decide it for you. It is hard to leave your best friends, boy/girlfriends, but you need to learn how to be your own person.

Make sure to check out a few to make sure you choose the right one. Also, think of yourself when making decisions. It's important to consider others also, but think of what you want first.

what does the student want? Where do you want to be geographically? Where do you want to end up? The closer you are to wherever it is you want to end up, or the more connections the school has with jobs in the area that you want to end up in make it much easier. Experimenting your first year in areas you are interested in is a must. Being open minded to all colleges despite the price, because all in all "where there's a will there's a way".

Kutztown is a good school because you get one-on-one attention from professors, hands-on experiences in classrooms and labs. The Science department is wonderful, we have a new building, and a brand-new art building was just completed this semester. There are lots of ways to get involved in just about anything you're interested in. We have job fairs and internship fairs several times a year and the career services department is alsways open and willing to help you practice for inverviews or anything you may need. It's a relatively small school, some general education courses are now being taught in the large lecture hall building, but once you get past the gen. eds, the class sizes are more like 30 students or 12 when you get up into the upper-level courses. The campus is beautiful, there a TONS of places to study or sit, or grab a cup of coffee and read the newspaper. I love going to school here.

For all parents and students who wish to look for colleges and universities, I strongly recommend each parent understand the abilities, likes and interests their sons and/or daughters hold today for deciding what to do for a career when becoming educated at a college or university. Know that students' best interests and hobbies can really make a difference when looking at the right college experience for them, and understand why a parent's son and/or daughter wants to attend a certain college or university.

Don't feel pressured by anyone to choose which college you want to go to until you are completely sure. Go to class, don't slack, college can be tough to get used to but once you are used to it, it's a great experience!

My advice would be to go somewhere where you will be able to pursue what you love most. If you do that, the motivation and spirit will come quickly and you will succeed. It may not be easy, but if you really love what you're doing or what you're going for then you'll be able to do it. Don't let anything get in your way, especially not money. If you want it bad enough, then don't let a price tag stop you. There are plenty of ways to go about getting student loans, I would know. In the end, it'll all be worth it when you have a good paying job doing what you love to do.

Have Fun

Above all, take your time. This is not a decision that is to be made in a day or even a week. Visit more than one or two campuses and don't ever be afraid to stop people and ask them about the campus. You learn the most from people who have been there the longest, not as much from professors or tour guides. Pick your college for comfort level, overall environment, and strength of the field you want to get into. Above all, take time to yourself to consider all of your options. Do not let outside influences like your parents or alumni or family overtake your own opinions. Speak up; you will be glad you did in the long run. Finally, it is important to remember to RELAX! Very few people know what they want out of life as a freshman in college. Just take your time, take classes you feel are interesting and you will fall into something you enjoy. It's all about enjoying the learning process and being excited about graduating and doing something you will be proud of and enjoy for the rest of your life. Good Luck!