Lawrence Technological University Top Questions

In order to find the right colege for you, it doesnt matter if you know someone who is going there, or if your boyfriend or girlfriend is going there. You have to go to each college and experiance it first hand before you make that choice. Take advantage of the campus visit days and/or weekends. See what each college has to offer both academicly and socially. College is not all about studying and cracking down on your studies. You need to balance it with fun social things as well. Another important thing is the professors. When you visit a campus, ask to sit in on a class. This gives you a first hand look into how classes would be if you went there. Finally, never be afraid to ask questions. Ask as many questions as you can think of and that should help you decide if the school is right for you.

Find a school with the social life your looking for, academically they are all the same.

I recommend starting at a local community college. They are much more affordable and it will help you decide if your chosen degree is something that you really want to pursue. In saying that, make sure that the courses that you enroll in transfer to the four year university that you are interested in.

When looking for an appropriate college for you or your student, it is very important to consider what degree that you or your student are persuing. Doing a lot of research will present to you the school with the most appropriate program in your or your students prospective field of study. Then consider cost, financial aid, distance from home, and living conditions. I recommend that freshman or new transfer students spend at least one semester in student housing. This will help to instil a student network for friends, study groups, and advice from students who have experience with the school. Also, school is going to cost more than just tuition and food plans; adjust your financial status to sustain this extra amount. Consider trips home, money for transportation to and from grocery stores and off campus forms of entertainment. Students do need a break once in a while. Also, try to involve yourself with the school through clubs, sports, or any other kind of extracurricular means. Most of all, approach college with an open mind and a positive outlook. This will help to give you the most out of your college experience.

Ask Students

Don't count on any funds you don't already have in your accounts. Save early. If you know what you want to do go to the school that has made a name for itself in that field. go to the cheasy freshmen pre-semester events at the very least it is something to make fun of with other students as an ice breaker. Try have conversations with everyone students (not just your friends) faculty (not just your own) Studnet services staff (they can help you or tell you where to get it) and even matenence/janitorial staff just say hi everyonce in a while get to know them and you wont be the one with the broken whatever all semester and you may just learn a few campus secrets that can save you time and money. Keep an eye on your spending. Most importantly budget your time school, work, play, excercise, YOU time, homework. Jump at opportunities. Have fun it'll be the best time of your life.

Start early and even if you have found a school that "works" for you don't stop there. Always travel to the school before hand and be sure that you like the area surrounding the school as well as the school itself because it will effect the experience you have. Also don't be afraid to apply to several different schools; it is always better to have to make a choice than not to have one.

Make sure you look at all your choices, I decided too early and got into a field that I ended up disliking. I was lucky LTU had another field that has been exactly right for me. I regret not looking at other schools and other majors more. Also if you can live on campus, do so. It will make your social life much better. Get involved, you get 4 years to make friends and learn, start as early as possible. There are many campus organizations, join as many as possible (depending on how much free time you have).

I would advise students to visit the college and really talk to the students and get an understanding of how things work on campus, what is expected from students, and see the type of work these students are doing to see if this is what they really want to do. They should visit the campus in the beginning of the semester and closer to finals. This would give any prospective student the insight they would need in making the right decision. Parents need to really talk to the financial aid counselors and get a feel for what will be expected from them so tuition payments can be made on time and so they can prepare the forms in a timely manner. Most of all, any student searching for a college needs to visit the campus and interact with the current students.

Choose a college that is great for your learning needs and affordable.

Don't let your worries about getting into your perfect college get you down. Though a better college may entail some educational benefits, a truly bright individual with fresh ideas (and most of us are, we just don't know it) has the potential to be successful wherever they go. It is all too easy to become a victim of stress and burnout. Pace yourself and remember that there is more to life than just going to school and having a career. Take a walk outside. Smell the roses. For God's sake, read a book for fun once in a while. Above all, think. All of this education that we pay so much for and invest so much time in will have no effect whatsoever if we don't take the time to think, analyze, and question.

The best way to find the right college is to do your research. First, find out what schools have the degree(s) you are interested in. Next, take time to research the schools and talk to people who may have gone there. If possible, visiting the school is best. Many schools have some sort of visit day and offer tours, take advantage of these. You can also visit a school's website, which can give you a good idea about the school. A nice, helpful, organized website is a good sign. Consider the size of the school and average class sizes. Smaller classes can make personal communication with a professor a lot easier. To make the most of your college experience, you need to get involved with activites that interest you. (Homework should come first!) Fraternities could be an option for you, but pick one that actually helps the community, instead of one that spends dues money on beer. After all, you do go to college to get a better education, so don't just pay money to go to a never-ending party. Most importantly, enjoy what you are studying!

Look for a college that fits your personality and study style. Little is accomplished parting all the time and you will burn out if you are in classes our of your league when no help is present. Dont let the size of a university fool you pay close attention to class sizes and resources. Look for a well rounded university while studing liturature may seem pointless while persuing engineering the skills you learn subconsiously are priceless. Also make sure that your get practical experiance while in school. Graduation is too late to learn work ethic and how your job works in the real world. Once at college dont become a hermit, dont bury your head in your books learn to be social. With those skills you can be a great business person. Also on the flip side dont party the whole time to get your dream job you have to graduate first.

You have to visit the campus. That is very important to see what it is like and then you can ask students that you see what they think of it. I love giving students advise on what professors they should take and other helpful information.

Go where you heart takes you. Never base your decisions on what others think. Never go based on a significant other. Don't go where they give you the most money, go where you think you will like the most. Be prepared to move out of your comfort zone (like far from home instead of close to home).

Believe in yourself.

Finding the right college is really just about finding where the student is comfortable, and where the student can really see themselves becoming a part of a community. Everything about the school should be taken into account, class size, campus size, dorms, food, cost, academics, social activities, facilities, the surrounding area, etc. In order to get the most out of the college experience, the student has to be able to know where to go to get resources, whether it be for homework, a job, or finding the group of friends that they will know for the rest of their lives. The best way to be sure that a college is right for a student is for him/her to visit the college, sit in a class, spend the night in the dorms/apartments, take a tour, hang out with current students, to really get a feel of what life would be like at that college.

I think that students sometimes make mistakes when they look at college just for the social activites. I understand that some people need a social life, but even with smaller universities there are many opportunites to get involved if you really want to. Also, students should not pick a university on which ones their friends are going to because meeting new people makes the college experience. A college or university should mostly be picked by the academic courses they can provide for your major. You are going to college to learn, thats the whole idea! So pick the place that has the best program for your major and you will learn so much more. College should be fun, but it is the time to move towards your goals in life. Set the standards and push yourself to improve.

Plan. Plan for college. Save money, take your time to pick the right university for you, talk to the professors if you are able to, visit the campus, and look into as many scholarships as possible. Personally, I love my university and my position at this school. However, college life is about studying and breaking free from your childhood. When a student has to focus on their finances and aren't able to put the effort that is needed, into their student life, then they aren't recieving the experience that they deserve. Visit the universities you are considering to attend. Take a tour; talk to advisors and professors, and even talk to some of the students that are walking around. Ask them all what they think of the campus and the university as a whole. Ask them for any advice they can give as existing students and LISTEN to what they have to say. People with first hand experience always know better than those that just study the experience rather than living it. Last, get involved. Play sports, act in plays, compete in class related competitions, join a club. Research what you enjoy and get involved. Enjoy college.

The advice I would like to give those who are interested in college, is to do a lot of research about the college, what he/she has in mind and ask others for advice of that college. Your'll be amazed of the response people tell you about that college you thought of. Also, get involved in the financial aid process with the college, while asking several financial aid question about loans. There are lots of information out there for example: www.fastweb.com, www.collegeboard.com has some information on colleges, these are helpful sites. Basically ask around and do plenty of researching while attending those pre-view days on campus. Good luck with your choices.