Michigan State University Top Questions

Make sure you know what school caters to your major, but I think the most important aspect of your decision should be based on fitting in with the culture of the school.

Making the most out of your college experience involves the parents and students. To be an effective student, students must have the support of their families and that includes more than financial support and care packages. Students need to know that their parents understand their trials and are there to assist them if needed, but parents also must give students room to grow into adulthood. Its about finding that perfect balance. College can be a very scary, lonely place without family. For students, come to college with an open mind, heart and spirit. Ask questions and seek answers to every question you've ever wondered. Don't be afraid and never back down. Search deep within yourself and never stray away from your goals. Making the most out of your college experience will depend on your expectations of it. Don't limit yourself! In finding the right college, strive to envision yourself on campus and being enveloped in its social strata. Research its financial aid office and monetary resources. Ask questions to students on campus when you visit. Attend programs of social groups you may be interested in and when you arrive STAY INVOLVED!

?Stop being afraid of making mistakes.? One of my best friends told me this halfway through my college career, and I really wish I would have taken hold of it earlier. College is full of new experiences that will shape the rest of your life. Some of these will inevitably be negative and brought on by yourself, but if you can remember that life is a learning process you will do well. Never be afraid to make mistakes because if you are bound by fear you may risk not living at all.

Wait until you're ready. Don't just jump in anxiously needing to get on with your life. Take things slow and step back to savor your life right now. If you're not sure whether you should go to college, or which college you should attend, then wait and see what happens. If you're really ready, then go ahead, but coming from someone who was still used to the fun lifestyle of high-school after he graduated I'm telling you you're not really ready yet. College takes a serious commitment and ambitious attitude. It's not like the movies where you party every waking second of your life. If you do that then you will fail, and college will mean nothing. Get something out of your life, and take a step back to savor the moment. Waiting wont hurt, and your life isn't going to go by any slower.

Do an overnight stay. Each dorm on campus has a very different flavor to it, and can be segregated by ethnicity.

Most importantly find a place where you feel comftorable, from the first few minutes on campus, trust your gut,. In the end that is what will steer you in the right path... Everyting else will fall into place. Utilize the fantastic recources the universities have to offer, ESPECIALLY the highly educated people called professors, they really want to help you learn & succeed.

For students trying to select a school, I would tell you to go visit the campus first before you make a desicion. This is because campus is where you will spend multiple hours of every day and if you are not happy with the campus, you won't be happy at the school. The second thing I would advise future students to do it go to an early orientation where you can tour facilities and meet some of the professors; just to be sure that they have a teaching style that would fit your needs. Finally, and possibly most importantly, study up on what majors the college has to offer. Read into where their programs rank and how long it takes to get into those programs. Sometimes a school you would never give two looks to has exactly what you need to succeed in college.

Go to a place for a variety of reasons that suit you best. Do not go only because your friends are going there (you will make new ones anyway and a lot of time you grow out of your old friends anyway) and don't go only because your parents went there. Pick a school that is reasonable for your needs, including financial aid, size of the campus and resources available that interest you. And most of all, do not forget that you are in college to earn a degree, it is possible to get sidetracked by all of the social activities available.

Don't just look at costs, and academics. Chances are whatever you want to study is available at many universities around the nation. Be sure to look at the area, the housing, the social life, the faculty and the academics. Make your decision based off of where your personality matches the best. Don't be discouraged if you don't have the recommended GPA or ACT/SAT scores. Apply anyway! Take risks, because when you succeed there will be nothing better in the world.

Talk to people who are already attending the school in y our major and area of interest.

The advice that I would give both parents and students about the finding the right college and making the most of the college experience is go to a school that makes you happy and that you enjoy. With finding the right college, go to the university for a visit. When you get there do not just walk around campus, visit the dorms, library and sit in on a class to get a feel for what the university is about. Also, talk to students who go there to get a true feel about the schools' academics and social life. As for making the best of your college experience, that is simple, get involved and have fun. When you get to campus in the fall, do not just sit in your room the whole time, get out and do something. It does not matter what it is, it could be joining a club, fraternity/sorority, or even just going to the football games. This is a great way to meet and make new friends. These are the best years of your life, so have fun. Study hard but keep a good balance between that and your social life.

Figure out what campus best meets their personality, career choice, and needs. Balance and time management to accomplish everything you woould like to do.

You need to find the right college for you and/or your child. There are so many different things that need to be taken into account - size of the campus, class size, opportunities to join clubs or research projects. Go visit the college AND the department you're thinking about joining. Ask every question that comes to mind, even come prepared with some. If possible, shadow a current student throughout the day. If you still love it, you'll love it for 4+ years.

In searching for an institution of higher learning, I would stress that parents and/or students search for an institution that best fits the students needs academically, socially, and culturally. As college generally lasts four years, students tend to form communities and interact with their cohort and professors on a daily basis. Information in regards to campus size, average class size, and experiential learning opportunities should be researched.

Check out the school before you accept, talk to students, look at the programs that are offered and don't pick a school because you like the colors or sports teams.

It's not enough to hear a good word about a college from a family friend or to look through a glossy brochure from the guidance counselor's office. You have to go to campus and the surrounding area and hang out. Visit the town surrounding the campus. Chill out in a local coffee shop and walk the streets downtown. Find out where the students hang out on weekends, where they go to study and where they shop. How do the locals feel about the student population? Visit the campus itself. Get a feel for the school by visiting on a weekday or an off-weekend and observe the most normal aspects of college life. What are students doing when there isn't a football game or some other spectacle going on? After all that, you've got to ask yourself, "Do I see myself here?" If you can picture yourself sitting in that coffee shop, cramming for an exam on a caffeine overload or you long to stroll across campus on a quiet Saturday with a friend from home and take in the sights, it's likely you've found your new home away from home.

I think that, first and foremost, students and parents should consider the area of study that the student wants to go into. After finding a school that will provide a good education for a desired field, then finances should be taken into account. A student should exhaust all means of helping fund their education; however, selecting a more affordable (i.e. public or in-state) college may be a wise move. Once at college, study hard, take your education and classes seriously, and don't take your classes/professors for granted. Also, make friends and attend social/college events. College can be the best time in a person's life; so each student should find a balance between academics and socializing. Most of all, enjoy college! I love it.

My best advice to future students would be to visit the college you think you want to go to. Talk to people, go to classes and see if you like what you see. You will know whether or not you click with a school pretty fast just by being on the campus. Once you get to college, make sure you look into every oppurtunity that is offered to you. You may not think something is worth your time but it could have a hidden advantage you didn't know about. You can spare five minutes of your time to make sure. Also get involved, there are 100s of clubs and groups. Its much easier to make friends and feel at home at a school once you get involved. Most importantly, study hard, your at school to learn and prepare for your future so make sure your doing that. Find a good place to study and set time aside each day to do that. Its alot harder to catch up than to stay on top of things, and you will be much less stressed out. Last but not least, have fun, college is the time of your life!

The advice I would give new college freshman is to take advantage of the activities your campus provides you with. Get involved by either joining a club, volunteering, or working. Not only will you be either making money or helping others, but it is important to meet people as early as possible. College is such an important time to make lifelong friendships and the best time to do this is as soon as you move onto campus. Let yourself go and get out and experience your new campus!

College is a defining period of young people's lives. The college you choose can change the direction of your life forever. It is crucial to know what to look for in a university before choosing one. A college's main purpose is the passing on and advancement of knowledge. The most important attribute to look for in a college is its academic strengths. Matching areas of study that you are interested in, to a college's strengths and what draws others to it will narrow your search, leaving the decision up to a few other factors. College is more than curriculum and studying. A major part is the environment and day to day life on campus. The school you choose becomes your home for the next four or more years, therefore it is integral to expose youself to the environment. Scheduling a midwinter tour will give you a more accurate perspective and idea of your future experience, and level off biased opinions of schools who's campuses you have seen in the warmer months. Taking these two factors into consideration will confine your search for what is right for you, and give you the most out of you decision.