Missouri State University-Springfield Top Questions

The most important thing to consider when trying to find the right college is how comfortable you think you would be at each particular school. You may find a school that has everything you want, but find that once you visit the campus, you feel uncomfortable or out of place. You need to be able to feel at "home" while you are at school. If you don't, you will always wonder if that is really the place you should be. In order to make the most of your college experience, I suggest that you make alot of friends and step out of your box and try new things such as clubs or sports. Take some classes that interest you instead of just boring required classes. Work hard, but also make sure you have time to have fun too! College is about finding yourself and finding the right path for the rest of your life. Don't let it just fly by without enjoying the ride, but at the same time, don't be stupid and ignore the workload. Having a good college experience requires a good balance between work and fun.

One piece of advice I would offer a student is to always keep your door to your room open. My freshmen year, I had 1 roommate. The best way to meet people is to keep your door open . It was amazing how many people randomly walked in to my room the first weeks of school. In fact, that is how I met one of my best college friends. She stopped in and we clicked immediately. Since then, we have traveled to each other?s hometowns, took a weekend vacation to Branson, and even gotten involved in the same campus activities.. A piece of advice I would offer parents is to communicate with your child often. As a freshman, I found hard to be away from my parents. Living 3 and 1/2 hours away, it was even harder for me not being able to go back home. Keeping in touch with my family helped me enjoy college more. I would sayifamilies need to set up a schedule to contact each other. I found that by having this connection with my family back home, my college experience was a lot more enjoyable and made the transition a lot more bearable.

Make sure it got your major, it's an appropriate distance from home, and there are activities are interesting to you. Money and the such will take care of itself so don't worry.

The key for college students to choosing a college today is finding a college that is easy to change careers, as many students do end up changing their majors. However, with today?s economy it is necessary to go to a school that has a good amount of its students receiving jobs after graduation. A place that is affordable, so that there will be as little debt as possible when graduation comes. It is also important to find an environment that fits your personality in size and the area around the college. It is also beneficial to have a college that takes their academics seriously with friendly and helpful professors, so you will feel more motivated to make the grade and it is easy to get help from the instructors. Also find a place where you can easily find hands on experience with your future career as employers will look for it on your resume.

Asking questions, especially about financial issues, degrees programs, etc is a big help in finding which college is right for you and your budget. It is also beneficial to visit the campus before attending. I visited several schools before choosing a college. Some of them put me off immediately and some of them made me like the school better than I thought. In order to make the most of your college experience, it is definitely best to get involved. Sometimes, I regret not being more involved in school activities. It's probably the best way, or one of the best ways, to meet people. College is about being on your own, learning to do things for yourself. Everyone else is going through the same thing, so meeting people, and developing a support group is really beneficial to you. Together, you all learn about life. Finally, study abroad! This was definitely one of the best decisions I made in college. Even if you don't know another language, there are definitely opportunities still. Studying in Spain, I gained a different perspective on the world, tried new foods, and met new people (some Americans!). I will never forget that experience. EVER.

I originally applied to my state?s public university as a back-up, never expecting to go there. However, due to a plethora of circumstances, that was exactly where I found myself. I was disappointed at first; it was nothing like what I had pictured. But two years later, I could not imagine myself anywhere else. So, I have two pieces of advice. First, go for what you love. In today's economy, no jobs in any field are guaranteed, and life is too short to spend it doing something you don't enjoy. One of the reasons I have grown to love my school is its incredible acting program. I was able to look past aspects that were different from what I originally wanted because I was learning so much and having so much fun in my major. This brings me to my second piece of advice: keep an open mind. Life does not always work out as perfectly as we would like. However, that does not mean that it cannot turn out even better than we imagined. Do not be afraid to compromise. Never settle, but know that sometimes the unexpected can lead to great things.

I think campus visits are extremely important. You get a first hand experience of what the community is like, how the food tastes, and what the people are like. Don't be afraid to test as many as you want out! When you find the right University, I would definitely stress that while at college, remember that you are there to learn. It is very easy to get distracted and fall behind. When you're done with school, whether or not you have memories from the biggest parties, or going out almost every night, the thing that matters most is your degree. If you do your schoolwork first, there will be time to go out. So just take it easy, enjoy it while you can, and study!

I would like to tell students to start finding funding options in your area for school early. Try for as many scholarships as possible and do as well in high school as possible so you can have many options as for schools to attend. Parents: push your child to succeed. They may not like it now but in the end they will thank you. Make sure they start finding funding options early. Encourage them to do their best in high school becuase it will greatly affect them in college. Once you are in college, study hard and have fun along the way. College is a great time to meet new people that are interested in the same things as you are and that may end up being your friends for the rest of life. Enjoy the college years because they are your last "hoorah" before life in the real-world. Study hard, have fun, start early!

Look at all the campuses you can weigh the pro's and con's. Then go with your gut. Have an open mind about what you try at college. You are never above anybody. Dont be afraid to have fun and be responsible with school.

Really think about what you want to do and go for the things that may seem hard now because it will be worth it in the end when you have a degree that will be useful to you and than you can get a good job. Life isn't easy and getting your degree will help even if it seems daunting. Go for it!

When you're trying to decide what college you want to go to make sure that it's a college that you really think you would enjoy going to. Don't just go there because it happens to have a really good program for your chosen major, especially since there's a pretty good chance you will be changing your major. When I chose Missouri State University, not only did I realized it had a good art program and spanish program, but I really liked the school (the campus, the atmosphere, the different activities and housing that it offered). I even really like the town. I think it's important to go to a good school, but it's also important to go to a school that you will enjoy. Because chances are that if you didn't enjoy school while you were advancing up through your chosen area, you might not like your future career very much. So pick a college you'll enjoy!

My advice to parents and students about finding the right college is to DO YOUR RESEARCH! Look the school up online, take a tour, walk around campus and try to picture yourself there, and ask questions; lots of questions. It is important to ask yourself; ?Does this college offer the classes I need to complete the degree of my choice?? ?Is this campus diverse enough?? ?Is the campus too far from home?, it is questions like these that are important to you and your educational experience. At the end of the day what matters is that you are happy with the college of your choosing because only you can determine your own happiness!

Finding the right town is key in knowing which college is best for you. I encourage anyone to visit all the schools they have interest in. I have be enrolled in two different colleges in two different states and the community makes a big difference in how comfortable you are.

Be very familiar with the academic calender as far as when one can add/drop classes as well as receive refunds. Do not let professors or adminstration give you the run-around, as they will continue to take advantage of you if you are not persistent. Read outside of class! You cannot always depend on your professor to provide with you a comprehensive education and books broaden your imagination, thinking skills, expression, and make you a more interesting person over all. You'll find that if you read a lot, you'll always have an edge on other students. Do not be afraid to be who you are on campus; chances are there are several others just like you, but are still waiting to find one another. Grades aren't everything; all assignments are negotiable. Be familiar with your campus policies concerning discrimination. Visit with your professors during their office hours; chances are they'll end up offering to pay for drinks sometime at which point you can learn MORE about him/her and their specialties (and humor).

My advise is mostly to students who are planning to attend college. PREPARE EARLY in your hight school career. Start taking college prep courses during your high school years . Be sure to check the entrance requirements for the college you are planning to attend. Ensure you have all the requirements met and, if possible, go beyond the requirements. Take each class seriously and don't waste time thinking "I've got four years to do this - I'm going to have some fun." Work hard in high school to take the best advantage of any scholarshop money that is out there. Apply early and often. As far as advice for parents goes - I would start working with your student during the sophomore year in high school. FInd out what their interests are and try to be supportive in their career choices. Be there for advice and guidance. Once their interests and career choice is made - assist them in scouting college in that particular field. Be sure to pay particular attention to the tuition and financial responsibility that you will incur. College costs are skyrocketing and you must choose wisely to get the best bang for your buck.

Find a college that is comfortable to you in terms of location, interests, and size. Make sure you get involved. You will add so much value to your in class experiences if you experience the supplemental parts to your education. The sororities and fraternities are perfect to make life-long friends. However, there is more to the college life, such as organizations specific to your major and/or other interests you might have. Sports or music might be for you. If you are an arts person, make sure you find the college with all that variety. My college had all of these experiences, and I am glad I took part and tried everything.

Do not let money deter you from going to the college you want to go to. I went far away because of a more economical college choice and I am not at peace with my choice. Go where you feel comfortable because it will be your home for 4 years.

The most critical factors when selecting what college is right for you are: field, prestige, and affordability. First, one must determine what career they want to pursue, then examine which schools' are strongest in that job market. Second, decide wheather the school is nationally recognized and will stand out in ones resume when entering the world of work. Third, and most critical factor when selecting a university is affordability. If one cannot pay the tuition, it would be futile to consider the school. In short a prospective college student should determine the strongest, most renown school for their desired career, then carfully decide if the selected school is within their monetary means. Lastly, visit the university, check out its facilities, meet some proffesors in your desired department and ask their opinions of your future plans; they are trained experts and most will be more than happy to assist you in any way they can, their advice is extremly valuable. If the college is in accord with your field, is a recognized school, and is affordable, then it is an appropriate school to attend. However, one should always vist several colleges before determining which school is the proper fit.

My advice on finding the right college is to take the time to research each one you are considering and visiting the campus, riding the shuttles, and talking with students. To make the most of your college experience you need to take your education seriously. There are many clubs and extra curricular activities to get involved in. It's OK to get involved as you need a social life, however, again take your education seriously and don't let social activities affect your performance. That said, balance is the key. You don't want to be so serious about your education that you lose sight of your needs socially, emotionally, and spiritually.

I would tell the parent that their child needs to visit the college and get feedback on how they feel about the campus and the surrounding area. They need to feel as the university is like there home and have the security from that when they are away from home. I would also say that they need to make sure that the school is available to help out wit hthe student has anyquestions or needs help. Also the school needs to have what field the child wnats to study in.