Monmouth University Top Questions

Our American culture grooms us to seek immediate gratification. Nothing will cripple the dreams of a college education or a successful life faster than succumbing to the ideology that your desires must be met ?now?. Realize that regardless of your age, every decision you make has an impact on your dreams. Living and deciding for the moment makes a fool of someone failing to consider the long-term effects. Consider the financial ramifications of debt and what it really means to ?bank on the future?. Consider the personal obligations and possibilities (positive and negative) in relationship decisions. Consider what activities benefit your long-term goals when planning your daily and weekly schedule. Consider the gain of delayed gratification, temporary discomfort, or atypical solutions to typical problems. Life is lived moment by moment, but decisions must be made with the future in mind. Abiding in the "immediate gratification" ideology will impede the success you ultimately desire, not only with respect to college, but also in respect to your life.

If I could travel back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself that college is a lot of reading and taking notes is not that hard. Because of the summer I was told by many people that college is so difficult and many people are not prepared for the experience but, I would tell myself to just relax and forget what all these other people were saying. I was very stressed and nervous over the summer and I wish that my summer before college did not feel that way because I feel that I should have been excited for this experience. I would also tell myself that I would make tons of new friends and enjoy a decent amount of my classes. I believe this would help calm me down and help me enjoy myself one last time as a high school student.

I would travel farther away from home to really experience college life and challenge myself. Out of the state, or better yet, out of the country!

I would have told myself to challenge myself more in high school and take harder classes. I should have not taken the easy way out, and gone that extra mile, because college is always asking for that extra little bit to make you pop out and establish yourself as an individual. I would tell my high school self that I needed to learn the material on my own, and not always depend on my teacher. I wish my high school self could see my college self. I believe my high school self would be telling my college self to calm down and relax and that I can make it through this with hard work and devotion.

Right now it seems like everything is moving way too fast. With prom and finals, graduation and SATs, everything seems like a blur. And although all of this is very exciting, it's also very scary. I mean, this is the rest of your life here. You're jumping off the high school diving board and falling straight into the college world, a place full of more possibilities than you even knew existed. College is pure, undiluted life without curfews, sans parental rules, and practically void of supervision. And if you think high school life is a blur, you're in for a wild ride because from here on out things will only get crazier. But don't let it intimidate you! Don't let all the possibilities pass you by! Get involved; make friends; be crazy! And learn with every step you take, not just formulas, grammar, and philosophies of literature, but also learn about life; learn how to enjoy the moments of ecstasy with new friends, and most importantly learn to savor all of the possibilities in front of you. Be brave; go with courage to unexplored paths, and you will succeed.

My little brother is actually a senior in high school this year and he has been searching for the right college. Our parents are in the middle of a divorce, so he feels a lot of pressure to make the right choice and be cost effective for my parents. I was sure to tell him that it is very nerve racking and stressful during the application process, but it becomes much easier later on. Also that he should pick whatever he thinks is best for him, because is not right to listen to what other people want all the time. A person should be happy in their decision and feel comfortable where they are. Finally I told him that it may be difficult at first, but you ease into the school after a little. Once you find a good friend group and become more comfortable, school can be like a second home, like it has become for me.

Advice I would give my younger self would be to have an open mind going into college, that no opportunity should be passed up out of fear of failing or of the unknown. I would tell myself that the hardest things usually reap the greatest rewards, and also that priority will become a word used in everyday vocabulary. I would tell myself to stay smart, meet a lot of people, and stay connected to my teachers, oh and to always check my email, because that is where a lot of good information comes in. Most importatly I would tell myself to remain true to my own happiness, and what I want to do with my life, and that it is ok to change my mind in order to figure out what is best for my future. That change does not mean failure, but just better self discovery.

I had no clue what I wanted to major in college, even while I was in college. I eventually chose psychology as a major and ended up going to graduate school for Educational Counseling. As a senior in high school I would have laughed in someone's face if they told me that I would one day have a Master degree. I was unmotivated during most of high school and only did enough to get by. If I could go back I would encourage myself to spend time researching schools and programs. I accepted that I would go to a Community College without a thought. Now I realize I did not even explore other options. I work as a high school guidance counselor currently and I tell the seniors that the most important thing they should be doing right now is researching schools and taking their SATs. I invite my students to meet with me one on one to go over their ideas. I often wish I could go back and reseach schools with myself. However, I may have picked something different to major in and I have been successul in the career I chose. I have no regrets.

If someone were to ask me for advice on finding the right college to attend, my first piece of advice would be pick a school where you feel comfortable. There is no point in going to a school where you would have to feel like you would have to change to make it through. In addition to that I would also say choose a school that has a good program in your interested area of study. If the school you choose does not have a program for the course of study you want to persue than the chances of you being happy are slim to none. Bottom line, Choose the school that feels best to you

To Students: Make sure you choose the college that suits your personality, and get involved as much as possible on campus. This is expecially important even if you decide to commute. To Parents: Don't force your child to go to a school that you want he or she to go to. Make sure the school they choose is their own choice, but keep the financials in mind.

Pick a school based on your major, the size and the inital feel for it when you visit. College is what you make of it. If you choose to stay home and not make friends or be to shy and quiet your most likely not going to have fun. GET INVOLVED

I believe that above all, you should go with your heart. I applied to about four schools, and the one I chose in the end was the most expensive, but upon going on a tour of the school, I felt that this is where I would feel the most comfotable. If you do not feel comfortable and do not see yourself being able to succeed in that environment, then eliminate that from your choice because you probably will not last long if you cannot picture yourself liking it there. Do not make your decision on family/significant others. To make the most out of your college experience, get involved. Participate in class and get to know your peers. These may be people you will have in your life for a long time. Also, academics come first, but become part of a club or social organization. Find people who have the same interests as you, and your college experience will completely be fulfilled. You will people you can never imagine your life without. Sooner or later, you will look back and wonder where all of the time went. So take advantage of your opportunities and do what's right for you.

The school should be where you are compfortable it is essentially your new life. You will live, learn, and experience at this college so feeling that compfort will help the transition. Also see what activities the school offers because a lot of social life revolves around this aspect as well as a great learning experience. It will be a great time and it should be, these are the essential building blocks to leading our generation to become so much greater. Finding the right college will create a strong sense of belonging to the college experience and really being involved and having a love for what you do as a student will make the college of your choice right. Believe in yourself and give all you have, there isn't much more you can ask if you do that.

Don't follow what others are doing; choose a school based on what it can offer you and whether or not you feel you will fit it. For parents, let their child make the choice for themselves, be supportive and encouraging but do not try to control their decision. In order to make the most of a college experience, be friendly and open, but be yourself and take part in activities that interest you rather than what others are doing. The best way to make long lasting friends is to meet them doing activites that you care about. In order to get the best education possible, you must work hard and put classes first. Once you get your work done, there will still be time for fun and socializing. You will get out of your college experience as much as you put into it, so the more you work at it, both socially and academically, the more successful you will be.

I first visited Monmouth University in my senior year of high school and as soon as I arrived on the campus, I felt like I was home. The most important thing in finding the right school for yourself is finding a school that makes you feel like you belong. It's a huge step to move away from home and finding a school where you feel like your at home again makes everything easier. Going to college is another chapter of your life and it should be exciting but it will also be scary. If you've found the right school, you will thrive and you will accomplish things that you never dreamed you could. You must love where you are to really show your true colors. So when visiting your prospective schools its's important to love what they can offer, but it's also very important to feel like you belong and want to call your new school home.

I would tell parents and students to get involved because that sort of activity really helps you to meet new people. Look for a college where you think you would feel comfortable in terms of being close or far enough from home.

Do not choose a college based on name or location, examine the your major of choice and see if the classes and direction the program heads in is right for you!

Finding the right college is very imortant. However, if youre an adaptable person, youll find the right people to have a great time with, and sometimes inevitably become life long friends. Have as much fun as possible, because its the best 4 or 5 years of your life, however, dont get caught up with too much that your time is imbalanced between work and fun. Gotta do work, but the rewards for the fun part are worth it.

Go on toures of the campus and neighborhoods around the campus. I almost went to another school that would have been horrible. Make a decision based on education, not sports or a "party" atmosphere.

Parents: You might have a college in mind that you want your child to go to (maybe where you went) or you might want your child to follow in your footsteps but the bottom line is freshmen year at college is probably the most memorable so let you kids choose and support them at whatever it is they want to do as much as they my not act liek they want your support they not only want it but they need it. Student: In order to make the most of your college experience you number one have to have fun because if your not having fun you will get depressed and that only leads to negatve things. with this being said you cannot have too much fun their needs to be a balance. This will be the first time a lot of you live away from home but you need to remember your grades and your degree will determine your future. So you need to staay focused and remember the real reason you are their is to learn and expand you knowledge (not to party).