Montana State University Top Questions

Get a better experience by getting as far away from home as you can get. People say there's no pressure to figure out what you want to do with your life, but that's a lie. There's pressure in abundance. Be smart with your money - save it. You'll need it.

I would tell parents and students to go with their gut reaction. Make sure you know the facts, make sure that what the college is advertising is true to life. Visit the school and attend a tour session. I did that with my university and found more than what i was looking for. Even if the student isn't sure what they want to do with their life, or what degree to pursue, like i did, take general courses in order to find what their true calling in life is. Once you choose the right school the rest will come naturally, look at bulletins for social events, get involved! But most of all do what makes you happy, and make sure you have a passion for whatever it is and you will reap the benefits!

Advice I would give to parents is to let there kids spread there wings. This is the point in their life where they try to figure out who they are. If they are being forced to go to a school they do not even want to attend the college experience is ruined for him/her. College is meant to be fun and taken seriously all the same time. Some advice to students is to try to the best of there ability. Do not just try to get by; get the best grades possible so that maybe him/her can graduate top of the class. Also, it is not always about school, enjoy other things around campus; take a break from the study/ academic world and relax. Students should reach out to meet new people; afterall, some may turn out to be life-long friends.. If a student has no idea what they want to be, try a little of everything, it will come to him/her, trust me.

As you go on your senior year of high school, start deciding on what type of field of study to go into as you look through your options with college. Make sure if you decide on a major like business, that you find multiple business colleges that best suite you. Once you've decided on a major and a good number of schools, next look at how far away you want to be from home. If your someone whose comfortable with the environment your living in now, then stay in it, if not look at the alternative colleges that you wish to go to that are out of state and that could be located in a city or a rural town. Personally living in a populated city could be a bit hectic, so If you don't like to be surrounded by too much drama, then look for a place that's more studious. Now that you've done that, your basically done and ready for college! All that needs to be done next is figuring out which dormitory you wish to live in, check for scholarships that are available, and what type of extracurricular activites that would interest you.

If I were to give advice to parents and/or students, I would have to advise them to visit the school that they are thinking about going to. That was how I decided on where I was going to school. Lots of campuses can look pretty in their pictures, but a student will never really know how they are going to feel on that campus unless they actually go and visit. Also, I would tell students to go and visit with the dean of their desired college, and talk about their major and what they are thinking about. In addition, take AP classes and make sure the student is aware of the scores that their desired school accepts. 20 transfer credits from when I was in high school really helped me, and allowed me to be able to take more classes that wanted to; rather than classes that I had to.

When students first get to college, the first classes seem to be just like highschool until the tests hit you hard. More studying is needed at college because the expected learned material goes beyond the homework and class notes. You have to read the book. I find the best way to read the book is to highlight repeated facts, such as stuff that was mentioned in the homework, labs, or previous tests. Also I highlight things that may seem important. Look at the teacher's notes, usually they will give you page numbers for reading further into the notes. These will most likely be on the test. Another plus side of highlighting is that when finals role around, instead of reading throught the whole book, the most likely test material is already prepared for you.

Be sure that the college fits not only your academic needs, but that you can grow as a person and be comfortable in the surroundings. College is as much about growing as a person as it is pursuing a degree. Once you find the right fit be sure to try out as many different clubs, go to sporting events, and take part in as many different activites as you can. Having the "college experience" only happens once in a life time and it is by far the most exciting and unbelievable experience anyone can ever have. Go forth, study, play, make mistakes, grow, and most of all enjoy every little adventure along the way because it will make you a much better you! Best of luck and see you on the road of life.

Find a college community that makes you comfortable, where you feel that you are accepted as your own person. Once you get to college I advise you to get involved right away and serve the campus/community as soon as you get to campus. Going Greek is one of the best decisions you could make that will give you a great place to start finding opportunities and create connections that will last for the rest of your life!

I believe intuition is important in making this decision. I narrowed down this decision the way most people do; in state, considered a good school and inexpensive. When I was left with only a few choices I went with the one that felt right. I met a man in the dorm rooms my freshmen year and at the time I literally hated myself. I told him at the beginning I was there because of a gut feeling, believing this experience would change me. I ran into him last semester (I'm a senior), and he could hardly believe how much I'd changed, he even thought I was in love because I was just that happy. I took a homeopathy class and my professor introduced me to Aikido, which I originally joined because I thought it was beautiful and I ended up finding myself surrounded with more love and joy than I ever thought was possible. The real irony was this man was an old friend of my professor from several years back and when I found that out I could actually see how perfect everything came together. Going with what you feel is right is always your safest bet.

Make friends, ones to study with and ones to socialize with. Also, I feel like making sure the college or department you want to attend satisfys your needs. Some schools offer programs but might not be a strong program at that university. Also, check with finacial aid and see if they are going to help you. Make sure you get what you want out of college!