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!

First, I would tell the parents and students to talk to current students at the school. I worked as an orientation leader for MSU Admissions, and I know first hand that the school will always talk themselves up and say all the good things about themselves to make it sound more appealing to the students. If parents/students talk to actual students and get their perspective they can have a much better mind set as to what they should expect when first entering college. Also, it might also be best to talk to students who are currently in the same major that the student is interested in. Second, I would tell the parents/students to come and actually sit in on a regular class. During orienation they put on a sample class, but again, they do all the fun things that happen throughout the semester in this one class. It is not a very accurate representation of the classes. I would suggest sitting in on a couple classes that covers the materials of the major the student is interested in when they actually come to college.

You have to go and visit the campus, do your research, talk to the students there and find out what they like best about the college and see if those things are what you would enjoy too. Make sure the college has a couple of areas of study you might be interested in, just incase you decided part way through that its time to change majors.

Parents and students need to first take a look at whether the school offers the programs of study the student is interested in. If the school offers this degree program, then the student needs to find out how much it costs to attend each year. After widdling down there choices with these methods a student will then find a school that is best suited to them academically and economically. A few other considerations should be taken into account, however. If the student is interested in sports they would need to research the sports programs offered at there desired schools, and also if the student is a very social person, what kind of social activities are available to them. A final area of concern for them is the availability of financial aid and work study. These are all things which I would recommend a parent and student research before choosing which school to attend.

Whatever college you decide on will be the right one. College is expensive but not everything will be spoon fed to you. Believe it or not, you will need to look around outside of class if you want to really get your money's worth. It would be best not to lean too heavily on everyone around you because this is the time to learn how to deal with the state of independence you have been thrown into.

Don't consider one thing. And faculty to class size ration is extremely important. Also don't listen to your parents.

The best advice that I can think of is to get involved with some sort of group or organization on campus, or affiliated with campus. Sometimes even more than one group can be beneficial in order to get maximum involvement. My reason behind this is because many people come to school completely focused on school only, and don't allow time for their personal lives, and thus suffer socially. Even though groups may interfere with school work at times, it is better to judge how to juggle the problems offered by school and the group, for then you learn how to be responsible. It's one thing to be responsible for yourself, but learning how to be somewhat responsible for and with others is a learning experience you sometimes won't get in the regular classroom, but it is an experience and asset that is essential and/or helpful in many careers and jobs. Get involved and learn to be responsible while socializing and still working hard in school.

Make sure the students best interest is in mind first. Also consider important things like money, distance, and living situations. Make sure that they have as much fun as they can and get invovled with as much as possible because its all about oppurtunity. Dont be afraid to say hi first and learn new things and stay focused in class because its easy to get distracted. There is a fine balance between social life and studies and you get what you put in.

Making the most of your college experience is easy. Remember to do your homework, take advantage of services offered to you, and most importantly, just have fun. You do not need to have the next ten years of your life planned out in order to start going to school and broadening your future horizon.

My greatest suggestion is to pick a school to fit your personality. Most degrees are offered at campuses across the nation. Pick a school atmosphere that fits well with you. Yes, college is a time to branch out and try new things but a huge culture shock can be detramental to new students. If you do find a school environment that you do enjoy, try to find three more and then make your choice. Don't just jump at the first school you like.

Visit colleges! Ask questions! Be persistent!