Montana State University Top Questions

The student needs to be confortable with the school they are attending. I came to this school because I love the outdoors and was looking for a school that taught Engineering. MSU was an obvious choice, being that it is very class and outdoors oriented. The best thing for a student to do, is to get a grasp at what they might want to study. Find the schools that provide a good education in that field, and visit them. When they find the school that just feels right, then they have found the best school that they can attend. Parents need to be attentive and supportive of their children, and attempt to help in anyway possible, but when push comes to shove, the student should make the decision about which school to go to. It is their future.

To find the right college and make the most of the college experience, go somewhere where the environment fits what you enjoy and are comfortable in. Talk to professors and get a feel for their teaching style, and the mood of the school before making your decision. During school, get involved as much as possible with student life because that is the easiest way to meet people and make friends.

It is imperative to search the internet for your schools that you might be interested in and then go an visit those schools and the towns they are located in. It is very important that you like the town that the University you want to go to is located in. I saw several schools that I thought were better than the one I ended up going to, but they were located in really desolate or impoverished areas with little in the way of activities or stores.

The college has to work for you. Go visit the colleges that you are interested in. Attend some classes if you get the chance. You may be suprised when you actually go and visit the campus and you may change your mind. Also look into total costs for each school and compare your options to get the best deal.

Get your financial aid done early.

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When I first began looking at schools to attend, I was caught up in prestige and finding a small school that was perfect for me. Once I actually got into it, though, I realized that there were no small colleges perfect for me. A bigger school provides a lot more choices and allows for flexability in academic pathways. For a student who knows exactly what they want to study, a smaller school may be more appropriate, but a nice medium-sized school gives multiple opportunities combined with the choice of class size. As for the prestige, a college experience is what one makes it. Montana State doesn't come with a lot of accolade, but I feel like I can push myself just as hard as I want to and learn what I want to learn without being forced into it. To make the most of a college experience, it is important to just put ones self out on a limb and get into whatever seems the most interesting, be it research, community service, or skiing, the student always makes the decision as to what is important.

Don't be too concerened what you want to do with the rest of your life, it is ok to attend college and still have no idea what you want to do. It is ok to not know what you want to do. Make sure you choose a college thats right for you, not your parents. Make sure you choose a major thats right for you, not your parents. Friends you make in college will become lifelong friends.

College has been the best time of my life thus far. Getting a good education is obviously the primary reason to go to college, but enjoying the experience the entire time is also crucial. Find a college which offers activities you enjoy in an enviroment that feels comfortable and natural. In college, the social life one encounters is probably richer and more fun than it will be at any other point in life, and it's important to take full advantage of it. There is no universal solution for finding the right college, it is just something that you know and inherently feel is right. Don't let yourself be pressured into choosing a campus that doesn't interest you, because it would be a shame to waste what could potentially be the best years of your life. Keep your brain on academics and your heart on happiness and let the chips fall where they may.

Academics is the most important part of college obviously, but be sure to factor in everything else as well. Without having such a supportive campus and group of girls (my team) around me I would not have been successful. It is important that in addition to academics you find a campus and surrounding community that interests you. I picked Montana State because of the volleyball and academic opportunities, but really fell in love with it because of the wonderful outdoor opportunities in nearby national forests and national parks. The academics taught me everything I know and prepared me for life, but the hiking, backpacking and fishing kept me sane throughout the process.

My advice to parents and students about finding the right college is make sure that you either know what you want to get a degree in or just find a campus that fits your personality. Never go for friends or what other people want to do because that will not get you anywhere in your career. Make sure that you are ready for school and ready for what is all going to come with going to that particular school that you choose. There will be things that you will need to adjust to, to get used to your new environment, but that is not always bad because it makes you become more dependent and find more things about yourself. Always try new things and go a little ways out of your comfort zone.

If you don't know what you want to do, don't try to figure it out in college. If you attend college and can't figure out what you want, and then take break in the middle, all of a sudden bills and loans pile up! It can be very intimidating... I am not the typical case study for loving academia, but I knew what I wanted and jumped right into education and am taking the steps to where I want to go. I am paying for alot of my education myself, and if I didn't have the confidence of knowing what I wanted to do with my life, I would be alot worse off. Making the most of college for me is very self driven. I am starting on the path to making my life something that I am proud of, and worthy of my time and talent. Therefore, the sense of pride I am gaining from going to college with be reflected in my entire life.

The right college is particular to the student. Keep this in mind. The best to some is not the best for all. I advise visiting the campus, talking to the proffesors, and asking the students in order to get a feel for the campus. Think through the choices, don't just go somewhere because it's the "cool thing." Once at school, it's important to put yourself out there. College will suck if you don't streach yourself. Try new things, and make friends with those you might not agree with. Finally, find a ballence between school and play. Don't focus so much on school that you loose sight of your social life. But since you're going to college to learn, it's important that you don't loose perspective on that either! Most of all, hav fun!

Visit the campus and sit in on a class or two before committing

Really push yourself and get out of your comfort zone by going to a school away from home and not where everyone else is going. To the parents: support you kids, go to parents week, make often visits, and send care packages!

Find a setting that you enjoy and a mix of people that you would get a long with and have similar interests as the student. Parents, find a place that you can afford and not be stressing about.

Finding the right college can definetly make or break your college experience in my opinion. I would advise students and parents to check out all schools that are of interest. Look at the environment, does it include activities you love, how's the weather, what is the size? I also think that it's so important to participate that first year in group activities, whether it be inside your dorm, at a job, recreational activity, in the gym, whatever it may be, that first year is where you can make some of the best friends you'll ever meet, and make unforgetable memories, which is just as important as recieving a great education. On a more serious note however, make sure that you like what your school does in your area of interest. Do they prep you for the real world? Do they give you the skills you need? Do they offer financial aid or scholarships in your major area? All in all, don't hold back, and give it your all while in school, because what you give is what you'll get out of it!

Visit the school and talk to the the upper classmen. They have been through it and can give you more insight into what your real questions may be.

Just know what you want to do before you go, and look into the school that you want to go to because you want one that offers alot such as academic help, extra curricular activities etc.

Look into getting scholarships and realying less on student loans.