Mount Aloysius College Top Questions

Go with your gut! I wanted to go to school to be a nurse all throughout high school, but when it came time to pick a major I changed my mind to elementary education. Two years and three majors later, I'm finally going for nursing. Also I would have told myself that taking one or two summer classes before going to school full time would have allowed me to get my feet wet and have an idea of what I was to expect come fall. Going into college at the freshman level and taking six classes to start was not easy, although I did succeed with good grades, I wish I would have known even the slightest bit how difficult it truly was going to be before jumping right in.

Don't look at college as a big scary place, it's just another step towards the bright future. Go somewhere you will feel like you belong and will have a great start at your career. College is just another obstacle in the journey towards the future.

Coming out of high school i immediately went away to college and then quit after first year. went back to school in my 40's and even though wihed I had done it sooner I am glad I am in school now as a non-traditional student. I have advised my son to not to jump right into school if heis not sure what he wants to do. I would tell myself to work and not go to school right away especially if you are not absolutley sure what you want to do. I have lived on campus and at home and not matter which you chose to do you still have to focus on your studies first and then you can become active in other activities as time allows. Don't procrastinate.

If I had the chance to go back and talk to myself a year ago, there are a few things I would tell myself. First off, I would tell myself to take college courses when I had them offered to me. That's the biggest thing I regret, I could have taken courses for free, but chose not to. That was a great chance to get ahead and be able to move faster in the future, but I turned it down. I also wish I would have applied for more scholarships and/or saved more money so that I could have helped my parents out a little more. All in all, I am happy with the way I transitioned into college, with a few minor problems.

If you are looking at a school make sure to visit the school often, during the week and during the weekend, and visit during both times of year, when it is nice out as well as when it is cold. this will help you see how the weather is on campus. Try to visit many dorms that are on campus, to determine if the student would like to stay there, some colleges dorms are not what students expect make sure you see them all. Ask current students what they think of the food, and dorm life, as well of what they think about the teachers and their classes. If you really want to see how the college life is like get permission to stay with someone on campus. Some colleges have a program where one can visit stay with a person go to their classes with them and get the full experience of what the school is really like.

The best advice I can give parents and students, is to know the campus well before making a decision. Academics are important, but how happy the student is, either living on or off campus, is just as important. Students who are not happy with the campus may witness a drop in grades. The only way to know if a campus is right, for both the parents and student, is to visit it. Do the research, visit the campus, eat the food, sit in the library and imagine yourself studying there, even stay a night on campus (some school give this option). Most schools are great with this. They are very welcoming. There are tour guides available who will show prospective students and their parents around. The campus wants the student to be happy there just as much as the student who is attending wants to be happy. A happy student is a successful student.

I would suggest visiting the campus multiple times to gather alot of insight. Talk to the students, and not just the ones giving the tours, stop and talk to some students walking to and from class, these are the students who will give you real answers about the college and what to expect. If possible, spend the night in the dorms with a student on campus to gather insight on how the campus nightlife is and the social scene to see if it is a good fit for you.

Look at a lot of different colleges before choosing one, and one close to home may not be the best. Make sure to visit the campus and know the surroundings and make sure you like them and can live there.

Pick a college that you are comfortable at. Don't just go with the "easiest' choice. It needs to be well thought out, and if you are not comfortable there, your college experience will just be miserable.

Staying close to home is a plus - you don't realize how little grown up you really are at 18 years old; but living on campus also gives a person that first taste of freedom to be "on ones own". Finding a happy medium between the distance from home and your living situation could drastically make or break your college experience.