Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Top Questions

To the students and their parents: While finding the right college out of thousands and thousands may seem an overwhelming feat, it might be easier than you think. First of all, do NOT choose a school simply because of scholarships and discounts; these are only perks and do not result in ultimate happiness at a particular school. Choose a school based on your interests such as what classes you might like to take, what activities you might like to be involved in, what sorts of other activities and resources might be available (restaurants, theaters, parks, malls, etc.), even what kind of weather you might enjoy studying in. The best way to discover what is right is not going to be just through pictures, though. Talk to as many people affiliated with a school you may be interested in (phone, email, in person) and make sure to visit the school. Most importantly, pay attention to what YOU want and what you know you will need. Everything else should fall into place just splendidly. Also, if the school doesn't end up being the one, transferring is not impossible! Enjoy your search, and good luck!

Make sure to visit A LOT of different schools. Even if you don't intend on going to them, you should have something to compare with. Never follow your friends. The friends you have in high school probably won't be the ones you have in college. Get involved from the start! The faster you meet new friends, the easier the transition and the more fun you will have. Finally, Make sure you get the overall college experience. Grades are very important but so is socializing. Focus on school but a social life is just as important.

College is all about your personal tastes. When attending a large university, one needs to find smaller groups to be able to settle in. When attending a smallere university, students need to find things off campus to get involved with. College is also about growing up as a person. Experience new things and go on some adventures. Have fun but be safe. Try traveling a little and get out of your comfort zone. Now is the time to make some new discoveries, before you have any true responsibilities like a family.

It has to have to curriculum that you are looking! You got to go and visit the university! You have to love the campus where you will spent every day for the next 4 or 5 years of your life. You have to love the people attitudes around you, those will be your friends for the rest of your life, you have to love the student spirit. You will need someone to motivate you to keep going on! And if you love every single aspect of this you will get the right school. Not always is about getting into Harvard or MIT is about getting the right place for you and your needs.

I would tell students to go on as many campus tours as possible to get a feel for the different campuses. It's extremely helpful to ask current students of the college questions about the different aspects of the school. Once the school has been selected the student can make the most of the college experience by joining different clubs and talking to fellow classmates. Finding a balance between academics and social events will make for the perfect college experience.

Find somewhere that offers a balance between great academics and social experiences. You can only do it once.

When professors and administrators tell you to attend class, listen to them and follow through.

As a current college student, my advice would be to search around for various colleges surrounding your interests. Go to the campuses and explore your options. When you have options, you have choices to build on your future. Try to find that magical fit. It will make your college experience much easier. College is supposed to be rewarding; it is your bridge into adulthood. Try to make the most of this learning process by engaging in new activities. If you have not tried a certain sport, invite friends and play. Attend social events to meet various types of people and learn different cultures. College is different from high school. It is not surrounded by cliques or SATs any longer. It is about making decisions and experiencing the freedom to live your life.

When applying to colleges, I had no idea what to deem as my first choice. Before completing any other applications, I had recieved my "Congratulations" from Penn State for being accepted. This being said, I did not put a whole lot of effort into choosing the right college, since it seems that Penn State really chose me. What advice I can give is about making the most of a college experience. Although the main reason a student attends a college or university is to attain high grades and eventually find a great job, there are other important experiences one should undergo in order to fully appreciate college. After three years of college completed, I'm starting to realize that sometimes studying for that test an extra few hours is not worth missing your friend's birthday party or a football game tailgate. In ten years you will most likely remember the tailgate and not how you could have scored a few points higher on a relatively unimportant test. Finding the right balance between school and fun is important, but as my dad always says, "You have to work hard to play hard!"

If you know what you would like to major in, try to pick a college that is known for that particuluar subject area. If you do not know, then pick a college that has a large selection of majors so when you do decide what you would like to do, you can easily choose it. Another factor in determining the right college is how far you want to be from home, and the size/population of the school. If you are hesitant to attend a large college, but must go there due to your major of choice, there are many ways to overcome the fear or anxiousness of large classes. The best way is to sit up front in all of your classes because you get to know the teachers, and you will forget about the hundreds of people sitting behind you. You can always make a large campus small, but you can't make a small campus large.