Radford University Top Questions

Visit as many colleges as you can to fully understand where you are potentially going to be spending the next few years of your life.

Start looking early. I started my senior year, and even though I feel comfortable at my college, I wish I had looked around more. Students, look at every college you want too, don't be turned-off to a college because you think it's too expensive or far away. You might be surprised as to what you like, and there is always financial aid and scholarships to help off-set the costs. Parent's, be helpful with your children... this is an exciting time for them and they need your support. Be willing to travel with them to potential colleges and don't pressure them to go to a school that you like. Students, once you have found the right school, GET INVOLVED! Look into activities that you enjoy, or that you want to try. This will hep you meet new people, keep you busy, and keep your mind off missing home. Involvement will also help you feel more connected with your school. Don't be afraid to change your major either, this is what college is about, finding what's right for you, and finding your place in this world!

When visiting a college if you feel overwelmed just visiting, then it is not the right school. Also don't pick a school just because your best friend goes there, pick it because they have your major and you know you will be happy there.

Students need to pick the college that is right for THEM; not their parents or anyone else. Students should also visit all the colleges they plan on applying to as this gives them a better taste of what college they're really into. Also, make sure you keep and active social life; get involved with school and make lots of friends. You don't really want to sit in your dorm all the time, do you? Be open to new ideas and pick the college that YOU feel is right for you. And if it doesn't work out after a year, you can always transfer. Even if you don't know what you want to major in, going to college and trying out majors will more than likely help you find one.

The best advice I can give is: do not choose a college for undergrad based solely on prestige. Choose a college based on their programs in a major you might want to pursue and the opportunities that come with that major. Perhaps even more important to your college experience is the location and atmosphere of the campus. You want to choose a college in a location that has a climate that is not too hot or cold based on your preferences. Also, make sure you choose a campus location that suits you; chose a city campus if you like a city environment and a country location if you enjoy the outdoors. For both parents and students: your undergraduate years do not need to be spent at a big or Ivy League school- it just needs to be somewhere where your student will love learning, have fun, and get the most out of their college experience. When searching for the right college, make sure it is an atmosphere that will bring many years of enjoyment and many memorable experiences. When you as a student look back, you want your college experience to be the bast time of your life.

I believe that the best thing parents can do is allow their children to choose a school where they feel the most comfortable. Many parents pressure their children to choose a certain school because of its prestige or because of history. I feel that the more comfortable a student is in an educational enviornment, the better they will do with studies as well as having a healthier outlook on life outside of college. I think that the best advice a parent could receive would be that they, as the parent, should visit the schools that their child is interested in and support whatever decision the child makes, regardless of personal preference.

I would tell them to make sure that they are picking somewhere that they feel safe and comfortable but they are still going to be challanged daily. Make sure that you pick a school that is where you want to be not just because your parents went there and that the parents be understanding and open to their child going where they want. College is where your future becomes a reality.

You should go visit more than one college even if you are dead set in going to a paticular college, even if you think you want to go to a big school you should look at the smaller schools and vice versa. You need to make sure you talk to students on the campus and ask them questions about their major and teachers and find out about what kind of activities the campus holds. Do not listen to the rumors you have heard about schools or let that be a deciding factor in where you go, every school has a reputation of some sort but you are the one who makes all the choices when you are at the school. Do not pick a school because all of your friends are going their either, you should make the choice on what benefits you. Also remember to relax during this process and that you are trying out the schools as much as they are for you!

When picking a school, choose the one that makes you feel at home during your visit. You'll be spending four years of your life there, so make sure it's a place that you feel comfortable. As a new freshman, get involved in everything that you can! Meet new people, go to events, and find out everything your school and the surrounding area has to offer you, but don't forget to work hard in your classes and develop good study habits early. Most importantly, dream big while you're in college! Anything is possible while you're there, but the experience is only what you make it.

When searching for a college, it is most important to find a college that will allow you flexibility in your studies. Many well known and respected colleges have very strict programs that make you feel like an item on an assembly line, and this is a negative if you consider yourself a creative individual. Even if you are interested in the hard sciences, fidning a college that allows flexibility in your studies above all else is crucial to a successful college experience. Look for original honors programs, independent study courses, and applied study courses as signs that the university offers an experience geared toward the individual student wants. Make the distinction between faculty that are interested in teaching and faculty that are interested in their own research, and appreciate the former for their dedication to your education and to the student body rather than their own interests. Find a college that offers a vast diversity of studies with a diversity of courses, and a low student/professor ratio. Above all, college is what you make of it, so don't neglect to get involved when oppotunity knocks and accept the challeges your heart desires.