Saint Louis University Top Questions

I would tell all the parents out there that it is important that they let their child go and explore as many colleges as possible and early in their high school career. My mom let me go explore every possible school I was interested in applying too before my junior year came around. When you go and visit a campus you can experience for yourself the atmosphere of the school and you can really see what they have to offer. I know people say that you know where you belong after you go and visit, and I believe this statement. I went to visit SLU and I fell in love. I immediately felt a connection to the university and knew that I wanted it to be my alma mater. To make the most out of your college experience, I would have to say that it is important to get involved. This doesn't mean you have to participate in greek life, but get involved in different organizations around campus. Also, go out into your community and lend a hand. It is important to give back to our communities escpecially because you will be living there for the next four years.

Know yourself before you pick a school. You want to be sure you know what is available to you now and in your future. So many people change their major and their tastes as they go to college, so it is important to leave yourself room to grow. Stay a night at the school if you can, test the waters without your comfort zone surrounding you (family/current friends). The college you chose is just that, YOUR choice . Make sure it matches your interests, your desires, and your needs. College is the time to learn more about yourself so don't hold back, take chances, and get involved in what you like. Good luck!

Parents, do not pressure your children into going to a certain university. If students choose for themselves, they will be much more likely to enjoy themselves and succeed. Base your choice off of what you think you would like and if something isn't what it seems, it is certainly not the end of the world. About making the most of your college experience, go into whatever it is you are doing with an open mind because you may find that you like something more than you'd think. Try different things and give 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} for whatever it is you try. If at first you don't succeed, quitting/failure shouldn't be an option.

The advice that I would give to anyone entering the college scene is to remember that not only is college about focusing on your career and what will become of us after we graduate, but also the experience in the classroom and those around us. We will never again experience what this time in our lives offers us; life is much too short to worry about the little things. We are the lucky ones who are even able to attend college and should treasure each moment. So much of life is caught up on trivial issues that we need to instead focus on our friends and family and what memories we can make with them. College is experience of a lifetime, no matter how cliche that sounds; we are given the chance to prove to others that we can make something of ourselves. Life is what we make of it and it is our own to lead. I truly believe that we have the power to do what want no matter where we go and the relationships that we make along the way are the ones that will help us survive.

Keep in mind your values. If you are religious, make sure you have a place to practice and a community to support you. At the same time, intelligent people welcome intelligent yet different viewpoints. Gauge for yourself how competitive you are and match the school as closely to that as possible. Understand what you want to do after college so that you know what to do while you are in it. Make sure you go to a school that supports all the things you need to do to get to the place you want to be after graduation. Watch out for too many TAs or graduate students teaching especially if you want to do post-graduate school like law. More tenured teachers help when shopping for great recommendations.

It is all situational and dependent upon the person. Talk to friends, ask people who you know and trust how things are going at their school in terms of grades and overall quality of their lives at the time and these kinds of questions. If you talk to someone who you consider yourself very similar to you can probably be assured that their situation will be very likewise to your own if you were to enroll in their same school. I would also suggest making sure you are going to a college with at least one good friend who you can be positive will motivate you and keep you positive throughout your years as an undergraduate. I would also make sure to seek out the professors that are going to have the greatest impact on your life, I do this by going to certain websites that rate professors and bring students together to comment on their overall performance and abilities as an educational facilitator. By using these means, I experienced several courses with tremendous professors who made going to classes a must. All of these things are important and should be considered carefully and eventually.

Visit the campus when the students are there. Talk to random students you see and ask them about the university. Don't be narrow minded, consider all options.

Have a goal but keep an eye on the big picture and other possible options. Many things can and will happen during your four years of study. Develop a good relationship with your academic advisor and the financial aid office. They are the people who can help you plan and keep you aware of your options. Strike a balance between dreaming and practicality. Follow your heart but let your mind hold your wallet. Don't give up; work and study hard. Persistence pays!

Be knowledgable about the benefits of locked in tuition and exhuste options.

It is not about where your parents want you to go to school, or where your teachers tell you to go. The final decision is up to you. If you go to a school where someone else wants you to go and not where you see yourself being happy so as not to disappoint someone, the next four years of your life will be miserable. You have to do what is best for you, your education, your career, and your happiness. College is the best years of your life. Live it to the fullest, take every opportunity, study abroad, enlighten your mind, make new friends, go to a whole new city, study hard, learn as much as you can, go to parties, stay in and have movie nights, go to all your classes, lay in the grass and play guitar with your friends, call your mom and dad to check up, learn who you are, take chances, explore the world, and most of all: take advantage of the next four years of your life, but do not take them for granted.