Saint Norbert College Top Questions

Choose what feels right. People always say, "you will just know once you get there." Those people are right. If you're the type of person who enjoys a lot of interaction than, you should probably choose a small school. If you're the type of person who enjoys state of the art equipment and tons of activity all of the time, then maybe a large school is more what you're are looking for. There is no one certain way of deciding where you should choose to go to school. However, it is important to remeber that it is your decision and no one elses. So follow you're heart. Not the hearts of those around you.

I would say the best thing to do is to find the place where you feel that you will be the most comfortable. Take into considertation the size of the school and what you want to do, then look at the university and see if they fufill your needs. When it comes down to it, the only person that honestly needs to make the decision is the student. If parents get too involved, students may picka college for the wrong reason and not go where they truly want to. When this happens, these students are normally the ones who decide to transfer.

When finding a college parents and students need to look at many aspects of themselves and find what college would best suit them. A student must look first at how far away do they want to be from home. From there a student should look at colleges of interest in the range from home that the prefer. Once colleges are choosen without a doubt parents and students should tour colleges, this helps give students a taste of what colleges are like and from there they can start to get a sense of what kind of college they are interested in. Choosing a college or university to go to is a life changing event in every students life. This choice leads to what type of future a person will have. The only advice a person can truly give is choose a college that fits you, from there enjoy the time you have at college because it goes by fast and before you it the real world is at your door step and it is time for you to face the music.

Look at the average class size, the level of expertise each professor has in their field, resources available, overall campus appeal, and job placement after college. Get involved on campus, because it's totally worth it and makes the time here go insanely fast. Never be afraid to ask a professor for help. At St. Norbert College, professors are always willing to help a student who's struggling. Don't be afraid to take a look at sororities, fraternities, and non-Greek social groups. They can turn into your family away from home.

Visit the college you are interested in and take tours. Also shadow a student for a day while they take you to their classes and cafeteria to check out the food, and to check out the housing situations, size and look of campus, and overall feeling of belonging or homeliness to it. If you are worried about cost, you may stop by financial aid to ask about available scholarships and student loans. To make the most of your college experience, get involved in a variety of different groups to meet a variety of different students. Visit faculty and staff members during office their hours if you just want to talk or need help with the academic aspects of the class. Take the opportunities given to you to try something different or do something you have never experienced before like going on a service trip or studying abroad for a semester. Make friends with upperclassmen, lowerclassmen, and fellow classmen around campus. You make the best connections this way.

I strongly recommend going to a private school. They are more expensive, but they also give out more financial aid. Almost all private schools have a 4 year guarantee for graduation which is something that is almost unheard of going to a public school without taking winter terms and summer school. The classes are smaller so the professors know your name and get to know you. They are available to students for any help needed. Private schools are more community-based. If you want to feel more at home and make friends that become family away from home, I recommend looking into a private school. Just when looking in general though...look at graduation rates and job placements. Look for a friendly and home-like environment. The college you choose becomes your home for the next 4 years so make sure to choose somewhere you are comfortable with.

The advice I would give parents is to let their children make their own decisions, but help lead them along. Do not be too overpowering and protective, if you child needs anything you will be the first person they run to for help. It might be sad being disconnected from your child, but I promise you, your child watched as you walked away after dropping them off. They care. Students, start your search early. When you are in school make sure you leave some time for yourself, I learned that the hard way. Do not let your studys get the most of you, allow yourself some free and relaxing time. Enjoy yourself, four years goes by too fast!

The best advice I could give to students searching for the right college is to go to the campus, meet some of the people that already go there, and maybe even the professors. Those people are the ones who know what college life on that campus is all about and can really help you to decide if that school is right for you or not. Another important piece of advice I would give is, live on the campus,don't commute to save money. Living at home takes away half of the college experience!

Visit campuses that you are intrested in, its the easiest way to know if that college is right for you. Once you've found that college where you feel comfortable, get involved its the best way to meet people and make friends along with giving back to your school and community.

Find a college that you feel at home about, somewhere that offers what your interested in, instead of what you think college life is like. If your not comfortable with it, your college experience will not be as fun as someone who goes to a college that is right for them. You don't have to go to a big school to find what you need.