Samford University Top Questions

Many high school seniors eagerly await college for its supposed constant parties, frequent movie nights, and lack of adult supervision. As Principal Slater put it, college is like adulthood without responsibilites. Although Samford does indeed provide an abudant supply of unique activites for students, it's up to you to make college worthwhile. While there can be hundreds of events happening on campus during the week, you must choose which ones to attend. Sure you can sit in your dorm or the library and study all day, but picking up new hobbies is a fantastic use of time and almost always leads to new friendships. Limiting yourself to two or three close friends can wear you down; broaden your horizons and meet new people, because your best friend may be out there, you just haven't met him yet. You will also reap a better chance of having someone with whom to sit in the cafeteria. If you constantly daydream about friends back home, you miss out on the fun happening on campus and could grow to dislike your college simply because you refused to invest your whole self in it.

If I could go back in time, I would warn myself to stay the course that I had established for myself in high school. I let the upheaval of the transition effect my overall academic performance, and made, for me, a very low GPA of 2.9 first semester. I ended up losing most of my scholarships which put me in my current dire financial situation. I am responsible for paying for my education, and I drastically underestimated this responsibility. Given the chance, I would go back and have a stern conversation with myself about responsibility, and the need to for enough self-awareness to know when I was doing poorly, and the maturity it takes to begin living on your own. I would warn myself that just because I THOUGHT I was prepared was no reason to assume that I could handle anything. And I would tell myself what happened when I WAS irresponsible, and did not take my academic duties seriously, and the unfortunate circumstances it put me in.

I would advise a high school senior to attend the school where they feel most comfortable and natural. Although scholarships and friends should be considered when making a college choice, it is important to choose the college where one feels most comfortable. Also, regardless of whichever school the senior chooses, it is important to become involved from their very first day. Nothing contributes to a college experience like the amount of involvement the student gets.

What I needed to know as a senior was to have better study habits and be more outgoing in my social life.

I believe that finding the right college can be difficult, but it's mostly about choosing something and committing to it whole-heartedly. Had I gone to school and stayed within my comfort zone, I would not have felt connected, and it would have been a much harder experience. There are so many good schools available to us, all with flaws and successes, and I believe if a student is willing to commit fully to his or her school, they will find that it is the right school for them. My best advice for making the most out of the college experience is to get out of one's comfort zone. Some of the best friends I had in college came from organizations that I joined without my high school friends, and although it can be challenging, it gave me such confidence - not to mention the relationships I would not have had. The best and most effective way to grow is to place one's self in situations that are hard, but also rewarding. Because I got out of my comfort zone, I had experiences and formed relationships that greatly impacted my life.

Just be yourself and choose a college you know you can succeed at. College is about enjoying yourself and making lifelong friendships, but it also has to be a place where you won't get swallowed in with all the fun. It has to be an environment where you can balance the two: having a great time and study to maintain a good GPA (it is hard to bring up if you fail a class!). Have more than one choice of colleges and make sure you know if you want to be in state close to the parents or out of state. Just make sure if you choose to go out of state you don't get caught up in the freedom of not having your parents around, that's an easy way for grades to slip under your nose.

Since I started college six years after I graduated high school, I have realized that no matter how old you are, it is never too late to go back to school. Students should cherish the opportunities and learning experiences they may come across during their college years. I recommend finding a college you believe will provide the support and environment you need to get the most out of your academic career.

Picking a college is one of the most important decisions your child will ever make in their life. They will remember it forever. I don't remember what I had for dinner 2 weeks ago, but I will always remember where and how I chose my college. The key to finding the right college is research. Have your child look up what interests them and then have them talk to counselors and/or students already in college who might have guidance that they obtained through their college hunting. It can't hurt. Once your child narrows down a few places, GO to them. A website about the college is one thing, but visiting and taking a tour is a whole different ball game. Finally, after your child enrolls, give them their space and they will thank you for it later. Tell them that college really is like what they hear: the best 4 years of their life. The best college experience is what they make of it. Get involved, but not over-involved, they have 4 years. And if they're nervous about making friends, remind them that there are hundreds of other incoming freshmen in the same boat.

Don't just go where your friends go. You want to find a population of people that share your same values, interests and a campus community that allows you to be who you are and to grow as a young adult. This is your time to become an independent individual and you want to be in a place that fosters you to be independent, and to get to know you classmates, and to get involved on campus and make the most of your college years.

Visit the campus ahead of time, talk to students and faculty/professors who are there (& not the ones the admissions office WANTS you to talk to; just pick someone random). Know how you're going to pay for everything before you sign anything. Have transportation so you don't have to depend on others!

Finding the right college depends on what you want to major in, where you want to live for four years and whether or not the campus feel is right for you. I wouldn?t let money be an issue because there are student loans and financial aid available. It simply depends on the sacrifices you are willing to make. Community is very important, so I would say that you need to be sure that you think you can connect to the people at the school of your choice. When you go off to college, you are suddenly in a place where no one knows you for your academic abilities, athletic abilities or your family name. You suddenly have the chance to decide what will define you. There will be a plethora of activities available, but if you want a truly satisfying college experience choose a few and invest all of your efforts into them. Remember that you are at school to learn and get an education. You are paying for the education so doing waste your time or money. Do not stress out about the assignments you will have, but organize your schedule and tackle one day at a time.

Look at a variety of campuses, both large, small, and in between. Support your children's decisions and preferneces. Money can get tight, but being happy and successful is more important. Back your kids every chance you get. Allow them to live their dreams, and try avoiding pushing your dreams on them...

When looking for the right college, always have an open mind with each university you visit. They each will bring different things to the forefront. Have in mind things that are important to you and your family while furthering your education. For example, class size, location, and degrees offered. Also, it would be important to find out what the students do when they are not in the classroom setting. What do people do for fun? Do you want to be in a large city? How close do you want to be to home? Lastly, looking at the cost is what most parents have on their minds. While visiting, set up an appointment with a financial aid counselor. They will more than likely ease your mind.

My advice would be to look at all colleges, big and small, and do research to find new colleges. Don't let finances get in your way; there are ways to get money to pay for college. Get out of your comfort zone; this may be hard, but in the end you'll know much more about yourself to make better decisions for your future. Get involved in something! And make sure to get to know your professors on a better level because this will help you in getting recommendations for jobs or post-graduate school.

My first piece of advice would be to choose the school that you have the most interest in, not matter what the cost. In the end, even if you have loans, it will be worth it. Do not trade your education for saving money. Once you do arrive at college, get involved. Join clubs, SGA, band, any and every extra curricular you can. Also, take time to have fun and relax, while also spending enough time studying to stay where you would like to be to graduate with a decent GPA. If you want to attend graduate school one day you will regret it if you do not keep your GPA to an acceptable number. Also, tour the colleges you are thinking about attending. You will learn a lot about the school just by talking to some of the students and professors there. I would highly reccomend speaking to the professors in the department you are considering majoring in. That will help you decide if you think you will enjoy the classes that you will take while in attendence. But most of all, don't forget to enjoy the best four years of you life!

Make sure you pick a major you will enjoy! When you have a major you love, you will love your classes. Don't take the opporunity to be educated for granted. Too many people in this world can't afford an education. Don't just go to college to make money. Find out for yourself why being an educated person is important. At school, take the risk to succeed! You never know what you will love, or find out about yourseld. Try new things!

It is so important that you find community at your school. Get involved and really find out who you are, and be true to yourself. Don't be friends with people just because you think they are fun to be around, but be friends with people who love you for you and always have your best interest in mind. Focus hard on your school work, but don't let that be the only think you do. Have fun with your friends and enjoy being away from home. Become more independent and learn how to live on your own. Really learn and see what the campus has to offer you. College is not only about your studies but also your experience. Make friends that you will keep for the rest of your life and reach out to those who don't know how to make friends that easily. Give back to your community and be respectful of your teachers, they are the ones who give you your grades, and they work hard for you to do well. Work hard, and don't let your grades slip up, because your life continues even when college ends.

Apply to every school that appeals to you. Keep an open mind, because you never know where you will be accepted or where you will end up. Your top choice is not always the best fit for you. There is only a limited amount of information a high school senior can pick up about a school from a preview day, so pay attention, but keep a VERY open mind. Parents, trust your child to choose his or her own school. Don't be a hover parent and force your kid to go where you want them to go or major in what you think is best for them. Let them choose on their own. You can trust them to make a good decision more than you might think.

stick with your first instinct. Never follow anyone to college (not friends or especially significant others). Do what feel right for you. If you have any hesitations or doubts about a school then heed them. Pray about your choice and ask others to pray for you as you make this huge choice. Seek respected friends' and family members' opinions.

College really has very little to do with what we gain in the classroom or lecture hall. Yes, the academics are vitally important to learning the information you will need for the fututre, the real lessons learned in college are learned outside the classroom. In my experience, I have learned many life lessons while in college, but most of them were learned in social situations or a the result of my individual choices in life or school. All of these lessons are learned outside of the textbooks and the exams. I have found that I have discovered who I am in college and it has little to do with my courseload and everything to do with my friends, choices, and experiences that I have faced while at Samford. The choices we make shape who we are and who we become, and if we sit and expect our professors and textbooks to teach us what we need to do, we would graduate without every having learned anything practical to life. At the end of the day, we need college to teach us valuable life lessons, just not the ones we sometimes think college is supposed to teach us.