San Jose State University Top Questions

Each person is different. Finding the right college has a lot to do with finding out if it is a good fit for you. Visit the campus and get a feel of what it is like. Can you imagine yourself being a student there? Also find out whether or it you can handle the pressure of student competition or the school work load. Do a lot of research, and do not pick the school simply because of the namesake. What are your interests? Does your school offer majors that pertain to your future endeavors? Find out about the housing costs, as well as where the school is located. You might not enjoy hiking up hills everyday to go to your classes. In terms of making most of the college experience, be open-minded. I would not necessarily say that you have to get involved with something, but going out and meeting different people is part of the experience. Joining social clubs, or intermural sports is a good way to meet people. Also, stay in the dorms. Even if it is just for the first year, the dorm experience is very important in developing your self -identity and experiencing college life.

Visit the colleges you want to go to. Make sure is feels right to you. Being there in person is different than hearing or reading about it.

Find the right school for the academics then location. Try not pick a school in the city-it stifles.

its important to remember that the college experience doesn't happen only in the classroom! besides having the programs you want to study, make sure you like the atmosphere of the school, the clubs and organizations and the extracurricular activities too!

Working while attending school full-time is very demanding, my advice is to make sure you have enough money saved up for college, so you can focus on your schoolwork and get the most out of your college experience.

I'm the first member in my family to go college so I didn't get much help from anyone. When I entered college in 2003, my first choice was San Jose State University. I chose San Jose State University because it is close to home and most importantly I get to live with my family. When choosing a college, students (and parents too) should think about the value the school can give, not based on the popularity of the school. Often time, students pick school that is well known either for their sports or social networking. Students with that mentality will usually failed within the first two years in college. The first thing to consider about a school is their commitment to teaching and empowering the students to do their best. Secondly and lastly, consider the cost of living away from home and the knowlege that students can actually gain from. Students can get the same education at a school near home as opposed to another school a thousans miles away from home.

Make sure that you are ready to make the commitment that it takes to finish and know ahead of time that it is going to cost alot more money than you think it will. Always have an alternative way to pay for college in your mind because the financial outlook changes (recently only cosigned student loans are available) and you can get stuck if you can't pay for college, but haven't finished yet. Do activities that protect your GPA and pay attention to deadlines. Also research the resources available to you from the college and other sources outside the college, ie health services, public transportation subsidies. Talk with other students to find out as much information as you can, what teachers to take, or what classes really helped them. Join a student club and become involved. Get an internship if you can. Work as hard as you can, but keep some kind of balance so you don't burn out. Take only 4 classes/semester, especially if you have to work. It is better to take out loans, than work your way through school because you can free up your time to study and get involved in organizations.

I would tell them to visit the school and research all the academic programs. Also it wouldn't hurt to sit down with a counselor to go over some academic plans before choosing which school is right for you.

The most important things that helped me choose my school was location, things to do, the people and most importantly the academics that will get you places in life.

Take a tour of the campus and ask as many questions as you can. I would even prepare some questions ahead of time. You might want to ask questions not only related to the educational aspect of the school but also the cultural and social atmosphere. Everyone excels in different environments. An environment that supports your learning goals will benefit your future and grant you the ability to obtain those goals with ease.