Brittany
Your college is the most crucial part to molding your future. For the next four years, it's what shapes and defines you. Don't choose a cheap school just because it's affordable. And if you choose a lofty school you love to brag about, you might just be in debt for the rest of your life. Pick a reasonable school that feels right for you. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks but yourself. I declined my first choice dream school because it was 45 thousand a year. The school I attend currently...let's just say when people ask where I go I respond with "oh just ____." I was discouraged when I found out that financial aid wasn't going to help me so I ended up going somewhere really cheap out of spite. PREPARE YOURSELF. Make sure you want to be there. Make sure you're smiling when you're walking around campus. Make sure you can relate to the people there, and you think they look like potential friends. My classmates are my most trusted allies; my most valuable research tools. There's so much to learn from people if you just ask.
kaylie
find the college that best fits your majors needs, and a college where u feel right at home, if u dont get that feeling, its not the right school for you
Brittany
just makes sure its the school of your students choice and you confortable without relying on mom and dad to fix you mistakes.
LIndsay
Picking a college is one of the hardest decisions you will ever have to make in your life. After all it's the stepping stone that will help lead you to create a future for yourself. The process can be stressful and chaotic , but if you learn how to do it the right way, you will soon discover how easy it can really be. The college that you decide to attend usually determines a lot about the kind of person you are. For instance, I like to be active, I'm a hands on learner and I'm very family oriented. Looking within myself to find out who I truly am made the process of picking my college out a lot easier. Remember you?re usually attending college for four years, so when making this decision make sure it?s the right one. College is a big part of anyones' life. You make life long connections there, you discover yourself, learn new things, and most importantly you set the path for your future. Make the best of this experience because you will never having anything else like it.
Kathryn
The best thing you can do when searching for the right university is to go to the campus. Walk around, see the area, and try to get a feel for what your environment is going to be if you are to attend that university. Getting a feel for the environment is extremely important; more than anything you need to be comfortable at your school. Being comfortable in your school environment gives you one less factor to worry about while you are at school (believe me, there are a lot!). If you are uncomfortable, it will be even harder to adjust to college life. It will be harder or near impossible to become academically comfortable so you can study and talk with your professors and do all the academic necessities you encounter; it will be harder to become socially comfortable and make friends; it will be harder to become emotionally comfortable in order to deal with the different stresses you face with this great change in your life. If you attend a university that you are comfortable with, you will be able to make the most of your experience, and you will be able to expand your education to its fullest.
Breanne
I think it's very important to look at many different schools to find out what is best for the student. Many times students say that they want a small school, but then realize that it's just like high school. They may also say that they want a large school and feel very overwhelmed. Take tours of the campuses and sit in on classes. If you can, try to arrange an overnight with other students to get a complete feel of a typical school day. It's all about the application process and you have to test the waters at every school you're looking at.
Roman
Pick the college that you truley fell fits you best.Dont pick the one that your parents want you to go to, the one all your friends are going to or the one that your girl frined goes to, pick the one that is best for YOU
Ting
try to be on campus when you go to college. be open to meeting new people. college isnt always about work and academics, but social groups. however, just dont get swept away and have too much fun too.
Erica
Picking out the perfect college can be a very difficult task, but finding that college is key to success. It is very important to pick a school where you feel at home, but also a little bit out of your comfort level at times. This allows you to experience new things and new cultures. Also, class size is very important. You need to decide what level of familiarity you wish to have with your professors. Do you want to be a number or do you want to be a name, face, and personality? You also need to decide if partying is important to you because, let's face it, everyone knows there's some kind of party scene on campuses and the amount of partying (whether or not you'll be participating) affects your school work, social life, and stress level. Most important though, is academics (as boring as that may sound). College is the path to your career and receiving the best possible education is very important and key to success. Check into the different programs available at your school to make sure they are exactly what you're looking for. Good luck!!
Jacqueline
The best advice I could give is to visit the college and to take a tour. Once you're there, take the time to talk to students and to poke around the buildings they don't specifically show you on the tour. A college will only present the best things it has to offer so really look around. Also, make sure it has a wide variety of majors because almost no one sticks with the same major for their entire college career. Make sure the college isn't overpriced for the education they're giving you too, check out some of the professors in your department- a lot of schools require a docterate in the given field to teach. To make the most of the experience, live on campus for at least one semester and try to join a club or sport. I've found that the best way to meet new friends is to leave the door of your dorm room open when you're there, people will likely stop by to say hi. Finally, don't worry too much, it all comes together in the end, just have fun and make the most of it.
Laura
When it comes to making a decision about colleges, always find out what it is the student wants to do, what job they want to pursue. If they do not know, they should then be allowed to pick a school where they feel comfortable. Take campus tours or meet college students (family members or friends) that live on campus and can show the student around. Most often, students get vibes when they feel like they've picked the right school. If they do attend the college and it doesnt work out, then there is a reason that second or third choices were picked! There will always be a place where the student belongs, and if money is ever an issue, there are hundreds of programs lined up just to assist your child! So parents and students, picking a college does seem hard, but most decisions are hard when you make them that way. Give it all your best, and you will find the perfect school as I found mine!
Lyanna
Find a school that is afforable and one that best caters to the major you are interested in.
Christoph
You need to want this. If you, as a student, don't want to go to college, don't want to learn, or don't want to do academic work, don't. Take some time off. Travel, work, sleep. Don't waste your time and money on an unwanted education. The college experience will be best for everyone, parents, students, and faculty, if everyone who IS there WANTS to be there. College shouldn't be something you do between high school and "real life". College should be a pursuit of human betterment. Once you have that motivation, everything else will fall directly into place.
In picking the right school, recognize the importance of diversity. Not only ethnic diversity, but political diversity, academic diversity, geographic diversity, every difference that people have. You will receive the fullest education when you can interact with every different kind of person. One huge piece of college, for me, is finding my place in society and the world. I only find that by interacting with people coming from everywhere and preparing to go anywhere. Look for universal diversity. Then, as long as you're driven, many colleges will prepare you for anything you want to do.
Hayley
Do what is the most financially realistic, many people are graduating with loans larger than a morgage on a house... it's not worth it
Courtney
I would tell them to go and look at the schools first before making a decision. My first choice was not Southern but once I went to look at the other school, I decided that Southern would be a better choice for me.
Tori
Do what you have to do. From what I noticed people who decided to travel far from school, some how manage to come back to a school that is near by there home. Start closer first, to save time, money and energy.
Justin
It depends how important home is to you, and if you can drive. Regardless, be sure to try to make lots of friends, be really friendly, don't totally slack of on your studies, and try to get involved, at least a little bit.
Chelsey
If you are not absolutely sure about what you want to do, find a school with a lot of choices that way you won't have to transfer. It'll be easier to change majors than changing schools. Also make sure that you like the atmosphere and the surrounding are of the school. It's always good for someone to like where they are living because living the college life does not always need to be done on campus.
Alexandra
Selecting a university is a very important decision. When looking for a university, make sure you look at all aspects that the university has to offer. Look into the majors and course content, and the campus life and student population. Make sure to look at the food plans and meal options, and most importantly, tour the campus before making your final decision. To make the most out of the college experience you should make new friends and be social, yet at the same time, concentrating on your studies. Create study groups with people in your classes. This is a fun way to learn the course material and, at the same time, make new friends.
akintunde
Having Long trem goals is the key to knwoing what college is right for you because all college is is the path to wherever you want to be for the next 20 or 30 years of your life. If you have a final goal and ideal job, then choosing what school that will best equip you for that will therefore be that much easier.