St Mary’s College of Maryland Top Questions

I have an essay to write for class now, so i am going to do that now.

Think long and hard about what subject you'd like to major and have a clear idea about it within your freshman year. Do not be fooled by colleges that are attempting to run on a "business" type administration. Realize that most schools that preach originality are covering up for their lack of academic seriousness. Choose a school based on the surrounding area and their academic departments first; everything else only secondarily.

Do not stress too much about it. There is a great school out there for everyone.

make sure you do an internship. with the current job market, you have to ensure job security while you're still in school.

Finding the right college should definitely be something that the student does. The parents should always be there to support the student in this very important decision. Students should always make sure to visit the school (various times if possible) and just make sure the school feels right. Trust me, I knew after half an hour of walking around and talking to current St. Mary's students that it was the perfect place for me, and my parents supported my decision the entire time. My school had everything I wanted. It had nice dorms, good food, and a beautiful location. The college experience has been everything I wanted it to be. Unlike high school, everyone is there for the same purpose - to get a better education and to move on in life. Grades and years don't even matter at my school like they did in high school. Everyone is an equal. I have never been happier in my life, and I just want future college students to know that you don't even have to try hard to have fun in college. Fun people and events will just come to you. It's that easy.

Let your student choose. My parents pressured me to look for a certain element in schools, so make sure you go in with an open and broad mindset.

Everyone talks about what the "right" reasons to pick a school are - some say academics, some say the kind of social life you'll have, while others base their decision on location. I'd have to say that all of these things are the "most important". In order to make the most of your college experience, you have to find somewhere with an atmosphere that suits your personality, and there are so many choices that you WILL be able to find a perfect match. Now, atmosphere doesn't mean whether it's 80 and sunny everyday or if you're under 12 inches of snow by November (although that's an important consideration, too); atmosphere means what are the people like? Do they share your interests? Are they friendly and open-minded? Do you want the academic component to be cut-throat and career-driven? Are you interested in getting a well-rounded liberal arts education ? Are the activities that are most popular on campus things that you'd want to be involved with? Take the time to figure out exactly what the "personality" of the colleges you're visiting are, your decision will be a piece of cake.

Make sure that the campus environment is a good fit to your personality. If you are a partyer, then a campus which has a zero-tolerance alcohol policy is obvoiusly not the right fit for you.

Visit and tour as many schools as you can. Students, let your parents take you to places you might not have considered on your own. Parents, let your kids look at schools that you personally didn't think were right for them. Ask questions. Ask lots of questions. Eat in their cafeteria. Ask about their orientation process. Talk to the students; they are the true products of their environment. Check out the dorm rooms. Decide what school is best for you; and when you find the right place, buy a sweatshirt immediately! When you get to college. Make new friends. Go to class; you're paying to be there, so you might as well go. Ask your teachers for help; that is what they are getting paid for. Get involved. Join a team, a club, a fraternity or sorority. Do everything! Go to all the sporting events. Have some school spirit. Pull an all-nighter. Stay up til all hours on saturday night with your friends and then sleep all day sunday. Make lots of memories and take a lot more pictures. Make the best of it. You only get four years.

I truly believe that finding the right college is really not the most important decision of your life. It shouldn't involve the name and reputation of the school or what people will think of you if you go there. Determining the college for you is about being comfortable with who you are so you can become a better version of yourself. So often I think people become entangled with the notion of choosing a place where they think they can be someone they're not and start over. Everyone has positive traits that should be polished and valued rather than inventing new ones that never were a part of his or her personality. Go somewhere that will challenge you but not drown you. Never make your decision out of fear - like staying close to home - or for vanity's sake. Finally, choose a small number (maybe 4 or 5) but certainly not 11 schools to apply to and know that you'll be happy no matter where you go because you can make the best of any college situation. Dont get burned out in the process of applying. Your future is your choice, so enjoy it!