SUNY at Albany Top Questions

Dont feel as if moving away is the best option for a college experience. You can have a good college experience while being close to home. Also, concentrate on school, class credits and grades rather than on socializing, partying and drinking. Have a good time, but not too much fun. This is your college experience, make the most out of it but with high grades, dedication and committment to your courses, teachers and fellow students.

check into the school very carefully.

Make sure the school fits you.

College is a time to truly find oneself, to start over fresh from high school, and to be who you were meant to be. Finding the right environment to do this, is very important. You have to find a school where you think you will be comfortable and grow as an individual. It must be a place where you can become more independent and on your own, yet feel secure. Picking a college is a very personal decision that should be made without the influence of others. One has to really think about what you want from the college experience before you choose one. College should be the best years of your life, so pick one that will make you happy!

Visit the college and choose the one you like despite what their academic rating may be. It is only undergrad after all.

pick a small school. join clubs or sports. and only pick a school you can afford. do not go into debt because you think it means more to go to an expensive college, if you have a degree you will get a job no matter where you got your degree from

Look into a place that is going to make you happy for four years of your life (possibly even more for grad school). Enjoying where you are is a huge factor in how you feel about doing your work and making friends at your school. The more comfortable you are at your school, the easyer it is to go about your school work and social life. The school should also have the programs for the career direction you want to go, which is obviously why you are going to college in the first place.

I think before a student selects a college they should really first consider what environment they would love to be in. Once they've decided this I think they should really visit all the colleges in the area they've decided. Finally, I think they should sit down and take their time to think about what they really want out of life and where they feel they would be the most successful. They should then sit down with their family and loved ones and hear their opinions as well. Once a student is finally attending the college they've selected I think they should really just make the best of it even if its not exactly what they thought it might be. Take your time and never judge because you never know where your life will take you. For parents, I just think they should really try not to pressure their children into deciding to fast or trying to push them into a school they don't really want to attend. From a students point of view, I think this causes resentment and doesn't allow their child to enjoy college like they should.

You create the experience. Although your college's academic programs, financial aid, and location may be very important in your college selection, the atmosphere is what will most directly affect you. Don't rely on college visits for a sense of the atmosphere. More important are the people you'll surround yourself with, the classes you'll choose, and the activities you'll select. They're like "micro-environments" and they can change drastically. Simply living in suite 101 rather than 102 can make a huge difference. Rely on yourself to place yourself in the best situations possible, given what you've got. Whatever you want, find what makes you happy, and pursue it. And if you need help, just ask! Especially as a Freshman- just go ahead. You're not supposed to know everything about college life anyway. So relax. And certainly ask your professors for help if you need it! Visit their office hours, email them- remember, they're there to help you! Create your experience: Don't like hanging out with the people you met on the first day? ... Make new friends. Don't like your classes? ... Swap. Want your cheese sandwich grilled? ... Try the waffle-maker.

Look for a college where your child can be on his or her own but not to far from home where if an emergency were to arise you could get together quicker. Also a college near a city is nice usually because theres always something to do and if your from a rural area like I am then living near a city (even a small one like Albany, NY) is still quite the experience.

Don't worry about the money or the academics, just find a school that fits your personallity and has the things you need (open spaces or good shopping for example) . Once you find a school you will feel comfortable in and that will provide you with opportunities the rest of it falls into place.

In choosing a college it is important to find a campus that you are really comfortable with because it will be hard to succeed in college if you are unhappy with where you are living. In addition, you should look for a school that has a community you feel comfortable in. For example, if you are not comfortable in a diverse community, then you should find a school that fits the environment you are used to. It is obviously important to look at the academic opportunities offered, but I honestly think that your academic success will be very reliant on how happy you are with your living situation and campus life.

it doesn't really matter in the end, you'll probably go to a gread school anyway. if you don't, it probably doesn't even matter what school you went to. in the end it's either that you have a degree at all or which grad school you went to.

Make sure that you visit the campus before making your final decision and try to find a student there that you will be able to ask questions. Make friends in each class and be open to many opinions.

I would say VISIT. Because checking out the website and hearing experiences from people is definitely not the same. For students looking into college, try to find yourself, try to figure out what you need to find yourself. Look into schools, see if you want a big or small school, frat or sororities. VISIT!!! Because a virtual tour is not the same. See if this is the route you want to take for four yrs, or possibly even longer. See if your "dream" school is economically affordable. Are you ready to grow up, and look after yourself? Think about those things, because it's better, that way you can avoid all the paperwork of transferring.