SUNY Oneonta Top Questions

my mom didnt want me to go to college.

Go look at all schools before enrolling and try to spend a weekend with a current student to really see what the school is like.

Make sure there is a balance of education and fun.

When parents and/or students begin looking for a college to attend it is important to look into thoroughly what is offered at the college for the academic major of interest. Make sure that you not only feel confident that you will be able to study in the environment, but that you will also feel comfortable living in the area of the college.

Finding the right college for a person is a daunting, but possible task. Applicants should consider all the factors on what they want out of their college experience. Going to a college near home is completely different than living in a dorm or in your own apartment. I know that if I stayed home, my college experince would have been totally different. When deciding on the college I knew that I wanted to be a part of a "college town" since I grew up in New York City. Do you want a small town or a city? What is popular to do on the weekends? Social networks like facebook is a great advantage applicants have today to access this information. Professor review websites is another good site to see feedback from students. And of course just search, or should i say "google" popular programs offered, pictures of the campus, school population, types of transportation available and shopping available. Overall, the most important thing to do is to gather your thoughts on where you would want to spend the next 4 years of your life and all of you usual activities available. And always remember, be realistic and true to yourself.

Go with your gut

I would definitely recommend researching every possible school. It's important to research, visit campuses, and ask questions in order to find a compatable match between the prospecting student and college. Once a campus has been selected, it will be inportant to go beyond your comfort zone and socialize. Try new things, while at the same time maintaining your own personal beliefs and standards. Get involved in what makes you happy, whether it be sports, volunteering, music, arts, etc. Take this time at college to make friends, make connections, and succeed. If you do your best, then you will make the whole experience worthwhile.

Participate in as many after school activities as you can. Join clubs and just enjoy yourself. Submerge yourself in the full atmosphere in order to get a full experience.

I would say that it is important to look for schools that have a good program for the major that a student wants to study but not to make that your number one priority because most college students change their major at least two times before they graduate. Finding the right school is hard but following your heart is the way to go, when you feel like you've found the school you want to go to, then you probably have. Don't just go to a school because your friends are going there or your siginificant other, find a school that seems to suit you and the things that interest you. Sometimes you don't find it the first time but going to any school in an experience where you'll learn something you'll never forget so just remember to think of it as a learning experience.

The number one thing is to make sure you visit the college before handing in your final answer to attend. You have to know if you want a big University, or a small college. Get involved in clubs that reach out to your interests. You make a lot of friends that way. Social interactions are equally important as maintaining a good GPA.

Many schools offer fast track programs that prepare you for a career in your chosen profession. From my experience I would want to encourage both students and parents to take a look at all the options a school has to offer. Your freshman year should be a chance to take a little of everything so you get a chance to see options outside of one department or another. Besides a major, there are many concentrations and minors in things that may interest a student and provide beneficial after graduation. Early on students may not connect with their assigned advisors and they need to know that there are many other people out there to help them. I would encourage any student to meet with general academic advisors as well as their assigned major. Other than classes I would want students to be aware of the number of activities and clubs offered by the school, it cannever hurt to drop in on a meeting. Don't worry fashion majors can be in the environmental club and if you are an economics major why not try out for the spring play? It's ok to be scared but end proudly at graduation.

Do what feels right for you. You have to learn and live there for 4 years or more, make sure you are where you want to be! Live every day to the fullest!

The biggest problem I found with the parents and student relationship is the different view for the students life plan. For instance, I wanted attend school for interior design, however, my parents didn't like this and forced me to choose another major. I chose mass communications, later adding a second major of Computer Art. The lesson I learned after three years in college is that when it comes to the parents life plan and the students plan, it does not have to be one or the other. It's called a duel major. If I had known about this, I would have chosen a school with interior design and communications. Overall, my advice about finding the right college and making the most of the college experience is for the parents to listen to their kids and actually hear the reasons of what their soon-to-be college student wants for their life. The parents can then voice their concerns but compromise. If the student isn't confident in their decision and has no passion for what they are doing, their college experience will be tainted. Listen and find the right college pertaining to the passion of the student.

Visit the school on a rainy day, because it rains more often than not at Oneonta. Also, avoid the FYE program if you can, it's not as great for socializing as most people think it is. The freshman-only dorms are a great way to meet people, so keep your door open!

go to a liberal arts college that fits your personality and style. don't be afraid to join groups and do what you want.

My advice would be to always keep your options open and aim high in whatever you aspire to do. Visit all the schools that you are interested in going to and make sure the environment on each campus is one that you are satisfied with. College is a place where you can find out so much about yourself and become whatever you want to be. You don't need to have your life planned out right away. College is about learning what makes you happy. You may come into school as an art major and switch to accounting. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as you are comfortable and happy with your decisions. If money is an issue, always make sure to explore all of the universities financial aid programs. Schools may seem expensive, but that doesn't have to stop you from going to the school of your dreams. Above all, college is not only a place to come out of with a degree in physics. It is a place to come out of wth amazing memories, life-long friends, and an outlook on life to stay positive and do your best in whatever you do.

Find a college that you think you will fit in to. Make sure you go on visits and meet the students. You will know automatically whether the college you are looking at is the right fit for you

The main advise I can give to any prospective student or parent is to visit the college! Even if at first you only walk around and check out the surroundings of the campus, you just have to have the right feel for the campus and the enironment around it. It's best to go to the college open houses and take a tour of the academic buildings and listen to what the tour guide has to say about the campus life at their school. Its also good to watch the current students and see how happy they are, how energetic and if they seem pleased to be there. If you have a major picked out it's a good idea to talk to a few of the professors and see how friendly and helpful they may be. I think the first impression is most important so if you come to see a school and you just get that good vibe and the people around you seem relatively happy, you should keep looking into the college and talk to current students and see how they feel becuase it may be the ticket to the best college experience you will have.

Parents and students should understand that finding the right college is a long process and can be both fun and stressful. However, it's important to stay organized and relaxed. While college searching, first make a list of all the colleges within the region of the United States where you wish to attend classes. Then narrow those schools by tuition costs and majors offered. You should also consider the size of the school, the community life, the food, and the condition of the dorms and academic facilities. It would be an excellent idea to visit as many of the schools that you plan on applying to because being in the environment will allow you to see if you can picture yourself living there. Then, before you know it, it's time to start your first year at a college or university. In order to make the most out of your college experience, you must get involved! It is the best way to meet new people and to find out what is going on at your college. Remember, college is a place to experiment and try new things. Everyone is there for the same reasons. Have fun and work hard!

The most important thing to consider is that you can fit in at any college campus. There are people like your or people that you would want to be friends with on any campus. In fact, the people that I know who have transfered have only done so because they changed their major or wanted to be close to home. First, pick the farthest distance that you could stand to be away from home. Don't pick any school outside of that radius. Second, find the major that you want to pursue and make sure that it is offered at the college that you are looking at. If you are going in undeclared, find a school that has a majors that could possibly interest you. Finally, if you are interested in specific clubs or sports, make sure that those are offered at the college you are looking at. Fitting in at a college will not be a problem anywhere!