SUNY Oneonta Top Questions

Students need to find the college which speaks to them. Visit schools. Virtual tours aren't the same as the one in person. Feel the schools out. Find one which supports your intended major and can further your education and perhaps your career. Make sure you sit in on a class and try the food. Also, check out the student housing. Do everything for yourself- the applications, the essays, the scholarships, the phone calls, the research. Parents should guide their child's college search, but not make the decision. They are not the ones attending school. Encourage the student to apply for scholarships and keep positive.

Be happy with the area in which it is located; being bored and not happy allows for negative thoughts to arise along with home sickness. Don't be so hasty in choosing a major, this is a big decision to make at such a young age. Most schools don't require you to declare a major until your second year, so dabble in a few different areas until you find the area that is most interesting to you. It is easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, social wise, so be sure that you know what you want your college experience to be. Parties can be, and are fun, but always be careful, make smart decisions and try not to get caught up in a "mob mentality," where you may end up doing something that you normally wouldn't do.

Population of the college is crucial towards a valuable learning experience. The living arrangements and conditions is also a very important factor when considering attending a college/university away from home. To the student, you should try to get the most out of your college experience by being active in social activities around campus but do remember to be responsible. Just because you are living on your own with no parents for probably the first time should not lead you to make some stupid decisions that you know you would never normally make. Enjoy this experience because these four years will be well remembered for many years to come. It will all soon be just a memory so enjoy it and have fun!

It's up to you to make the most of your college experience. Join clubs and organizations. Take leadership roles. Socialize with people you may not have socialized with in high school. College is all about opening up to new experiences, and college is about the only place where you have the time, accessibility, and socialized culture to do this. My main regret, even though I was busy all the time, is not doing more.

The most imporatant thing is to make sure the college is right for the student. Just because the parents like it, or it is well-known, or conveniently located, doesn't mean that it is the correct school for the student. One of the hardest things for most parents is to let their child make their own decision. Parents should give their opinions on each of the schools being considered, but should not impose their views on their child. Part of going to college is growing up. Students become more of an adult while at school. Responsibility is in their hands, not their parents. Advice for students would be to make sure it has options for you. Make sure you are interested in more than one major there. Sit in on a class and check out the dorms you will live in and the cafeterias which you will frequent. There is more to college than just classes and grades. The atmosphere and campus life is important. Be sure it suits you. I visited a bunch of colleges and one just felt right. I still attend that school. Don't be afraid of the future. Take a stand for it.

There are a few things to keep in mind: Changing your major is ok, discovering new things about yourself is ok, doing something crazy to your hair in a dorm bathroom is ok. College is a time to explore and to have fun...just make sure you get your work in on time.

Go to the schools and research the town/city the school is in -- it is so important that you like/tolerate the town in which you'll be living. And see how the students walk around campus - do they walk with excitment, or are they're shoulders slupped and wearing sweats. Makes a difference. Oh, and go to school WHERE YOU WANT -- even if it's cross-country. Let nothing stop your dreams.

Visit! That is the best thing you can do. While you're visiting, ask everyday students (not the tour guides) questions about how they feel about the school. They wil most likely be honest. Then, choose away!

I am not that interested in getting the scholarship and I need to get back to my schoolwork :) But I did like the survey

My advice to parents and students looking for college is simple. Attend a school where the student and parents feels comfortable. Although the cost of tuition and the distance from home is important, don't let those two factors throw out the possibility to go to a wonderful school. Be daring; check out a school which may be a little farther away, but the student can be successful and meet new people. My advice for both the student and the parents would be to attend an informational tour, spend time on campus: eat in a dining hall, look in on a class in the student's major, and stay the night at an overnight program. These activities would help make the student feel that he or she has made the right choice and can make friends and be happy. The parents can be at ease that their child is in a good place, will make friends, eat healthily, learn, be safe, and most importantly, be happy.