Temple University Top Questions

For Parents: In helping your child decide on a college that will suit his/her taste please keep in mind that pressure from you only makes the process worse. Allow students to have an open mind and open heart in terms of choosing a university. Cost, distance, student population, safety are some factors that need to be discussed to make a healthy choice to decide the placement of your teenager for the next 4 plus years, but nothing is permanent. Please be highly informed on the financial aide process, because one wrong signature on either end will be frightenly costly for you or your student. Remember that at one point you didn't know what was best for yourself, so allow your future college student to make mistakes too. They've got to fall down to get back up, just like you did! For Students: PLEASE be responsible with your Financial Aid information, YOU and only YOU will have to pay back the federal loans you take out. Drinking, as depicted in so many lame college movies, is not the only passtime available during your college years. Diversity=Extereme Fun and Amazing Experiences. All nighters will be your best friend!

The most important thing for any prospective student is to pick a school where you will be happy. No matter how good of an education you may receive, college will be a horrible experience when you spend 4+ years at a school that you don't enjoy. This may include finding a school that conforms to your vision of a campus, student body, campus life, etc. Ignoring these factors may result in choosing a school that you may regret, and eventually transferring out of. Another important feature to consider is the value of the education that you receive compared to the cost of going there. Going to school can be expensive, so when picking the right one you must consider the quality in terms of the cost. Once you have chosen the perfect school, the best way to get the most out of it is getting involved. Whether it be a major related organization or intramural sports, participation in activities outside of the classroom are excellent ways to maximize your experience while you are there. In some cases extra-curricular activities can be beneficial even after you graduate. They can be the deciding factor that helps you get that job.

Students should always make sure they have some kind of direction around the area of their new campus. Especially in an urban setting, it can be very unsafe to venture off into bad neighborhoods. Don't party too much, because it's just a waste of your money. It perfectly normal and healthy to have fun and get the whole college experience, just don't over do and try to keep it to only 2 or 3 days a week so you still have plently of time for your classwork.

The biggest advice that I could give to either a student or a parent is to ask questions. If you don't ask questions how are people supposed to know that you need help. Ask lots of questions.

I advise students and parents to try and visit the campuses of the colleges and univerisities they are interested in. They should go to the campuses welcome center and bring questions to ask a school representative. Take a tour of the campus, including the cafeteria, computer labs, dorm buildings, and etc. If a student is commuting to campus find out schedules to accompany the subway and buses. It would also be beneficial to ask a few current students about their feelings and experience about the school they are interested in. My last bit of advice is to research about activities on campus and see if they offer something you are interested in that can help you adjust to college life and meet new people.

If I could make one suggestion it would be not go to somewhere completely familiar to you, I don't mean to go very far away because I myself could not do that but to go somewhere different. In that, I mean to go somewhere with a diverse population where you can meet all different types of people and expand your horizons. Before college it can be very hard to do this and I think this is the best time to start. For parents, one thing I can say is to let your children make their decision. They may find that it was the wrong one in a year or so but it is a mistake they have to realize for themselves or they may forever wonder, "What if?". Although I say that, it is a very important decision so don't go somewhere because your friends are but because you want to go there. Make visits and ask questions whenever you can because you can't really see a school for what it is unless you experience it! And Good luck especially to all parents and students!

Searching for the right college can be a daunting experience: a large university, a plethora of students, an overwhelming numbers of majors--all determining the "rest of your life." How is one to figure out how to succeed, and be happy doing it? The answer lies in analyzing the school in question within the context of yourself. Each school has strengths and weaknesses for the individual student. A small school may provide a personalized education, but might not have the resources for a less-popular career; a large school might have those resources, but not the ability to cultivate the necessary skills. Similarly, each student must take an honest look at themselves--their strengths and weaknesses--and figure out whether they can be happy succeeding at a large/small school. The easiest way to figure this out is to study what has sustained you in high school: was it small, interpersonal experiences, or the diversity of activities and students that inspired you best? Answering this question is essential in figuring out which college fits you best. Regardless of where you go, remember there will always be a transition period. But no matter what happens, always trust yourself to succeed...

The best advice I would give to parents and or students would be doing research about the college throughly and finding out class size, aid, and activities, and of course the place you maybe sleeping at night.

In finding the right college, one must look at size, distance from home, housing, financial aid, and the percentage of students who receive jobs when they graduate. Most students forget to look at the graduation percent of universities. Some other factors may be the race percentage, if its in a big city or not, the class size, transportation around the surrounding places. Another huge factor is the major you would like to graduate with. Is there a huge dedicated program dedicated to it? The professors in that program, do they come highly recommended. If I had to do the college process over again, I would've taken the time to discuss this with my parents and myself because sometimes the stress of the college process leads some students to rush. But don't. Essentially, this is the next 4 years of your life. Make them great, not rushed.

Find the college that best fits your needs and wants.