Texas Christian University Top Questions

The one piece of advice I would give to parents and students is to be sure and research the school thoroughly but when you go to visit, listen to your heart and pay attention to whether or not it feels right. I remember attending freshman orientation and just being in awe of how perfect TCU seemed for me and how lucky I was to have been accepted. I had my heart set on it for four years and looking back, I would do it all over again. I know I made the right choice for me. Also remember that getting a degree or a college education is not the same thing as having a college life. It was very important to me and my parents that I not attend a commuter type school or one where there were many married or working students. I wanted to embrace college life and that included living in an old ugly dorm, having a room mate that I had never met before, attending lots of sporting events, pledging a sorority and living in the sorority house just to name a few. I

You get out of it what you put into it.

When looking for college, make sure you look at the whole package. Understand the living environment you will be getting into. Talk to professors and students, learn about what they go through in class. Find out the involvment of faculty to the students and how intersted they are in the student. Get invovled in the university. Find something that you love to do and really pursue it. Invest some time to the school and finding new people, trying new things. Make sure your student feels at home there. They should know, deep down, that they made the right choice. Ask them about it after they have started. School should feel like you belong there, like a second home. That should be what you strive for in selection of university. Somewhere you feel you belong, with amazing, intersted stellar faculty, outstanding campus life, students who are involved and ready to succed, and where you really feel at home. Get to know the places you are looking at, and dig deep to find that place you really feel you belong. These are simply my experiences and guidelines that helped me find that perfect home in TCU.

I would say first, always visit your school and if you know people who go there, go visit them. It is good to go and visit the school on a tour to get a feel, but actually going with someone to their classes and seeing what they do out of school really help decides what fit would be good. Rushing a sorority or fraternity at a lot of schools really helps create a solid group of friends and I would recommend that to anyone. Unless you are 120{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} sure what your major is going to be, make sure that you have a few ideas in mind, because most likely you will change your mind and it would be best if the school you go to offers at least 3 choices for you. If you're moving out of state, like I said earlier, make sure and go visit to make sure you like the town that your school is in. If there is nothing to do and you aren't one of those people to just sit around, then you want to make sure you love the town!

First things first: STUDENT, don't listen to your parents! Okay... listen to them on most things, but if they are pushing you to attend a University because that's their Alma Mater, or other reasons, tell them to back off. (In a nice way of course!) I chose to go to TCU because I visited MULTIPLE schools on my own and made the decision based on the people that I met, the location how much FUN I had each time I visited, and believe it or not, the colors of the school! Basically, make your own choice based on how you truly feel, not how someone is TELLING you to feel. This will lead into the best experience you can ever imgagine...College. Second: Don't hold back! If you have a chance to make a new friend or go on a random date, say YES! Granted, it might be a total bust, but you can laugh about it later, and then again, you may find your best friend or the love -of-your-life. The last thing: don't cut your parents out of your life just because your in college! They love you and can bring food!

From the moment you step on a campus, you should feel three main things: The first feelings you should have are feelings of safety and comfort. You should be able to trust in all aspects of the institution, from crime rates to housing options to meal plans. Choose a campus based on safety and comfort just like you would your permanent home, as you will spend four important years of your life in those surroundings. The second feeling you should get is trust in your ability to succeed at the specific campus. You should be able to picture yourself being able to fully adapt to the college's policies, principles and procedures so that you will become an expert in your field of study and succeed later in life. You should be compatible with the class size, the professors' teaching patterns, class choices, and the availability of career help. The third feeling is almost indescribable. When you step your foot on a campus you are going to attend, it should just "feel right." Everything should click; from comfort in those surroundings to excitement about your adventure, when your feet are on the right campus for you, you will "just know."

Prospective students should visit campus when school is in session. They should definitely spend some time checking out the school in ways other than an officialy campus tour. Some good ideas are people watching, sitting in on a class, checking out the various buildings such as the library, cafeteria, student union, recreation center and a dorm. They should take the time to ask students who are NOT employed by the university how they feel about it and what they wish they would have known when they made their decision. (Tour guides are paid by the university, of course they are going to hype it up and make it look like the best place on earth.)

Most parents would love having their child go to a college or university close to their house, but sometimes that is not possible. Choosing a right college is very important. The academics should be great and low student to teacher ratios are a bonus, but most of all, the atmosphere should be focused on learning as well as having fun. Great colleges offer students opportunities to excel in their academics, as well as ways for students to be involved, such as helping out the community or being part of an honors society or a subject club. College is not only a place to study but also a place where the student lives. The campus should feel like a community so that the students feel accepted and become involved.

I would recommend that students definitely visit the campus and meet as many students as possible. Get various and non-bias opinions. Yes, listen to your parents concerns and opinions but always follow your heart. Don't be afraid to go to a distant school for fear of a new surrounding; if you feel the school suits you then you should attend it. Don't ever think that a school is too good for you... if you have interest then you should apply. Also when you attend college, I?ve found the most important thing, when it specifically comes to succeeding in your classes, is having good guidance, in other words, getting a good advisor. If you?re unsure of your major, classes, and even social activities? get a good counselor/advisor that will and can help you. So often it's hard to find a good counselor but they're out there:)Also in general with all aspects of college, whether it's educational or social, go with your gut instinct, be smart, and don't give up. If someone can achieve all three of those they will succeed!:)

Parents and students should be sure to not only visit prospective colleges, but talk to those students who are not college ambassadors. Consider several schools and if possible visit on more than one occasion to get a greater overall sense of what the college really has to offer versus what it says it can offer. Make sure the school is afforable for you and your family. I've had several friends who have had to leave school because the expense became too much. College is about learning what you like, but more importantly what you don't like and what you do and do not want for yourself and your future. I encourage parents to let their children figure this out for themselves and try to let the student make an independent decision about which school is right for them. Going to college has been an incredible experience, I recommend that parents encourage their children to be active in their school of choice and to consider study abroad options as well. As Pat Green, a favorite musician of TCU students, says in one of his songs, "there is a time and place for just about everything, it's called college."