The University of Alabama Top Questions

My best advice would be to get invloved with and extracurricular organization like a volunteer organization and to not be afraid to ask questions in your classes.

Always remember that your studies come first. So, when deciding on a college to attend, make sure your field of study is offered and accredited nationaly. There are times when I thought I would not be able to afford to go to college, but through the financial aid and scholarships I have made it through. Another thing to do is make lots of friends from different places. You will be amazed at how much you can learn just by sitting and talking with a friend from another country. Learn about the struggles that someone else had to endure to get to college. Some of those friendships will be the ones you cherish the most. College will force you to take responsibility for your actions. Mom and Dad aren't there telling you to get up and go to class. However, you have to take the initiative to go because some colleges will place you on probation for poor grades and others will remove you from the college. Learn all you can and make lots of friends and your time in college will be worth all the late night study groups and the all-nighters during finals week.

Make sure you will be able to afford it for all the years you will be attending there.

Make sure the college has everything your child wants. It should have a lot of activities to do on campus because I know it can be lonely when you first get to college. A student should get involved in alot of things on campus because it will look good on resumes or whatever they want to do.

Take as many college visits as you need. You'll know when you're at the right place. Like 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the people in the state of Alabama, I had been raised an Auburn Tiger and told to hate the University of Alabama. However, when I visited the University of Alabama as part of a college visit during my junior year of high school, I knew that I wanted to call Tuscaloosa and the University home for the next four years. I've never regretted my decision. The best advice I think anyone can give to students and parents during the college search is to stay focused on the future. Don't go to a school just because it has a good football team unless you plan on making a career out of playing football. Don't go to a school just because it has a good Business school if you plan on majoring in Biology. Research how each school you're considering will help you accomplish your goals. Remember, college is meant to be a place for people to learn first and a sports/party place second.

a college close to home is a good idea. easier for freshman, so they will not get home-sick... and let there school work get affected.

I would probably tell most incoming freshman that college is what you make it. You have the opportunity to be successful if you put forth the effort and realize that this can be one of the best and most important times of your life. Go to class. Go get involved. Go broaden your horizons. Finding the right college involves taking the time to really think about where you see yourself for the next four years and if you think that place can help you grow as an individual. Do you think that place will provide you with opportunities that you haven't even thought of yet? If you can see that a school has the right academic plan available, a supportive faculty, and even looks like fun, then that's probably worth exploring.

I would say the best advice when looking for a college to attend is... "think outside the box". I'm from Virginia and I looked into the University of Alabama not only because of the nursing program, but because EVERYone from my hometown goes to the same 3 or 4 colleges. Therefore, everyone hangs with the same people from highschool. BRANCH OUT! It's the best experience for a young adult.

The hardest thing for me in college has been financially. I came from a middle class background, but my parents were not able to pay for school or really help me out too terribly much. So trying to work, and take classes, and be involved has been extremely hard. Therefore, I'm not really involved. I take a full load every semester, work a part time job as a waitress, and have a boyfriend. But beyond that, I have no social life. It became impossible to march in the Colorguard, or be a part of the student groups I had joined just purely on time constraints: time that I needed to spend working instead of spend getting involved. As a senior, that's probably my biggest regret is that I was so broke and had to spend so much time trying to just make ends meet while in school.

When choosing a school, people should focus on the acedemics first but not too much. The experiences that a student has is college is what shapes them as adults. So for students choosing where to go to school, think about what you want to do during those four years. Anything is possible.