The University of Montana Top Questions

I would advise parents to ask their kids what they like to do with their free time. A campus should facilate a student's desired extra curricular activities. It is important for a campus to have the academic resources a student needs to be successful in their chosen career but one of biggest reasons I didn't fit with my first college was the lack of activities they had. Nothing stimulated me when I was away from school and I ended up transfering schools just to be happy all around. The environment in and off campus is crucial to students being happy with their choice of school.

My advice is to make sure you find a campus that you know you will have social things that you will enjoy too. Make sure you check and see if they off what you want to major in, or how far you can go. Make sure you pick a campus with fun things to do outside of the education part. Have gyms, clubs, ski mountians, pools, anything that you want to do or always wanted to try. If you like the outdoors pick a college that has a great outdoor scene. Make sure you go somewhere you know you can be happy or find something to make you happy.

Listen to your intuition when you experience a campus for the first time. Simply close your eyes, envision your favorite place on the premises and think about yourself being there. If it feels right, consider the university as a whole. Don't settle for anything you don't feel great about! The right campus is out there for you, YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND IT! Take your time to find the campus most likely to help you become successful in the long run and one that is well known and praised for the department of your preferred major. Above all, utilize your resources. Speak with campus counselors and faculty in your department so you can ask them lots of questions. Last but not least, make sure you visit during a week that should have a more realistic view of campus life, such as a few weeks after homecoming or just before Thanksgiving. And have fun!

Pick somewhere that you will feel comfortable in when you get there, not when you leave. Its somewhere that will become your home and you want to be able to have fun with the kind of people who attend and in the culture of the town. Check out as many schools as you can and the right one will feel the best. Study something you have a passion for and pick an area of study before you pick a school, not the other way around.

If I had one piece of advice to give college freshmen or applying high school seniors, it would be: get involved. I have an on campus job that allows me to interact with students on a daily basis and do things like work with suicide prevention efforts, help people quit smoking and help students eat healthier. I am part of a positive change on my campus and I find it very rewarding. Not only am I meeting new people but I?m getting experience in my field that I couldn?t have gotten anywhere else. I?ve formed lasting bonds in my community that will help me after I graduate and made lifelong friends through getting involved on my campus.

I would tell students and/or parents to choose a college based on (most importantly) whether or not it offers majors that the student will be interested in. Secondly, people should pick a college based on what types of sports, and/or activities that are available for students to participate in to take the edge off all the reading you have to do. Of course, after picking a college, be involved with events outside of the classroom, and get to know your advisors (if declared major). If you're serious about planning your future, your advisor will be more than happy to help. Being involved with things that are happening on campus will help students transition, make friends, get to know the atmosphere of the place and feel more welcome. Lastly, get to know people in positions that will be able to offer help throughout your college career (internship services, tutoring services, job placement services, and professors in your chosen major). It's all about connections and being involved.

Travel, live, and love. Take some time to see and expeirience the world so you can develop your sense of self. By doing this you can find out what it is that you want to do with your life and career path. I think blindly following the mold of highschool, college, career is severly limiting. It rarely offers you a chance to live. Before you decide on a school, decide on life and what it is you want to get out of it and give back to it. Once you decide on a school, if that is what you choose to do, commit to it. Be involved with the oppurtunities that abound on campus and in the community. Work in your field as much as possible while in school so that when you graduate you will not only have a degree but valuable expeirience as well. And take it seriously, yes college is a fantastic social outlet, but don't let the people and the parties deter you from your bigger picture - your ultimate goal. Finally and most importantly - have fun, relax and enjoy the learning process, because before you know it you'll be working for the man.

Good teachers exist in every college. In my experience the name of the college is not as important as what you want to get out of your university. If you learn well in small class sizes, or are interested in extracurricular activities, these will help you be satsfied with the university you have chosen. College is also about understanding more about yourself, so location, political views, and extracurricular activities offered at the school should be considered.

Visit the campus! See if the college you are looking at feels right because you will be spending a lot of time here!

Choose a college that you immediatly feel welcome in. If it feels like an unfriendly place, it is.