The University of Tampa Top Questions

To the parents and / or students looking for the right college, i advise you first of all to make a decision only after knowing every little thing there is to know about the schools you are thinking of. Therefore, i strongly advise you to start the college search as early as possible and also to make a priority to visit the campus. Furthermore, so as to make the most of the college experience, i advise the students to be open minded for college is a lot different then what they are used to. Consequently, by being open to the new, there will be less confusion and distress when living the college life.

As a graduating senior who has seen 4 years fly by at the blink of an eye, I would say try your hardest academically, make true, life-long friends, enjoy any free time to its extent, help others who need it, and be thankful for today... for tomorrow may never come. College is the BEST 4 years of your life... or 5 if your major requires it. Get involved on your campus community, and don't take for granted what its worth. You as a student leader in an organization will most definitley act as a role model to a younger student, and you may not even be aware of it. Do well academically, from the beginning of the semester until the very end. Keep on top of your work, and you wont be running aorund at the end, worrying. Form relationships that truly mean something special, these will be the people who help you out when you need it. And don't be afraid to ask for help, not everyonecan do everything by themselves, and no one will look down on you for asking for help. Most importantly... enjoy your time, it only happens once!

The one piece of advice I would give to parents and/or students would be to just go with your gut instinct. When applying for school, there are so many choices and decisions floating around that one's personal preferences can become lost in the mix. Take time to just think about where you really want to be, regardless of everyone but yourself. Whether you sit in your room for hours lsitening to music or go for a walk, there will be that moment when you make the choice in your heart. It is your future and you want to start it out right. And, no matter what, you always have chances to change (transferring). College is a huge part of growing up and it is one of those things that you do not want to regret or look back on and wish you had done differently. If I were to do it all again, I would not change a thing. We all have plenty of time to grow up and college plays a giant role in that. By going with your gut, you are bound to start off on the right foot.

It has to feel right to you. If you aren't comfortable in the environment than it isn't for you. When i first went to my school i knew right away that I wanted to go there. In order to make the most out of your college experience you have to try and get all you can out of being there. It's only worth while if you enjoy it, and get something out of it. It will only be worthwhile if it means something to you. I know that my experience thus far has meant something to me because the memories that I have made here will be with me forever. The people that I have met and the experiences we have had together will never leave me.

Carefully select a college that fits your high school personalit y. I strongly suggest students to look for a school far away from their home town so that they can become a successful dependent mature individual.

I would advise students and parents to be sure the college of interest fits the needs of the student. I didn't feel comfortable being in a large classroom with hundreds of students so the University of Tampa was perfect for me. The classes are very small and the professors know each student as an individual, which helps make each student feel they are important. The professors should be readily available to the students for any problems they might have, including personal issues that might influence the student's academic abilities. The academic and financial aid advisors should be available to help the students with any issues related to their areas of expertise. It is very important for students to have guidance in choosing their major/minor and what classes they need to fulfill their goals as well as having the assistance to be able to pay tuition. I also feel that adequate study areas are of great importance; a well stocked library, and enough computers for every student to be able to utilizewhen needed. There should be opportunities for employment as well as places to go and relax after a long week of studying.

The most important aspect in regards to chosing a college that is right for you is a visit to the campus. Every college looks great on the website, but you can't accurately judge it until you spend some time around the students and faculty. In order to make the most of the college experience, new students generally benefit from living in a university provided dorm. After being around so many people all the time you begin to make friends. I believe it is also beneficial to learn to live with another student. Students always get emails from different organizations on campus and their tendency is to just discard them without even reading them. If you go out there and get yourself involved in anything that interests you, chances are you will have a good experience simply by meeting people that are interested in the same things you are. My biggest piece of advice has to be to take advantage of what your college has to offer you, no matter what aspect of college it may be.

My advice to give to parents and/or students about finding the right college would be to look at their hometowns. Is your hometown small or big, is it rural or in a big city, and are the people community oriented or independent individuals? These answers should be considered when picking the right college. I know students like to experience new things when going away to school but it helps to attend a college that reminds them of their hometown. It helps to cope with home sickness. I would also advise parents and students to check out the ratings of schools they have an interest in, especially safety and security ratings. A safe school allows for students and parents to relax which in return allows students to perform at their best. No parent wants to feel anxiety for how safe their child is and no student wants to feel unsafe when out on their own for the first time. When students attend the right school, their college experience becomes more than just classes and papers. It becomes their life for the next four years. Prospective students get involved and try new things, but never put extra-curricular activities before school.

When finding the right college it is important to think about how many people you want to meet and how big of a variety of people you want at the school. If you want to meet a ton of different types of people and have more options of who to be friends with than you should choose a bigger school. Also, you have to keep in mind if you want to live in a city or suburb. In a city you are going to have less house parties, and more chances of getting in trouble for underage drinking. In a suburban school there will be more parties to go to on campus, that you will not need a fake id to attend. You will also spend less money because drinking in the city at bars adds up. I would also consider the quality of the dorm life and if you can have a car as a freshman. If you need to work to make your own spenidng money and you can't have a car it can get difficult.

The most important thing about choosinf the right college is how comfortable the student feel on campus. The campus visits before he or she gets into the school are imperative in choosing the right university. When I went to The University of Tampa i fell in love with the campus and now I'm a very happy and proud student. Also, knowing that the field the student wants to pursue is available and competitive at the school is very important. As for myself music was the most important thin. Needless to say I loved the music faculty and proffesors here. I say these two things from personal experience and great results!