The University of Tampa Top Questions

Let your kids decide!

Choosing a college is one of the biggest choices you will ever make in your life, so I would advise parents to take a step back and let their son or daughter make the decision on their own, regardless of who is paying for the education. I would advise students to think about the cost first and foremost, and avoid letting their loans exceed $10k for their undergraduate education. Depending on the school's financial aid estimates is rarely an accurate measure of the real cost of college. Keep your mind open to all of your options and research, compare, and explore each, thinking of the next four years- as long as you "do your homework", you'll know which school is going to be your best bet. Keep in mind that if you attend and find yourself regretting your decision, you can always transfer in your sophomore year. Additionally, the best way to get a feel for the student body, campus and surrounding area, and basic lifestyle is to spend a few days in the area exploring the campus and city.

if you have any doubts about liking where you are, TRANSFER. you can only do college once, so do it right

Find the school that offers the program that fits your future career goals, current financial situation and preferable location.

I would definitely suggest going on as many college tours as possible. Definitely check out all of your options. Try to stay over night if at all possible. You need to get a sense of how big or small the school really is. Talk to as many students as you can and try out a meal on campus during your visit.

Live on campus for at least your first year. And get involved at much as you can.

I think any student can love any college as long as they commit to makeing the most of it. If you go in with a positive attitude, and take advantage of what your school has to offer you really can't go wrong- no matter what school you choose!

Consider your future, the quality of the degree and the cost of the University. Plan carefully and consider the possible challenges but, overall, don't be afraid to follow your gut.

I would tell parents to allow their student to pick where they would enjoy the atmosphere. If their son or daughter is shy you wouldnt want them to go to a large school. However, if their child is very outgoing and popular then they may want to go to a larger school. Also see where school can help with interships cause thats the biggest thing employers want to see is experience, well other than good grades

Do your research and most importantly ask a lot of questions ahead of time. Look into the kinds of programs, or the degrees that are available to you. Also look at the class sizes, do you like big classes or small ones, make sure that you especially pay attention to the upper-level courses, see if they are hard to get into or not offered very often; I found out the hard way that this is a very important question to ask and have answered proir to making your college choice. Also look into the campus life and the activites going on around campus; attend a club fair and see all the different clubs on campus, look at the dining facilities and see what kind of food options you have. You can also see what kind of job opportunities are available on or near the campus. And probably most important right now, look at the cost of the school you want to go to because you don't want to be hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt right out of college. Apply for as many scholarships as possible, and see if your school offers departmental scholarships for certain majors.