Union University Top Questions

When looking for the right college I would recommend finding a place where you feel most comfortable and accepted for who you are. Choosing a college based only on your major is not the wisest idea because most college students change their major mulitple times before finally settling on the right one. I believe that making the most of your college experience is all in how you look at it. What do you want your college experience to be? Everyone has a different idea of what they want. For me, participating in the activities provided for freshman such as, focus groups that met during orientation and Life Groups that met weekly for the first semester, provided opportunities to meet people right off the bat; and it was in those groups that I met some of my very best friends that are still around 2 1/2 years later. So, I say all that to say, do not be afraid to commit to being involved on campus just be careful to not over commit. Pick a few activities that you know you will enjoy; activities that will allow you to use your talents and gifts and dive in deep.

I know that parents and students both get bogged down with the whole financial part of the college experience. For me, personally, this was a huge factor. I was not able to pay for the type of private college I wanted to and had to seriously seek out scholarships. I would advise students, especially to apply for as many individual scholarships as you can. Also, the environment of the campus should be a major influencing factor. This is the place you are going to be living at for four years. It is important that you, as the student, feel comfortable on campus and really enjoy the campus. Overall, this is the students decision. You can make the most of your college life where ever you are. Get involved. Make friends even if it is uncomfortable at first. I would advise parents to give their children some freedom and trust them as they go off to school. Trust that the college they chose is the right one for them. This is the time in their lives when they will grow the most. They are preparing for their future during these years. Let them enjoy it.

The advice I would have to give parents and students about selecting a college is simple. Select several institutions that support the academics and character they hold to be important in their own lives. Treat it as investment because in the long run it will pay off. I know money is an important factor and should be considered, but the quality of your education is just as important. Choose a school that best fits you and the standards whether social or academic that you set for yourself. After selecting the right school, give it all you have academically and socially. Get to know people, work with people, and serve people. Learn life! Also, studying hard in and out of the class room. Enjoy hard work and the pay off that is recieved at the end when the job is finished. Basically, to get the most out of college put your best into it and the blessings will flow.

One of the most important things I found out when I was looking at schools was that it is crucial to stay organized. Students need to stay on top of application and scholarship deadlines, and having a system and a plan really helped me. Another thing that students need to know is that choosing the right college is ultimately up to them, not their parents. Mom and Dad can help with the process to an extent, but it is mainly the student's responsibility to make sure they have everything turned in on time. Once a student has been accepted and has started school, I think it is very important to get involved with things on campus. The roomates may be great, but it is in different activities that they will make friends the fastest, and therefore will also make the most of their college experience.

Visit the campus and TALK TO THE STUDENTS! The recruiters are paid to tell you all the positive things about the school, but really just look around at the students and see if they look happy and satisfied. Also, find schools that have a diverse population, not just racially, but politically, religion, etc. You want to get the best out of your college experience and you want to learn not only about yourself, but about other people and their beliefs. This is so important because you want to graduate as a well-rounded individual, not someone who is stuck in a bubble with people who are exactly like your high school peers. Academically, be sure the college can prepare you for the field you want to pursue. Check the quality of the education, the acceptance rates into graduate programs, etc, as relates to your intended field. Extracurricular activities are also so important. You need something other than just schoolwork all the time - find out what students do for fun, as well as the college's involvement in volunteer programs and the community.

Try to find the place that you feel most at home. Of course be sure that they have good academics, but you can find that at many schools. Look for a place that provides extra-curricular activies, ways to get involved. You are going to be in college for 2-4 years, so it needs to be a place that you can see yourself being 24/7. The best way to check out a school is to visit it in person and to stay overnight if you can! Meet some of the people there to see what your peers will be like!

College is the moment in your life when you grow up and not find who you are, but rather create who you are. Surrounding yourself with that care and professors who want to do succeed is essential. It is important for a student to feel comfortable with where he or she is. If the student isn't comfortable or doesn't like where he or she is, then they are less likely to succeed in their education. I know that every parent wants their child to attend the best college and do well, but they must realize that it is the child's decision as to what college they choose.

Everyone is going to have a different college experience, and not everyone's right college is where all of their friends are going. Picking the right college is an extremely important decisions. When choosing my college, I made a list of the things tha tI was looking for in a college (example: what major I was interested in, sororities, dorms, etc.) and then I made a list of the important aspects of a college (example: location, tuition, scholarhships available). Keeping both of these lists in mind, I found the perfect college for me. Wherever you go, I would say that one of the most important things that you can do is to get involved. Being involved allows you to meet new people, become more affiliated with the school, and get to know the community.

You need to look for a place that may be out of your comfort zone because it is only there that you will be stretched and forced to discover who you really are once you get away from all the stuff that has influenced your life growing up. The decision needs to be one that the student makes otherwise it will be miserable and sad because in being miserable they would miss out on all the awesome things that being a college student has to offer. Pray hard and find the place that you are called to go. In college, I would say study hard but have fun. My greatest memories will be the crazy times I share with my friends and it will be those that I will look back on and enjoy. Grades are important for sure, but don't let them govern your life. Also, get involved, join clubs, meet people because you never know who you will meet and the affect doing those things will have on your life. Give back more than you take and you will find that you end up with more than you could have ever imagined.

The greatest advice I could give any prospective student would be to visit the colleges that you are looking at. You may be able to read all of their statistics and brochures, but until you have been there, slept in a dorm room, talked to the students and met the faculty and administrators, you will not know what the school is all about. Ask lots of questions and discover how helpful they are. The selling point for me when I visited the university that I attend was the genuine interest of the faculty. Most colleges treated me like a number. Whether I attended did not affect them, but at Union I was a person, and a person that they wanted to attend their university. I would also encourage living on campus. Being in the dorms gives you a sense of community that you cannot get off campus. Besides, when in your lifetime will you ever have the opportunity to live in a place surrounded by all of your closest friends? College is an incredible experience. Be responsible, focus on your education, but also enjoy the unique position you are in. Have fun, be involved, and love every minute of it!