University of California-Irvine Top Questions

Be sure to get involved at your campus and the surrounding campus community. Be sure to use all the resources available such as the career center, counseling center, multicultural center, and health education center. Make contact with faculty members and take the initiative to get to know them. Talk to current students, recent graduates, and people who have been out of college for awhile to get a particular feel for the school. Get involved in research because there are so many opportunities to try research in whatever field you are interested in.

Finding the right college can be a difficult experience for both parents and students. Not only do finances play an issue, but so does distance, living situation and quality of education. But when it comes down to it, selecting a college is like a Mastercard commercial: "Buying dorm essentials: $1,000"... "One Year's Tuition: $18,000"..."Watching your son or daughter finally grow up: PRICELESS". The fact of the matter is, is that no matter where you go to college, if you're not happy there, than you won't learn what you need to learn, in or out of the classroom. The most important advice I could give to students looking to make the most of their college experience is best stated in a quote by Voltaire: "The perfect is the enemy of the good". Not all things in college will be everything you dreamed. Chances are, there will be failed classes, snarky teacher's assistants, bad food and an inumberable amount of embarassing moments, mess ups and do-overs. But that's the best thing about college, everyone has their own unique experiences; none of which are picture perfect, but all of which serve as higher education.

Don't immerse yourself into believing you didn't get into the college you wanted. Instead, believe that you got into the ones to which you were meant to belong. Once in, especially during your first year, take advantage of the social and academic opportunities provided, such as being on Board for a campus organization or attending campus events and sports events. And don't forget to leave your dorm room once in a while and meet some of your suitemates/dormmates. There never will be another first year, or college experience, for that matter.

Choosing the school with the best reputation is really not the best way of selecting a college and is not really that important, what is most important is finding a school that complements your personality. One that has the right environment which will encourage you to flourish and grow and sometimes that is not the highest ranked college that you were admitted to.

I think the best way for a student to get to know their campus is to participate in an on-campus activity. At University of California, Irvine, there is a program called SPOP, which is like a elongated orientation. Perspective fresmen live on campus for a couple of days and "SPOP" leaders would help them learn about their campus, the academic life, as well get a feel of what their peers are like. This will really help students figure out how they fit in the school while becoming more comfortable at school - they even get to make new friends during this process! Most students say that SPOP is one of their best experiences at UC Irvine. Other schools have orientations as well, so take advantage of these great oportunities to find out if these schools best suit you!

The number one thing that I recommend you do to decide what college to attend is taking a visit to each campus you are going to apply to while the school is in session. By doing so you can experience a sample of what it will be like to attend that shool. This is crucial as you will be spending your following four years of you life at the school you choose, and by visiting them beforehand, you will have a better sense of judgement based on your own personal experience.

Involve your family and friends in your decision. Take as long as you need from the moment you receive your acceptance letter all the way until the deadline to choose your college: it is a very big decision that you should take your time in choosing. The first step after your acceptance is to visit the school and get to know upperclassmen and see what they have to say about the school. Do not only talk to the counselors and the students that are assigned to give you advice, but talk to regular students on campus that you might pass by in the bookstore, the library, a sports game, the recreational center, and even a party. Get to know the campus as well as possible so that you know it is a place that you will fit in and learn a lot from. Also look into the clubs on campus early on so by your 2nd year you will have found a niche in the campus, don't overwork unless your family needs the money, and if they do then give up playing video games and spend your free time socializing; clubs will help with that.

When you are looking for the right college it is important to really look at all it has to offer. Academics are very important and if you know what you want to do, find a school with a good program for your major. If you are undecided, try a school with a wide variety so you can test the waters and see what you might be interested in. Definitely be open to meeting new people. There are so many clubs focused on all sorts of different topics and activities and it's not hard to find others who share your interests. If you like sports try out for a school team or do intermurals if you want something less serious. If you really want to do well in school but have a fulfilling social life, it is not that hard to do. You just have to budget your time in a way where you study enough to get the grades you want, but also leave time for hanging out with friends.

The college you or your child chooses should of course accomodate his or her desired educational interests, but should also be an environment where they grow and enjoy themselves. Although one important goal of college is to be able to land a job after graduation, it's also important to know that most of the knowledge that you are provided with during college you will probably not be asked to use after graduation. At the same time, potential employers due tend to put a lot of weight on GPA when looking for new employees so make sure to take your studies seriously when you need to. Ultimately, during your college experience you should be diligent with your studies when you need to be, but when you have free time really take advantage of it. Get involved. Join a club or fraternity/sorority. College is a very short time in your life an you don't want to regret it.

This is one of the most important decisions a student will ever make, therefore, much time and effort should go into college searching. Students and parents should consider well-rounded colleges that offer a diversity of majors. But it should also have a strong focus or be well-known for a particular major the student is interested in. The faculty and professors' interest to student needs and capabilities are also important. Ratings on these aspects need to be researched thoroughly, either online or at the library. The atmosphere of the campus is also important. The campus should suit the student's personality and personal needs. Doing tours of select campuses was the most helpful for me in order to discover what the college was like. Getting involved in either clubs, fraternities/sorities, dorming, school activities and cultural events, sports, students jobs, or student government would be the best bet to getting the most out of college experience. Students should go to club faires and be adventurous in discovering their passions. Ultimately, it's the student's choice to pick whichever college he wants, and it's also his responsibility to make the most out of college life.

Research the schools online

Make sure you are going somewhere that you will enjoy spending the next four years, you wouldn't buy a car that you dont like, so there is no sense in (often times) moving your entire life, and paying thousands of dollars per year to attend a school you don't feel comfotable at. Also, be patient during your application process, there is a college for everyone, it is just a matter of finding the right one., but don't get too bummed out if you don't get into your first choice, it's not the end of the world. It may end up being a blessing in disguise and the school you end up going to may end up changing your life completely. And finally, and probably most importantly, college is a time to find out who you are, make sure you study hard, but leave plenty of time to have a little fun, half of college is the social aspect and the people you meet! These people will be your friends for the rest of your life! Good luck!

Do not worry about the ranking of the school but rather worry about the friendliness of the staff and the amount of resources the school offer the students.

Most people do not go into college knowing exactly what they want to do in the future. Many people may have an idea but it may change as different professors and classes influence you. I beleive that the best thing to do when you come into college is to enroll in mostly general education courses, that way you dont waste classes.

I would tell parents and students to physically go to the college they are looking at attending, take a tour, and spend some time walking around by themselves to get a feel for the campus. If it is available, do a stay over program before deciding where to attend so you get some one-on-one time with an actual student who isn't paid by the school to endorse it; and that way you also get a feel for how the on-campus housing is as well as the cafeteria food. Speding time on and around the campus before deciding to attend it is probably the most important factor to determining whether you will enjoy your college experience and be able to make the most of it. By spending time there, you will be able to figure out what extra-curricular activities are offered that you are interested in, and how to be eligible for some of the activities before you even start so you have a sense of direction when classes actually begin.

To look into all possibilities and keep and open mind. There are many schools out there and it is important to find one that offers multiple classes/majors that you would be interested in.

Look for the major instead of the name. The major and the department gets the fund if the there's more students in the department. Also look for club and social life he wants. different school has different kind of social life and people attending each UC has certain kinds of talent based on campuses.

Advice that I would give parents and students about finding the right college and making the most of the college experience is that parents and their children need to sit down and discuss what field of study he/she is interested in. Then, they need to research different schools that offer this field and have good programs that can help their child succeed and have a promising career after graduation. They should then visit the schools of interest to see if their child finds the campus inspiring and feel that he/she will fit right in and be comfortable. If a college passes this test, then it should be one of the schools that the child applies to.

As much as the status of the school is important, it is also very important to research the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Whatever UC cannot provide will be provided in Cal States. It depends on what the student wants best out for the future career. Ask yourself, "What can I do in this school? What can this school offer for me (financial wise, academic wise, etc.)? How will I adjust and accomodate at this particular school? How serious does this school encourage success? How safe is this school? How involved is this school? How diverse is this school? How will I accomodate to living far away from home?" It's these very simple questions that students and parents often miss due to reliance on the status of the school. I'm not encouraging everyone should go wherever they feel like. I just want everyone to know that what is important for the students is how they will adjust the transition from high school to college, home to dorm life, and to look for the quality of the school; not just its status in the ranks.

If you want to find the right school for you, don't look at the programs but rather what kind of classes they offer and if those classes interest you. Often times, students enter a major because of its prestige and are overwhelmed by the workload. They usually end up changing majors after the first two years. As for making the most of your college experience, I'd say to join clubs and get involved. Many former students sit back and complain about how boring their college experiences were. They were usually the students that went home on the weekends and never interacted with others besides the people they already knew. College is about finding yourself and by doing extracurriculars ,you are exposing yourself to new interests that may later shape your future. Getting out of your comfort zone is part of the whole college experience and you learn and grow from it!