University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

Before deciding on which college to attend in the fall, be sure to visit the campuses that have accepted you. It is of utmost importance that you visit your school of choice before acutally deciding on it because it may not be what you expect it to be. Also take into consideration the selection of majors that are available and be sure that you are interested in a few of those majors. The key to making the most of your college experience is to be open to everything. Be social, be active, and be studious. College is about finding yourself through the actions and decisions that you make. Challenge yourself with stimulating courses, challenge yourself to join an intermural sports team, challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone. The more challenges you conquer, the more satisfaction you will gain out of your college experience. But beware, do not overwhelm yourself with too much to handle all at once--not only is it important that you challenge yourself in college it is even more important to find a balance between all the challenges that you choose to pursue. Remember to breathe and take one day at a time!!

When looking for a college, the main thing you are looking for is the right college for YOU. Make a list of what kind of college you are looking for. Do you want to attend a large school? A small one? Do you want diversity? These things will help you research schools that suit you the best. Then go and visit them! Go on a tour of all the schools you apply to. This is the only way of feeling the atmosphere at each school. Every school is different and has certain good and bad qualities, it is your job to decide what school suits you the best. Once you find your dream school, your opportunities are endless. I have found that getting involved in your school is the best way to meet new people and have some fun in the process of graduating. There is no rule saying you cannot have a good time while still studying your butt off to get those good grades we all want. Even if involvement in school is not your thing, then just try to get out of your comfort zone as much as possible to fully grasp your college experience.

Be able to try new things!

I believe that it takes time to find the right campus that fits you and the learning experience you want. Large campuses and small campuses offer completely different learning experiences, but all offer a level of education unmatched by any other level of education. I would suggest visiting the campuses you are choosing between during the school year to see what student-life is truly like. Good luck and enjoy your college search!

It is so important to visit the actual campus of colleges students are interested in. Research all the information needed that appeals to a college experience the student would enjoy. Look for qualities such a social aspects, location, weather, and major/minor studies because these are integral factors that will affect a student's college life negatively or positively for the next four years of his/her college career. When you get to college, be POSITIVE and brave about your new life. It will be intimidating, challenging, and sometimes lonely but you will grow and learn about yourself so try new things, make new friends, have fun, and claim your OWN future. Never let anyone tell you no : )

College is all about academics, but in order to do well in academics the environment has to be right! Check the surroundings of the off campus life! Check what ways people get around, what activities are apart of the outside life. Check how high academics are enforced as well and check the statuses of the professors rank by students that have taken there classes.

I would encourage parents to have their student work part time. I have been working Part time in the campus dining hall all year. It allows me to save money to pay for college and it also gives me a real sense of what life is like. I see many students who don't work, they have too much time on their hands and end up partying all the time. By working 15-20 hours a week I can still maintain a 3.3 GPA and earn money to pay for part of my education. I am also still able to have time to do some community work through the Boy Scouts.

Look into places tou may have never heard of. I hadnt heard of UCSB until I started filling out the application for a UC. Now, I am so happy to be here, we are the only campus with our own beach but we dont have a football team to make it known. There are ups and downs to all universities, but you just have to find out what the other students do about the downs. I mean, did you know that more people in Ireland know about UCSB than in California? Its because our soccer team is bomb and the students who study abroad in Ireland are fun-loving and enjoyable people that welcome people from around the world to just come and visit for a week in the summer! Talk to current students about their experience before you set your heart on a university that could effect the rest of your life:)

I would say that visitng the school is very important. Also making sure that you're going to the school for the right reasons and that it has the major you are trying to study in.

Make sure to try to visit each university or college and get to know everything about the places and people there before making a final decision on where to attend. As for studies, make sure there is a wide variety of studies for students to pursue. Knowledge is limited lately because of funding, so it may be a bit difficult to find a place that fulfill's a person's educational needs.