University of Central Florida Top Questions

There are many important factors that should be considered when choosing the right college. The most important factor is the cost. Once you have calculated what you can afford to pay each year, the next decision should be location. Do you want to stay at home? Or do you want to get as far away from your parents as possible? Also consider the climate. If you hate winter, it would not be wise to attend a college in the northeast region. It is also important to do research on the department that you plan to major in. What major research has been done? How do students rate the professors? Is it a good program compared to your other choices? These are just a few of the main factors that should be considered. I know choosing a college is overwhelming but if you do not put thought into it you may not be happy with your decision. I wish I would have thought about these things when I chose my alma mater.

First of all go vistit the college and if you can spend the night and look at the campus life around it at night time as well. Next, talk to people who attend the school and others who are actively involved in your major. It is important to know about the quality of the professors, the actual class sizes, and the quality of the resources that you will be provided with if you attend that school. Finally, don't choose a school just because you think that's the best for you. I speak from expierience when I say attend a school because it feels right and you are excited about attending it. And always have goals and aspire to achieve them.

I would tell students to pick their college based off of size and what it has to offer for the student. Also, the places around the campus play an important role in choosing a college. To make the most out of you're college experiece is to get involved. Students should join clubs and play sports that are related to their majors or interests. The bigger the college, the more choices/variety there is. A student who is undecided should most likely go to a big school to be available to more opportunities to find what kind of major they are interested in. The cost also plays a very important role. Out of state students will have to pay a lot more money than others. Parents and students have to think whether the college of their choice is worth the money or not.

Make a list of things that are/will be important. Will you work full time, part time, not at all? Are there places around the school where you can work? Will your religious views be hard to follow? Will you play sports? What clubs will you be in? If you won't have a vehicle, how is the public transportation? Is the campus safe and do they have emergency call boxes? Going to a "dry campus" may be a deciding factor for some people. Look at the availability of parking- how bad is the traffic and parking throughout the day? Research how long the average person spends at that particular college- consider why most students take 6 years to graduate vs taking the usual 4 years. What is around the school in regards to food, shopping, and entertainment? The location of the school is very important.

It is a very emancipating experience, you truly feel free and allowed to think for yourself. You will discover who you are as a person without input from your parents. You will face problems that you will need to solve for yourself. You will come face-to-face to any prejudices you may hold and must try to become tolerant or you may find the college experience unbearable. You must go into it with an open mind and think for yourself. Independance is a very important quality that will be picked up as well, maybe the most valuable as well.

What is most important in selecting a college is to figure out what the student's needs are. Do they like the city, or do they like the country? Would they mind having over 40,000 students attending, or would they like a small 1000 student population. It is important to know whether the school offers the programs that the student intends to major. Yeah, most of their friends may be attending a particular school, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the school has an entertainment major that the student always dreamed of. Being apart of a new school is practically adopting a new family. Selecting the school enables a student to make life long friends, business partners, or even lovers; it's essential to select the right school. Make sure the student gets involved and take the highest leadership role they can. I can guarantee that they will stand out in their job interviews when they let their future employer know about their trip to a foreign country or the community service project they led. College is the perfect place to stumble upon infinite opportunities.

No college will be beneficial unlesss you committ to your work. College is a time for you to focus and educate yourself. A time to prove what you are capable of and to build a foundation for your future. If you are going just to party and have a good time and you are not going to try tot he best of yoru ability and willing to make school your first priority then you are wasting time and money. You will get out of school what you are willing to put in.

Go with your gut instinct! If you're not sure, that means you shouldn't go there!

Take your time, visit the campuses, and make sure you like almost everything about the college.

The advice i would give to upcoming students/parents into the college world, would be that you must chose the college that is best for you in the future, that you wont have any regrets, information is key.

Visit the college and investigate all opportunities for finacial aid.

My advice to students would be to do the research themselves. Don't think that the information your parents have about college is enough. Times have changed and college isn't what it used to be. You have access to a world of information online so start there. Get packages containing more information from those schools you liked most. Set up a meeting with the dean of the university. Most importantly go visit those schools. You may have a specific school in mind that you think is perfect for you, but the truth is that often times it isn't. There are plenty of colleges that you may not have even heard of yet that could be perfect for you, but you won't know until you've done your research. My advice to the parents is, be encouraging. Encourage your student to reach for the highest they can and be there when they receive that thrilling acceptance or disappointing rejection. Your opinions play a big part in what college your student will choose so let them know what you think, but don?t make them think they have to go to a specific school to please you.

Looking at what they have to offer

If you know what you want to do - if you have your major and your career picked out - then go to whatever school is best for that (the best one you can get into). IF you don't know what you want, go to a school in your state, save money and figure it out while you have a bit of fun and learn about life.

Choose the right college for you. When you're there, remember that school is your priority and it is important to dedicate the time to it that is deserved.

There is so much advice that I could give students and their parents that would help them in making the best decision in choosing a college and making the best of the one chosen. From my experiences I will give the advice that helped me most so far. First, a student should always choose the college that has the most opportunities for their career path, not the biggest party atmosphere. There will always be parties no matter what school you choose. Second, make the best of your time in college by getting involved in campus activities. There are so many opportunities to get involved. Being involved also allows for networking with in your school. This can be extremley important once you graduate and later in life. These other students are going to be able to help you find future jobs and a number of other helpful things after you all graduate. Plus everyone loves to make life long friends that can help you get through college. You dont want feel alone when going through finals and stressing about graduating. So jump in, focus, and have fun!

Make sure it has a good program for the major you are looking for. Make sure you visit the campus and do research on it's history to know if this is the right campus for you. And make sure you know how much it is going to cost so you can be prepared if you don't get financial aid.

Select the school that is right for you, Please be smart do not select the school that is right for your boyfirend, friends or even your family. It is a tough decision and one that impacts the rest of your career. Please think before you act.

When looking for a school try to find a place where you like the campus or find a school that you can see yourself being a part of. When you get accepted join a club for anything that may intrest you.

The best advice I could give parents or students about finding the right college is to visit as many as possible. Each college has its own personality and atmosphere, and finding an environment which suits your own style is key in having a successful college life. What may be the perfect college for one person, may be a bad choice for another. Furthermore, brochures and website don't exactly convey a college atmosphere, the only way to fully experience it is through an actual visit. In regards to making the most of the college experience, the best advice I can give is to get involved. Join clubs, groups, and organizations that you're interested in as it will make it much more enjoyable experience as well as providing you with a peer group that can aid you in your academic studies as well as become friends you will have forever. Above all, be willing to take risks and step out of your comfort zone, doing so will not only expand your own outlook but help you develop into the person you want to be when your life after education begins.