University of Hawaii at Manoa Top Questions

To find the right college, I believe you should first try to figure out what interests you. For example, I am interested in the hospitality industry, and it just so happens I live in a state with a very good hospitality school. However, it is rare to live in a state with the school you want, so you may want to visit the schools that interest you the most. Find out what their program requirements are, the type of housing offered, what the surrounding neighborhood is like, and get an overall feel for the area you may be spending the next 4+ years of your life at. To make the most of a college experience, I would recomend trying to see the good in situations and the people you meet. Consider every person you meet an opportunity to make a friend as well as network. Try not to get distracted in your classes and to always try your hardest at your schoolwork. It may be tempting to go out and let loose all the time, but you're in college to learn, and that is what your focus should be. However, you should also be involved with campus activities.

Make sure you study at least 10-15 schools and try and go to some sites like rateyourprofessor.com to get the students input. Also, try and see if you get exact information about their programs - a course catalog is great - before you even apply. When you're there try and participate in clubs from the beginning - your courses are less demanding and you'll have that much more time to make lasting friends. Take advantage of every resource available to you at the campus - attend the job fairs, be sure to do an internship, apply for financial aid even if your parents were going to help, try your best to go on a foreign exchange program. Finally, be sure to take at least a couple courses (preferably one course every semester) that you're really intersted in and that's not really your major field of study.

I think the most important thing is that the students feels comfortable with the school environment and that there are clubs and activities that s/he can do to make them feel connected to the community. If the student does not feel like that, s/he might look at alternative ways to feel like they fit in for examply alcohol and drugs. It's also important to stress that college education is not ultimately about getting the degree. Too many students focus on getting the degree and they are completely lost when they have it. This limits the way they see themselves and what they think they can be. College education is also about self-exploration and finding out for the student who s/he wants to be. Without this exploration the student will be lost. For examply, if the courses s/he is taking in relation to the degree do not interest him/her, that says something. A good idea is to get together with an adviser to make sure you're on the right track. Make sure to get involved with the school in an unacademic sense also to make new friends. This creates a better learning environment.

Choosing the right college primarily depends on the student. Even if a college is not renowned for its academics, students have to reach beyond mediocrity in order to challenge his mind. Whether a student learns class material relates to the student's motivation to learn and to embrace challenges as a learning experience. Not only does college prepare one academically, but the social aspect of college prepares one for the world. Outside of college, the lack of proper social skills is a major problem. The world today holds social networking in high regard. In my opinion students need to realize a balance between academic challenges and social skills so that once a student graduates he will be well prepared to maturely handle every situation.

While money and job oportunity is important when looking for a major and college do not let that get in the way of your dreams because when you are working at a job you love to do it never feels like work. We each have our own strengths. Use them to achieve your goals in life, like the college you wish to attend! Also, never limit yourself. Allow room for growth, expansion, new ideas, and experiences...

For any person looking for a college experience. You need to find a school with a good academic advising program. These people will help you as much as you can through any confusion that you have in deciding what you want to do in life. We are all not perfect. Most students will not know what they want to major in when they first go to college. I have alot of friends who changed majors after a year or two in college. Join academic clubs and programs which will benefit you in the long run. Be open to meeting new people because in a college, ethnic backgrounds from around the world will be sitting right next to you. For the schools which you have choices to go. Stand in the middle of each one of those schools. Take a look around and go for the one which puts a sense of happiness and confidence in your heart. Then hit the books and get that dream job that you might not know about.

It's not the college you attend, it's what you youself learn - in the sense that it is ultimately your responsibility to learn, not your professors, advisors, etc. to teach you. You don't go to college expecting to learn everything you need to know to live the rest of your life. Learning is forever. But, remember that college grades are forever. You might not realize it now, but what appears on your transcript from here on out determines the rest of your life. Those reviewing your resume (for a job, graduate school, professional school, etc.) after you graduate will interpret each grade you earned as THE BEST you could do at the time. We will be judged over and over again in our lives by strangers who really hold our lives in their hands, but remember that luck is when good preparation meets opportunity. College is where we learn who we are, and don't be afraid if you don't know what you want, this is where we find out. Regardless if it takes you four years or eight years, when you finally discover what you are really passionate about, it's a success. Never give up.

After countless nights of searching for the 'right' school for me, financial situations outside of my power limited me to a single school: the local University. While I had MY college path decided for me, people around me flew far and wide to visit their potential campuses. All of them had one goal in mind, finding the 'right' campus. Lets fast-forward a year or so. I would say at least half of all of my friends are completely miserable at the colleges they went to. And not to sound like I know everything, but I think I've figured out why they were miserable, and I'm completely fine. Most of my friends went off to their respective campuses with the thought that the college was perfect for them. Raising the expectation so high that it was virtually unattainable. But lets be real here, people change, and that college that was so perfect for you, could end up being something you were not expecting at all. I believe that students should be open, flexible, and even adaptable to their college situation. My advice? Find out the basics, class size, cost, distance, and forget the rest, just be open.

Be sure that both the student and parent are satisfied with the choice.

i think the best advice would be for the student to choose which college they think will best fit them. It isnt about what the parents want for the student. Because otherwise its a waste of everyones time and money. some other advice would be to have fun and enjoy every part of the experience. Be open to meeting new people and experiencing different things.