University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Top Questions

My advice to parents and students when searching for the right college would be to find what is it that you see yourself doing, make a plan or goal and commit to it. You will find the people to help you and whatever path you take, be sure to keep working towards your goal. Explore yourself and grow with every learning experience.

When looking for the right college for you or your son or daughter you will get the most honest opinions of the school by talking to students and faculty that attend the school in question. If you talk with them you will be able to get a sense of what to expect and you'll hear real life experiences that will allow you to have more to draw your own opinion from instead of just the statistics you'll read about it in books. To make the most of the college experience you need to have a well-maintained balance of academia and fun. Your work at school is very important, but so is having a social life. If all you do is study, you'll regret the fun that you missed out on during "the best years of your life." Enjoy every aspect of it because you have your whole life to work and only fours years to go to college.

I would tell them to make sure they knew all about the campus and school before going somewhere. It helps to visit the campus and talk to some students who attend it so that you can get a feel for what your college experience will actualy be like. Also, it is important to get involved while you're at school. Joining clubs or other groups outside of class is a great way to meet to people who will most likely have similar interests. Finally, I think it is exteremely important to go into college with an open mind. Don't be afraid to try new things and be up for anything. Keeping an open mind allows you to experience new things and possibly find out something about yourself that you never would have otherwise!

The main thing to consider is size; someone who is from private schooling could easily get lost in a large state school. Make sure you are comfortable with the size of the college you choose. For public school educated students who have an extensive social life, a large state school would probably be ideal due to the variety and options in social life. Distance from home is also a large factor; if you plan to go to a college that is relatively competitive, remember that you may get overwhelmed and want to return home on weekends; make sure this is an option. If you consider yourself an independent person, be very open in location; moving to a new part of the country could be quite exciting and an eye-opening experience. I strongly recommend going with a random roomate, as long as you feel you are pretty easy to live with. If you are going to school with a close friend, try to get in the same dormatory, but don't necessarily request them as a roomate. You may get so comfortable that you don't try as hard to branch out and get exposed to other lifestyles and cultures.

Don't be intimdated by size. Some schools may seem big and impersonal but are not. Talk to actual students for the real story on the university not tours or lectures. Find a school that will challenge you but also inspire you to do something to help leave your footprint on the world.

Make sure you talk to friends and family about what kind of atmosphere they think would suit you; you might not realize some things about yourself that others might be able to see. Ask older siblings or friends about their college experiences, and keep in mind their individual personalities while doing so. Consider how well you like your highschool atmosphere, whether it be a large or small school, and think about the size of college you might be able to handle. As far as distance from home, keep in mind that although it will be an amazing experience to go somewhere across the nation, traveling home will always be a hassle/not possible, and make sure you're ok with that. Once you're in school, if you aren't happy right away, give it time. My entire freshman year I wasn't happy and even considered transferring, but now that I'm a junior I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. However, if you are still unhappy well into your sophomore year, don't be afraid to look into switching schools; you don't want your college experience to be a regrettable one.

If the students have their mind set on a particular major, I would advise them to pick a college that not only offers that major, but others that they may have an interest in. I feel it is better to have the opportunity to completely explore your options, especially in those first few semesters of colleges. Taking time to explore, even if students think they are sure, is important because it can both help them to change their mind to a major that is a better fit, but also can let the student know that they have made the right choice. If the students do not have a chosen major, I would still advise them to go to a university rather than a community college, because the exploration opportunities at universities are so much better than at community colleges. In general, I would not heavily advise students to pick their college solely based on the social reputation it has. College is going to be what they make it. Whether students are into the night life or quiet and peaceful study sessions, they will find a scene and group that they fit into.

Make sure you visit the college campus before attending and explore all of your options before 'settling' for a school that you are not fully sure about or that other people want you to go to. Make the decision for yourself and be firm and consice in your feelings. In addition, it is very important to make new, life long friends and to create new experiences. Be open-minded about people, ideals, and activites. You do not want any regrets. Your main focus should be getting your education. There will always be another party and that cute guy will be at the bar again next week, believe me. You only get one shot to take this exam and to ace this quiz. The points definitley add up at the end of the semester. Make smart choices and make the college experience one that you will never forget. Appreciate it because there are so many people who don't even get a chance to attend college and you have the opportunity and privilege to do so. Believe in yourself and find your calling. Anything is possible and if you want something bad enough, you will get it.

The most important thing to finding the right college is to visit the campus. A school can have the best credentials, but you may not feel good on the campus. How you feel at school and on campus is a large factor in how well you succeed in school. To make the most out of your college experience, get involved with as many activities as you can in the first weeks of your freshman year. Anything that sticks out to you, sign up. Once you learn more about the groups you will be able to drop some of them, but it is very important to dip your finger into as many activites and groups as possible.

The most important thing one could do when searching for what college to attend is to find something that seems like it will be a good fit. Think deeply about what you want to do in life, and about a couple of back-up plans so that should you change your mind on career path, the school you choose will still fulfill your needs. Analyze the students likes, dislikes, and preferences when making the decision on what schools to attend. As far as making the most of the experience, be sure to be involved in as many activities and organizations as possible. Try new things and to see what is out there and what is/isn't for you. If you are adventurous, study abroad; if not, join organizations on campus that you enjoy doing. Volunteer on and off of campus. Do everything you can while you can do it because you won't have the same opportunities after graduation.