University of Maine Top Questions

Going to college was one of the biggest transitions of my life. I had previously thought that getting my driver's license was the most exciting yet frightening experience I'd ever have. However, college was one hundred times more exciting and a thousand times more frightening. First, students move into a dorm where they are forced to share a fifteen foot box with a complete stranger. This is the hardest aspect to adjust to. I'd suggest, from experience, rooming with a friend for the first semester- solely so you can adjust to the environment first. Then you'll have your feet under you before you have to face a brand-new, strange, and sometimes even scary roomate. Next, get to know your campus. I can't count how many times I got lost the first week of school. Trying to find the right building on a large, spread-out campus is harder than finding a needle in a haystack; And of course, you don't want to be the loser that's always showing up late for class looking like they've just run a 10K. Do these two things, and your transition will be a smoother one.

The goal of going to college is at hand, but it is equally important to know why college is for you. Ask three questions. What am I going to do in college? How am I going to pay for college? Why do I want to go to college?

The advice I would give to parents and/or students about finding the right college is to make sure to visit the colleges interested in. There is so much more that you can learn about the college/campus if you actually see it through your eyes. To find the right college, it isn't just about how prestigious the college is, it is about how much you will enjoy it. The truth is, you will be there for at least 2 years so why not pick a college that you know you will love. The best way to make the most out of your college experience is to meet as many friends as you can because some of them will become your best pals throughout your life. Another good idea is to seek out all the activities offered in the school because you will certainly find somthing that will interest you. My most important advice to you is to do whatever suits you, make sure to not do something just because everyone else is doing it; you will be an adult at college and you have to start making choices for yourself.

Make sure that you take school seriously. If you don't then you're wasting your time and money. Pick a school that you feel will best prepare you for the future.

The one advice I would give a student in picking the right college is to find a college that feels right. Choose the college that feels right because the more comfortable you are with the academics and social life the higher chance of you succeeding. Although other factors will affect your decisions like finances, remember that it is about the quality of your whole experience in college and not just the cost and perceived greatness of teaching. Teaching is always only as effective as the student's desire to learn. A happy and well rounded student has the greatest desire to learn, so choose the school that you will have the best well rounded experience.

Don't worry about cost. I know it is a hard thing to do but the amount your education costs shouldn't discourage you from making the right choice. My family does not have the funding available to help pay for college and I have to make it pretty much on my own. It has taken some hard work but I don't regret it or the experience. By choosing the right school for my needs I have literally crafted the experience of a lifetime. The professors I've had, the classes I have taken and the opportunities I've had are well worth the loans and part-time jobs it takes to make ends meet. On top of all that I have made some truly great friends and found a lot of hope, compassion, and faith in humanity as a whole, and that is much more important in the long run than any debts I'll have to pay back once I'm working in the field I love.

Take time before you go to college to try and figure out what major interests you, it is very diffiicult to do but very beneficial.

The best advice I could give to students really is that no school is perfect or what it seems at first. Go look at as many schools as you can and don't rule anything out. Make sure you know what schools offer scholarships and financial aid for different things, but don't let cost make the decision for you. once you have a list narrowed and have applied visit your top schools more than once, and go just on your own and not part of a tour if you can at all. This will let you see what the school is like on a normal average day. Try to pick a school that is affordable, but also make sure that you feel at home there because for the next four years that basically is your home. For parents: let your kids make their own choices. Don't try to force them to go where you went or to your dream school. Let them be their own individuals. Give them advice and let them know how much you will be able to contribute, but ultimately let them make the choice.

Do more research on the specific program you are thinking about entering rather than the university as a whole.

Visit the college you want to attend. You can tell a lot about a place by how it looks to you. Don't listen too much to people giving you tours. They usually have a spiel to get out. Make friends with the people in your dorm. Be willing to try new things. Be yourself. It's a perfect time to be the person you've always wanted to be and the people you make friends with while being yourself will be people you will actually want to be around.