University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Top Questions

Find a college not for its prestige but for a place that you can feel at home. It should be academically challenging and offer classes that you may want to try. In order to make the most of your college experience, study hard and get good grades. You'll be disappointed if you waste your time drinking and fooling around and not get the education that you went there for. You'll only have yourself to blame if you can't get a good job after college because your grades weren't good enough. A lot of students make this mistake and they pay for it. You should put time aside for fun activities, such as going out to eat or going to the movies with friends. You should be able to enjoy yourself in college, but having a good time is not why you're paying to attend.

I would tell students to visit all the colleges that they are interested in. You won't be able to tell if you like it if you dont visit it and actually experience it.

Visit the campus while school is in session. Sit in on classes. Talk to the students. Making sure you are happy while at school is the most important thing you can do. You don't want to wind up paying a lot of money for college to be anything but the most fun and engaging experience of your life.

Try to choose a school you could see yourself at for 4 years. Switching schools is usually not a good choice because you lose your academic standing among your peers and it makes it more difficult to make friends who could eventually help you study or learn about subjects that are difficult to you. Try to pick a school that won't have you paying student loans until you are eighty either because any college education is still a great education.

When it comes to selecting a school a student must select a college based on what they see as fulfilling their needs and wants. The best advice I would give a student, looking for that perfect fit, is to visit all potential universities during the school day to observe the students walking to and from class in order to see if they would mesh well with the campus community. Visiting a school on the weekends does not clue a student into the personality of the school. Once one has chosen a school and enrolled, the best way to make the most of college is to get involved. As an orientation leader at my school I always tell new students that in order to find people that are most like them they need to get out and get involved with a club or organization that interest them. When you join a club or organization you will meet people that share your interest and are in a way like you. These new friends become your core group and with them you will achieve the reality of a well rounded and exciting college experience.

Take a long time deciding which college or university your son or daughter would like to attend. Start their college process by their sophomore or junior year of high school. Let them explore and visit as many schools as they like. Over-night stays are a good way to get a feel for the community life of the campus. It also gives them a sense of independence, pride and excitement for college. One other suggestion or necessity is to get a job and start saving for college because almost every student runs out of money the first week.

To the parents, I would say push your kids to go to the best school of their choice. Students are young, but they are not dumb so let them make the choice. To the students, make sure you get involved in some sort of club or activity on campus. Every campus has parties and you'll have a great social life, but getting involved will really make you well rounded. You'll also meet new people outside of your new social circle and it will open you to so many more opportunities.

Picking a college is not like picking out a car at a dealership. Although you do tend to relate the pros and cons this is not the only thing that a college choice should be solely about. A college or university should be unique to the individual student. A place where the student feels comfortable and most of all feels like he fits. My choice of college is suiting for my own particular needs and I am happy with the choice because it is one I made.

When choosing a college or university, students and parents need to do their homework. They need to research different schools as well as visit the schools. When visiting a school, try to take a tour through buildings where classes are being held. If possible, ask to sit in on a class that relates to what the student is interested in studying. Also, try to talk to students and professors and see what they like and dislke about the school. Once students have made the decison about where they would like to attend school, check out the surrounding towns. See what's in the area for recreation. Also check with the school for a calender of events or a list of suggested attractions in the area.

I would encourage students to take into consideration their parents feelings, it isnt just a big step for you, they are sending their baby out into the world. Join a club or a sport immediately, it will introduce you to lots of new people and give you something to do; dorms can get really old fast when you arent doing anything. When selecting a room avoid a single, having a room mate is a vital way to meet people. School is what you make it, you can join sports and clubs and get into all the activities the school offers, or you can sit in your dorm alone and float by in classes. Let college make an impression on you. It dosent matter what school you choose if you dont intend on getting involved. There will be parties at every school, there will be drama, hook ups and break ups, but focus on the education the school offeres because that is the main goal of your next four years, the rest is what you make it. Believe in yourself and dont loose what you stand for and you will graduate with confidence and an education that will get you somewhere.

In order to ensure a happy college experience there has to be research involved. Visit the school and ask a lot of questions. There are plenty of ways to gather information about the school you are going to attend. If the applicant is lazy about the choice, then it could cause problems in the future. College is a big deal and something to take very seriously.

I would advise the student to take some time and really try to determine what is most important to them in terms of what they are looking for out of a college experience. Choose a university that meets your top three or four criteria. I suggest going into college with a plan, once you know where you are trying it's a lot easier to find the way. Enjoy the college lifestyle but make sure you keep in mind that you are in college to earn a degree, and to gain skills and knowledge that will help you down the road. sometimes you need to just say no to your friends. Oh yea, about friends, try to find a group of friends whose goals parallel your own. This is very important, if both you and your friends are totally focussed on making the Dean's list, your friends likely won't give you a hard time over choosing to stay in and study rather than go out on a Wednesday night. Always use your head, and do not put yourself into potentially dangerous situations.

Don't join for all of the wrong reasons. You need to be happy with where you are going. And parents, yes this is a stressful time for you too, but remember your child is at a crossroad trying to figure out where he or she wants to go with the rest of his or her life, it's a big deal. Remember that!

Make sure your son or daughter is happy with the choice. The worst thing you can do is choose a school based fully on the financial benefits. There is always financial aid. Also, allow them to be themselves. Do not hover over them, for that will make them want to go against your wishes even more. Also, have your child get involved in some aspect, be it a club or a fraternity or sorority. Let them make their mistakes, because if they are wise and you feel that you have taught them well, then they will learn from what they have done and correct it.

Look for a school where there will be students who have similar interests to you- not just a school that has an expensive name

I would say that parents and students should chose a school with a wide area of majors in case there is a need to change his or her mind later in school. Also, I believe that future students should decide what size of a school they are interested in before they pledge to attend a certain university. I would also suggest that future students pick schools that are close but not too far from family, it is nice to get away and still be close at the same time. The area the school is located in is also important, because it affects students' emotions through the surroundings and weather of a particular school.

be yourself

Although it is hard to find financial aid and the price of college is such a burden these days, attend a college that you want to attend to make you feel comfortable and happy. Don't get stuck in the rut of choosing the cheapest college and being miserable for four yearsl

When I looked at colleges the one thing I looked at was location. Do you want to stay close to home, or go as far away as possible, do you want the city or rural area, etc. The size was very important to me also. I wanted a school that wasn't too big or too small, and UMASS Dartmouth is just right. Another thing to look at is the student-to-teacher ratio. Smaller classes are better because there is more one-on-one interaction with the teachers. And its always a big help to pick a school that has your major if you already know what you want to do before starting. Choose a school that has a good reputation for what you're majoring in. Choosing UMASS Dartmouth was the best decision I 've made. College is supposed to be the best years of your life and so far it has. You just have to make the most of it. College isn't exactly easy, you just have to try your hardest and have fun. You have to be able to balance your academics with your social life.

Students: Choose the college that YOU want to go to, not your family, or your friends. This is the next big part of your life and only you have the power to decide where it will take you!