University of Memphis Top Questions

To students looking for their university, pick one that makes you feel comfortable. Don't pick a college based on its credentials or on your friends. Your school needs to represent you. You need to feel good at school, not inadequate. Pick a school that makes you want to get up and go to class in the morning. To the parents helping their children choose their schools, take your kids to the campuses. Make sure they get a feel for the school. If they aren't right at home when they first step on to the campus pavement, they may not be cut out for that school. I was at home the moment I walked onto the Memphis campus, which was an improvement from how I felt at Christian Brothers University.

Find a school that offers financial aid and get involved with your school whether it be through sports or sororities or frats... something to help you meet people to enjoy college with. We are all in the same boat at college...broke determined and wild

The first thing that I would suggest to parents and students is to ignore rumors about a school. Many schools may get a bad reputation for small things that prove to be insignificant and neglible. For instance, my university has a reputation as an academically poor school even though many of the faculty are superb and true experts. As it turns out, the school isn't lacking in quality, many of the students are. Take the time to research a university's ability to provide an education, don't simply accept the widely held notions of an institution. The next piece of advice would be to visit the campuses of all prospective schools before choosing a school. Pictures listed on the homepage of a university don't do the university justice nor do they detail the location of a university with respect to nearby cities and towns. Lastly, choose a school that is worth its pricetag. A quality education can come from many schools not just the financially elite institutions that cost $40,000 or more a year. In your search for an institution be thorough, start well in advance, and don't let frustration guide your decisions.

I would do some research on the college campus. Learn more about their social activities, crime rates, percentage of students who have jobs after graduating etc... The most imortant thing is to have family or relative who lives near that campus in case of emergencies. Go with your son or daughter to check out the campus to know what they will be doing for the next couple of years. If they are familiar with the area a vehicle would be nice to have so that they would not have to rely on a bus. If he or she knows their intended major they should become familiar with the school they are researching to see what do they have to offer and is it the best option. Not to ruin the college experience, but if the school is known to have parties every night of the week the student should determine their ability to resist. It is okay to party every now and then but really should be limited to the weekends. Partying is something to do in the very begining, but once you enter your major you see the better things in life.

I think that the most important elements to look for when choosing a college are the programs offered, the extra-curricular activities offered, and the help offered by the administration staff. In order to get the best college experience, I would recommend meeting students who attend the school and asking them their honest opinion about the programs offered and the poeple at the college.

Visit lots of colleges and learn as much as you can. Don't just settle on the first college you come to. Keep an open mind and ask lots of questions. Also, really you can have a lot of fun and learn a lot no matter what college you go to. University of Memphis was my last choice, but I enjoyed it so much that I am going to graduate school there as well. Don't focus so much on the choice itself but on what you make of it.

The advice I would give parents would be to sit down with your child and discuss possible careers and goals. This will ultimately decide the child's potential major/concentration/minor which will then limit the amount of schools to attend and in what location. Plus, for the student, having that head start in knowing what they want to accomplish while in college will make the over-all experience much more enjoyable and stress-free. The advice I would give to the student would be to take college seriously, because this will be his or her future at hand. College is not play time- that's the student's social life. One goes to college for mainly one thing and that's to receive an education and skills that will carry over into adulthood. Another piece of advice is to really consider higher education post undergrad. Today, and undergraduate degree is like a highschool diploma, so getting that masters or Ph.D. will really set one apart in the "real world." Overall, be true to yourself, because it is only you who can make that difference in your life, and what makes you different makes you beautiful.

make sure the school is in a place that you would like to live. make sure it offers the major or program in which you want to study. for me finances were a major issue so its always ok to look at schools in -state. always visit before you decide to attend.

Research the desired college as much as possible. Find their web page, research that , and make sure they have their desired degree(s). If the web page does not answer all of your questions then call the school, talk to professers within the degree that they want and ask them questions, like what are their academic requirements. If you have more questions then ask some students who attend that school questions about the school that they are attending, how is the social life, how is the academic life, how is the weather, how is the area and the crime in the area, how is the housing at the school, is there stores close by, how is the athletic department, how many students attend the school, what clubs/ other activities are on campus, or are there churches on campus so the students can practice their religions. There are many questions that have to be asked before parents can allow their child to attend a school. I would say the best advice, would be to take an actual trip to the school to really experience how life would be on that campus and if it is really worth it!

If you already know what your major is then make sure the university you're going to attend will be able to provide classes for your major. Also look around the campus and see what kind of city and surroundings you will be living in cause it makes a big difference.