University of Mississippi Top Questions

Choose based on what YOU want. Take the opinions of your friends, family, and advisors because they know you and have invested time and interest in you, but only you can make the choice. Be sure to find a school that offers the courses and programs you are interested in, but your choice cannot be purely based on academics. You HAVE to find a school with the support you need both academically and socially. Most of all you have to be comfortable. You have to find an environment that will enable you to push yourself and your limits without feeling too much pressure. It's all about finding a balance.

College is a place where a student is able to do whatever he/she desires. Independence and personal responsibility are expected. Nonetheless, each decision you make is your own. Do not hesitate during college, dive right in. College is such an unique life experience. Where else are you able to meet so many people and study so many different things. Have fun. Enjoy yourself, but do not forget that learning is your key priority.

My advice to high school students would be to find a college that best fits your personality. The college needs to reflect your personal study habits, future goals, and beliefs in your life. I almost wasted my first year of college because I wanted to be perfect in my academics. It took me a semester to realize that I could have a social life and still make excellent grades. My advice is to manage your time wisely before your college experience passes you by. The right college is out there, it's just the matter of finding that special connection with the campus.

College is one of the most important times of your life. You need to make it count. Don't consider a school just because it would "look good" on your resume. Think about the whole picture - academics, socialization, extracurriculars, the community. All of these factors and more go into your college experience. Sometimes, the fancy school doesn't turn out exactly as you pictured. Don't sell a public school short just because you have images of that private-school lifestyle. And once you find a school that you like, stick with it. Find every scholarship and financial aid opportunity that you can, and don't be afraid to dig a bit deeper. Sometimes the best opportunities just require a little extra effort. Most of all, figure out what it is that you enjoy. I ended up hating my original major, but I loved one of my electives, and I changed my focus because of this. Above all, college is a chance to find out who you really want to be. Go into it with an open mind, and be open to ways in which it can change your life - for the better!

Parents, remember, this is your child's college experience, let them be who they want to be and do what they want to do. And don't be shocked if they come back how with different colored hair, it's normal. Students, keep yourself active but always put your school work first. Social life is important but if you are unable to do well in school, everything takes a hit. You're here to both learn, grow up, and have fun. Never take your eyes off of your goals.

My advice to all parents and students on finding the right college would be to go where you feel comfortable and are able to afford it. Visit the campus if you can or talk to a representative about a virtual tour so that you can get a feel for how college life will be like. You can also talk to some people you might know about the campus and get their opinion about your school of choice. However, do not follow everything they might say about the college, especially if they don?t like the college of choice. You are going to college for your own education not someone else's. Just make sure that while you are in school, you schedule your time wisely to ensure that your college life a good one.

The first bit of advice i would tell an upcoming freshman would be to step outside your 18 year old body and try to look ahead six years. Ask yourself what path you want your lif e to be headed down and attempt to choose an educational route that would best lead you down that path you see for yourself. And don't hesitate to choose a lofty path, the only thing that will slow you down is you. Be confident and go for it! Parents be the boost your kids need to get to their higher education, and once they are there do everything you can to guide them, but don't decide anything for them. Let them take the responsibilty upon themselves and they will grow as an individual. Also, i would urge all parents to be patient and tolisten to their children with an open mind.

Make sure the child takes part in college visits to make sure that school is the right school for them. Help children to find an area of interest and find schools based on that information as well as what they expect from their school.

Make sure you are comfortable with your decision. Do not try to follow a friend because you will not get anything accomplished. Make your own decisions and make sure you will be able to do your work and not be bothered by different distractions

You need to know what your goals are and what college offers the best opportunity in that field. Don't limit yourself to a place that is close to home or that your parents attended. Let it be about the student and what they hope to accomplish during college and after.

I would tell parents and/or students to check out as many colleges as possible. Go visit the campuses on campus days, tour the facilites such as the libraries, the bookstores, and other places of interest on the campuses. I would also encourage them to ask questions, such as about financial aid, student-teacher ratios in classrooms, and about office hours for instructors. For the studenst, I would encourage them to find out about the different clubs and organizations that are on campus. I would not reccommend joining one the first semester because you want to get a feel for the campus and get into the swing of things. Joining clubs and organizations allow you to meet new and intersting people and possible forge friendships that will last a lifetime beyond their your college years. Most importantly, choose the college that best suit your needs all around. Make sure that the school has what you want academically, socially, and community wise. If you do this, then you are sure to have success in your college experience.

Find a college that best fits the student's personality and academic needs. The student should go to college where he or she thinks that is best for them academically, but also where they will fit in and have fun also.

Do not choose a college for anyone but yourself. I made that mistake and regret it every day. I decided to suck it up and only have 42 hours left. Don't let anyone but yourself tell you who you are.

I would like to keep it simple as possible and speak from experience. When it comes to choosing the school that is best for you, one should do as much research as possible and seek advice from people who know everything there is to know about that school. For example, I am the type of person who likes to be known by my first and last name. The majority of large schools with greater than 20,000 students have a tendency to associate one by his or her social security number. I feel that staying involved with extracurricular activites, studying, meeting people with common interests, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are all key elements in making the most out of his or her college experience. In my opinion, those who try their hardest and perform well in school will nine out of ten times have a positive outlook (experience) on where it is he or she attends school. On the other hand, those who do not take school serious and have a difficult time making it to class or keeping his or her grades up will, the majority of the time, have a negative outlook. DO THE BEST YOU CAN!

It's important to apply to several schools and visit the campus. The general feel one gets from a campus will affect one's mood the entire time one attends that campus so it is important to enjoy being on one's campus. Also, be sure the department one is interested is accredited and well funded. Speak to the faculty and you will find if they care about the students. Talk to students in the department besides the ambassadors to gain an understanding of how the students feel about it. One needs to speak to the financial aid department as well of course. If the staff at the financial aid department is helpful it will greatly ease the stress of finding and receiving loans and scholarships. Finally, look at the availability of jobs in the area for college students to be sure if one needs a job one can get one.

I advise that they do alot of research about what programs the school has to offer as well as extra curricular activities. It is a good idea to see the school in person if possible before deciding on which school to attend. You should go to school with an open mind ready to expand knowledge and experience. You should do research and take full advantage of everything the school has to offer. Most things a college has to offer are things that you cannot get ahold of outside of attending college.

I would tell anyone when trying to find the right school to weigh all their options, check out the schools and the programs they wish to pursue and then choose whatever their hearts tell them.

When going to choose a college, always pick about three different schools, and go visit them. Decide which one after you've visited all three, and if you still don't know, then look at a few different places. Going to college out of state is almost always more expensive than choosing a college that is in your home state. Just be sure that if you must go out of state, that you try to get scholarships and a job. Living expenses are rather high when one lives near the college, or on campus, but if you can, live right on the outskirts of the town in which your college is located. The most important thing when choosing a college is making sure that the program you are interested in is available and has a good reputation with that school.

Really research the school before you select. Use sites like collegeboard.com and other rescources. Apply to as many colleges as you can, at least the very least five. Remember that often you can reuse college application essays with a few modification.

The college experience incorporates more than just a higher education, its an extension of oneself academically, socially, and culturally into what I feel is a new, second home. If one of these areas is lacking while in the decision process, it just isn't the institution for you. For those parents and students looking to find the right college, I encourage you to explore and visit all you can. You cant base a decision off of a single visit or off what others tell you is best. You, the student, needs to see and feel for yourself what its like to be there and exist asa student with that university. This is a decision that will continue and hopefully enrich your life beyond the high school experience. Your schoolwork, cultural affairs, social life, love life, everything is incorporated into college and only the best and most well-informed decision will do. My biggest piece of advice is to explore. Explore yourself and your wants and needs, your opportunities and choices, and the institutions and careers that when all combined create the ultimate college experience, in all, the ultimate you. The decision is yours, make the best of it.