University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Top Questions

I would advise students to find schools with programs that allow them to "shadow" a student for a day and a night. This would give the student an opportunity to see the school without the hovering parents and a tour guide who is trained to sell them on all of the school's best points. A student would take their shadow to normal classes, even those with a boring teacher, and to the dining hall. The student would ideally live in campus housing so that the shadow could be exposed to the residence halls as well. Once at college, I would advise students to keep in touch with their parents. (They always like to feel included, and the more they know, the more financial aid they will lend.) I would also suggest that the student get involved in as many activities as may present themselves. Though this may at first feel stressful, the student will soon find some activities less interesting than others and the load will lessen.

I would suggest visiting all the schools you are interested in. If you visit a college you like, you will know its for you when you visit. Instead of talking to advisors and paid tour guides, talk to real students on campus and ask them what they like about their school, what activities they are involved in and what they are majoring in. They can give you real, honest answers. When choosing a school consider the following aspects: size, population, friendliness of students, diversity, what type of majors the school specializes in, and the town where the school is located. If you get the chance, sit on a class to see what its like. Join clubs/ frat/ sororities/ intramural sports- anything you are interested in. Hangout in the dorm. Study abroad. Volunteer with your fellow classmates. Join study groups. Go to professors' office hours- it really helps. Attend guest lectures. Go the theater. Go on weekend trips with your friends to a nearby lake or park. Go to a rave. Participate in undergrad research. Go to football games. Pack 18 people into a 15 passenger van and drive to Detroit for the National Championship. GO HEELS! :)

The most important aspect in choosing a university is people. People have the most influence over your college experience's quality. They are what you remember, even decades after you have graduated. They become lifelong friends. Therefore, while a degree from a world-reknowned university is good for academia and emplyment, the people one meets at the university are good for the very soul of the person. My advice to incoming students is this: meet people, become an attractice person who draws people to himself, and strive to please others, and a lifetime of benefits and enjoyment is yours. And, when you have a little spare time, study hard for your tests.

The best advice that I can give someone about finding the right college is finding a place where you feel that you can gain the most experience and knowledge aside from what you want to gain from your particular major. It is all about having options that in turn will result in opportunities. To make the most of your college experience you just need to live and experience all that the college can offer you, never limit yourself from the possible and never say that anything is impossible, especially when you have not taken the time to do it.

A student has to figure out what quality of a college of university is most important to them. Size, academic rigor, tuition, available majors, graduation rate, and study abroad opportunities are just a few factors students use to distinguish colleges from one another. Remember, your parents are just as excited and proud as you are, so keep them involved in this decision and throughout the rest of your college years. During the first year of college, use your best judgment about balancing classes and a social life. Academics should be the top priority. To make the best of your education, take every opportunity given to you, such as attending every class, going to see professors during office hours to ask questions, being tutored if necessary, and forming study groups. In order to take advantage of the full college experience, work hard so that there will be no regrets, join a few organizations to be involved and make friends, learn from your mistakes, and take the time out to engage in a hobby or do something that you truly enjoy. Lastly, always be thankful and show humility because not everyone has the chance to further their education. Best wishes to everyone.

Students: Your future is in your own hands not anyone elses. With the decision of choosing what college is best for you, do what makes YOU happy. I say with deciding a college and after deciding what college is right for you, also use that thought process in choosing a major and a job. Remember you have to live with YOU for the rest of your life, noone else. Moreover, meaning once again, do what makes YOU happy!! To the parents, I know this may seem harse, but let your children be the ones to pick what college THEY want to go to. At the end of the day it is THEIR education, and THEIR future. Be there as a guilding light, not as an owner with a pet on a leash. It may be hard to let your children grow up, but the time has come for you to let your baby bird fly. Be happy with the growth they will make over these next four years. When commencement day arrives, you will come face to face with an adult to be proud of. Enjoy these next four years, they go by fast and you only get one chance!

1. Definitely do your research about the schools that you are interested in. Become informed not just about your potential school's social scene, but also it's academics and it's location. 2. Go out and visit different schools and even sit in on some large lectures to get a feel for the campuses. 3. My parents always told me that when it comes to education, money doesn't matter, but in my opinion, it kind of does. Pick a school that has value and that will allow you some financial freedom. Especially in this tough economy, getting out of school without a pile of debt is always a good idea. 4. When you arrive at your chosen college, get involved! Meeting more people will help to ease the pain of leaving the familiarity of your high school. 5. Try something new, step outside of your comfort zone and don't be afraid to experience more. 6. Do not skip any classes, even if they are at 8 AM. Trust me, you will regret it. 7. It's simple, don't drink because it's the smart thing to do. Drinking alcohol is just consuming expensive and empty calories.

Finding your college is a completely personal decision. It can't be based on where the majority of your high school tends to go or where your parents are desparate for you to go. And it's not exactly about what you want to do for the rest of your life either. See, that is what I believe college is for. The best use of your time in college will be to explore. There are so many new opportunites to involve yourself in ways that haven't been previously available to you. No matter where you go, you can't help but to learn more about yourself and who you want to become and how you want to live your life. The right answer to where you want to go to college comes when you ask yourself where your favorite place to be is. Do you like being in large groups of people? or small? Do you like the big city? or something more natural? Do you like to spend times out doors? Or would you rather hit the town? Or are you somewhere in between. So my advice is to do your research- on possible colleges AND on yourself.

Take the time to visit colleges and get a feel for the dynamic of the student body, ultimately you will be spending the formative years of your adult life here, so it is important to feel at home. Things that are often overlooked but are nevertheless factors do include such seemingly trivial things as the climate, location (urban or rural) and architecture. Education is a holistic objective that requires not only academic advancement, but also character growth, the development of soft skills and the furthering of non academic interests. Find somewhere where you are comfortable that the attitude towards academics and the workload balance is appropriate to challenge you, keep you interested, but also allow you to get involved with student groups and student life. The value of the degree is not only in the name of the institution, but in the quality of the educational journey.

There are quite a few things I would have done differently as a college freshman if I knew then what I know now. The best advice I could give to incoming freshmen is to talk to students at that school. Every college has its own ins and outs that every student learns through experience. Coming to a school as a knowledgeable freshman gives you a huge advantage over all of the confused, scared freshmen. To become experienced: visit the school, get to know the campus, talk to students you know and don't know, study the map, look through the courses, visit the website...basically get to know every aspect of the school possible because this knowledge will prove very useful in the future. Becoming one with the campus and all it has to offer makes the transition from high school to college so much smoother. Good luck!