University of North Texas Top Questions

As a student, my first bit of advice is to be open-minded. There is a really big world outside your town where you attended high school. And in that big world is a variety of oppurtunities that can help you reach the career you want. I've switched majors three times before finally realizing what my passion was, and I'm so happy that I've found it. Also remember this: When you find your passion, don't ignore it if you find out that's not where the money is. I'm going into the photojournalism field because it's fun, exciting, and I'll get to travel. If you find a field that makes lots of money, but it wouldn't make you happy then don't go for it! Do what will make you happy for the rest of your life. And for the parents out there, it's ok to be sad or worried! You may be sad about your child leaving home but once you see your baby walking across that stage with their own degree, the sadness will diminish, because respect and joy for your graduate will take over. You'll be proud!

Find somewhere that both the parents and student is comfortable with. The key is to find the right environment. Remember, the child will be growing up exponentially in college so you have to find some place to suite those needs.

Find a school that: caters to the growth of students as individuals; has small classes, but lots of options; diverse in cultures and activities; has professors that are established in their respective fields; has well established programs; works with you financially--following scholarship money takes a HUGE load of stress off the student AND parent.

Please Encourage your children to go to college it is a great learning experience and also a good way to network and form a career that will last them a life time and they will be able to provide for themselves and takes of there parents when they retire. To the students Never give Up on your Dreams College may look scary and hard but it is not just do your best and Nothing less and have fun. Don't worry about the money becvause it is a lot out there that is never used. So keep going it took me 10 years but i never stop beliving and i made it. Never say Never !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Make sure you visit the campus. Go inside of the cafeteria and eat some of the food if at all humanly possible. Have conversations with MULTIPLE people that attend the school, most importantly those with your major. Be sure to ask them if they are happy at the school. If you can afford a private school that has the best possible program, go there. I assure you that you will not become subject to nearly as much pressure and stress if you do [I attended a private school for a year, and I never once even heard the word "stressed" uttered on campus; at the current oversized public school I attend, it is a daily reality]. DO NOT enter the school year expecting to do everything you can possibly do [social life, 4.0 GPA, millions of extra-curricular activities] unless you want to develop an anxiety disorder and/or wear yourself out. Take it easy the first semester, so that you can learn how college life works. Don't worry; no matter how institutionalized any college is, chances are it's nothing compared to high school, so things are looking up for you.

Make your choice wisely, find a school and stick with, if you attend a 2-year college make sure the classes you take tranfer to a 4-year university, go to summer school if you can, apply for financial aid as early as possible.

I believe that choosing the right college for you is based on college visits and characteristics that you have as an individual. You should visit each college you are thinking about and see what it has to offer you as an individual and see what all you can get involved in. As a student, you can make or break your experience. You need to get out there and get involved, whether it be a fraternity or sorority, student organizations, working on campus, art programs, or sports, it will enhance your experience. The people who are in these organizations with you will help motivate you to complete your homework and help you maintain your grades. Also, the more you are involved in, the more you feel connect to the university and the more you want to stay.

Look at the specifics of the programs in the departments you are interested in; you have to find a college that offers what you want. That was the biggest thing for me. After that, you should probably at least take a look around the campus to see if it feels right and is in a place you would like to live for a couple of years. Once you've picked a place and moved in, get involved. College is much more fun when you are involved in campus life, I've found. If you live on-campus, your residence hall will most likely have numerous fun and informational programs scheduled for your benefit; check them out. You'll meet new people and start networking your way into the college/university. That's what college is really about: networking.

I would really recommend researching how serious a student is at persuing his/her initially chosen degree program and select a school accordingly from there. I also recommend the consideration of community colleges and attaining associates degrees in terms of general studies and basic studies such as english, math, history, and etc. Really it saves so much time and money, typically with the convenience of home. Don't take for granted all the options that are presented during high school and during a colleges orientation; there are so many opportunities that students just let pass by; there is usually a lot offered.

When choosing my college I thought about how far away the campus was from home, their academic feilds they had, their campus life, on-campus and off-campus living, professors, classes, and I also toured the campus several times before I finally decided. So I would sugguest looking and touring several different colleges several times to make sure your well versed in the information you would want to know. Then when you actually commit you need to focus on the important things to you about the future. Then about your college experience, make sure you make friends with the right crowd, you need to remember that your not going to college to just make friends and socialize you need to balance that with school work and also make time for your family still. College at first is a big step and you may feel overwhelmed and depressed, or homesick but you have to push through that, freshman year is the hardest. Once you get through the begining of the 1st semester everything calms down, and you start enjoying yourself. Most importantly KEEP UP WITH SCHOOL WORK! That is the most important and best advice anyone could give you!