University of Northern Iowa Top Questions

If it feels right, then choose it, if you walk onto a campus and get a weird feeling, don't push it, just try a different campus. Each college can be better or worse for a specific college, do not go somewhere because your father did, or your greatgrandfather founded it, although it might be good financial aid. Find a place that specializes in what you would like to do, or has a broad program, like UNI. I love UNI because the theater teachers are well known, teach in multiple different countries and we have experiences that have changed my life and given me oppertunites I only wished for. Get involved, the more involved you are, the more fun college will be, if you sit in your dorm all day, of course you won't make friends, go out, meet new people, and try new things. You will be suprised where life will take you, like me, if I didn't come here, I would have never met my fiance. So go out and visit, and go with your gut, because you never know what you will find!

I would say the most important thing that I have learned from my college experience is to pick the right school the first time. Figure out what is most important to you in a school and follow your instincts. Do not let others sway you in to picking a school because you likely will not be happy there. Ultimately you are the person who has to go to the school that is chosen. Your parents or coaches opinion of it it just that, an opinion. It is very important to find out what the students there are like and how their interests will interact with yours. I can say this with authority because I was not happy at the University of Northern Iowa and so am now transferring to Wichita State University. Schools are less likely to give scholarships to transfer students and it takes longer for a transfer student to graduate. I wish I had done more work to find out what students here are like before choosing this place.

Visit the colleges you are thinking about, and ask students what they think about their experience.

My advice to students would be to pick a school based on your interests and not based on where you friends are going. You will have many opportunities to make new friends at college. I also would advise students to live on campus for atleast their first year. Living on campus makes adjusting to college life much easier. I also would tell new students to go to class even if there isn't an attendence grade. To make the most out of your learning at college, you need to be in class. My last advice to students would be to watch out for student loans. Loans are available much easier than most expect, which can be a bad thing. Think about whether you need the money or if you just want the money. You will have to pay those loans back after school, so remember that when thinking about cashing that refund check. Overall, enjoy college while it lasts! It will be the best time of your life!

If you don't know what you want to go into, go somewhere with broad choices and good programs.

In order to find the right college, you need to know what you want. If you aren't sure, it's good to start out with a school that isn't too big or small, and has a nice balance of "practical" majors and artisitic pursuits, like UNI.

Find a college that is the right size for you.

Just remember that if you do get overwhelmed (and you will!!) that you can take a break. Taking that break can help you refocus on a problem that you may have been unable to see the solution to before. Sometimes remembering to take that break can be the difference in your stress levels and better grades!

An important foundation to keep in mind when selecting the right school for you is, both pursuing academic/professional training, and a satisfying environment that caters to your needs and interests. Selecting a school should focus on an area of personal or academic interest while equipping you in a challenging and enjoyable vocation. In addition, access to multiple diverse opportunities with both activities and fellow students envelops a substantial amount of your college career. The college experience is often coined as, 'the best years of your life,' so an experience focused solely on either academic pursuits or social experience will not meet that expectation. Concisely, when looking for a college, find one that offers practical professional training for your future and a wide variety of social contexts that fit you.

Visit all the schools you are looking at