Margaret
When looking for the college that will best suit you consider things such as class size. Will you be overwhelmed if you are seated in a room of 2,000 students? Will you feel claustrophobic if it is only you and 30 other students? Consider also the town in which the univeristy is in. Does it have what you need? Will you have to travel far to find what you want? Look for campus involvement and the clubs and activities the campus supports. Consider what is most important to you, and look into how much availability the university offers you for these things. Are current students satisfied with their education?
To make the best out of your college experience the most important thing to remember is-get involved! This allows you to make friends, to meet professors, and become aquainted with the campus. Live on campus or with friends when possible. This also lets you stay involved, make life long best friends, and have a support system. Make friends with upper classmen in your major who can help you with assignments and point you in the right direction. Stay on top of your studies, but allow time for fun also.
Bled
Sometime parents or students choose a college just because of its name. I understand a college name is important but what really matters is what the college offers. The educational plans and opportunities a university offers should be the first things to motive us in our research for the best college. Parents should look for a place that fits their children' personality and their goals. Parents should understand tha they will not be the ones sitting in the classroom and taking the tests but it is going to be their children consequently the choice must be given to them. At the same time, both parents and students should weight the financial cost of attending a particular college and decide if the money is worth to be spent that way.
How can students make the most of the college experience. First you have to be yourself and stay yourself . There should be room for improvement but no room for negative changes. Students must have goals and drives to accomplish them. They must know their priorities. They must remember what they were taugh at home. Last thing, they must have fun and remember to breath and live!
Amy
It is very important to find the college or university that coincides best with your personality. It is also important to visit many different kinds of colleges and get a feel for the different options you have like going to a two-year verses a four-year university. All colleges are different in one way or another and it comes down to finding the one that fits you and your lifestyle the most. As far as making the most of your college experience, the best advise that I can give is to get involved with the clubs and activities that go on. It is a great way to meet people that have the same views and way to life that you do.
Margaret
Go with your gut. Tour as many places as you can, even if there is only a chance you could be moderatly interested in attending. Talk with current students and go online as well as small group tours at the campus. I knew in my gut that I fit in as soon as I got to USAO. Think about the transition to college life. Look at campus size, travel time, cost of attendance, and continuing student scholarships as well as those for freshmen. Look for student groups that fit your intrests beyond the scope of your major. Don't be afraid to be undecided, to live with people you have never met, or to take classes outside of what is required for your major. I am a chemistry major that has taken indepentent study class to attend the Special Olympics and I have taken two semesters of American SIgn Language. Don't be afraid to meet people of differing lifestyles or opinions. Go to a Gay-Straight alliance meeting, rush for a sorority or fraternity, or join Colleges Against Cancer and do Relay for Life. There is so much to do, but never forget the ultimate goal: a quality education.
Ashley
I would definitely encourage students to visit the campus, preferrably on a weekday. It will give them a chance to see how the college runs on a day to day basis, and may also provide a chance to meet and talk to current students so they may get a honest student's opinions on the school. On my school trip to visit the school, I got a chance to meet with students at the time and they were extremely helpful in explaining clubs, financial aid and just everyday occurrences. This trip was definitely the deciding facter on where I attended college at, because all the students I talked to were extremely welcoming and friendly. College is a wonderful environment that is very much like high school; the biggest difference is that most students are on their own for the first time making their own decisions. While getting into the party scene or skipping class may seem like the ideal thing to do, it's important to remember that your studies come first. You're paying to be at the school and to get an education so you should definitely take full advantage of that.
Joseph
Just Visit!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunny
USAO has become my home. I've fallen in love with it and I really and truley don't ever want to leave. I believe all campuses across the nation could be that place for anyone. College is really about making your own way, and finding out who you really are. It's a time for students to become independent. Students should begin by deciding what major they want to do, that way they won't waste time looking at colleges that don't offer that major. Tours are another way students can find the perfect college for them. It gives them a chance to visit the campus and get the right feel for what they like and what they don't like. College however is really about making your own way, creating your own fun, and preparing for your own life.
Jacqueline
To find the right school for any individual and still please the parents in the financial aspects each person should complete a search for the school of their dreams, both a little out of reach financially and some that you know you can afford, but may not be your first choice. Then take and find some schools that you positively know that you can get accepted in and easily pay for. After you split the choices for your top five apply for each one. Then look at each school's financial scholarships and costs. Just because a school is bigger and more expensive does not mean that you can't afford it. Once you choose which ones are easier to afford look at the social aspects because studying isn't fun when you don't have a study break. Most schools offer the same basic general activities, but look at which school offers more for you personally, including sports, groups, or academic areas. Once you are in that school, DO NOT ONLY FOCUS ON STUDIES. Keep your grades up but don't be afraid to check out those groups that you chose that school for.