Virginia Commonwealth University Top Questions

I knew what college I wanted to attend. Most likely, high school seniors know what college they want to attend. The problem is wanting to please everyone else. I was fortunate enough to have a number of advisors who cared enough about my future to tell me where they thought I should go to continue my education. Nobody thought I should have gone to Virginia Commonwealth University. Everyone had an opinion, but I had the courage to think that my opinion counted the most. Coming to VCU was the best decision I could have made. I currently maintain a 4.0, I am a student leader, and I have participated in two valuable internship experiences. I am an example of what can be accomplished when you stop letting people tell you what to do and start living the life you planned to live. Here is my advice to students: write down your goals, what you want out of college, and the environment you want to live in for the next four years. Look at all of your choices and chose the school that will accommodate those requirements. The rest will be history. Live the life you plan to live now.

My advice would be to visit the schools during the semester to get a feel of what the campus is like normally. Another advice is to ask from several students about their experiences there. The collective gathering of their experience should be a good indicator of what the school is like there.

Choose a school based on two things: academics and atmosphere. The school of your choice needs to have the major you want, with possible minors your interested in and room to gow as a student. You want to find a program that is well established, well funded and well recognized in you field of study. Talk to students at that school in the major you're considering for thier honest opinions about its strengths and weaknesses. While you will spend a lot of time studying in college, you also want to be comfortable with where you are going to school. You don't want to be afraid to walk around campus at night or scared to speak about your opinions. You will need healthy activities to help relieve stress and make friends, to maintian a balance in your life. You also don't want to pick a school that is going to cost so much that you have to work two jobs, just to pay rent on an apartment you don't even like. When you find a school that meets your academic needs and you want to spend 4 years there- you know you've found the right one.

When I was trying to decide on a college to attend, I thought about the qualities of the environment that I wanted to surround myself in for the next four years of my life. I wanted to attend a large school in a city as I had grown up in a small town where I was constantly finding myself bored. Also, I wanted to go to a school with an excellent art program and with students that shared the same open-minded mentality as myself. The moment I visited VCU, all of my desires had been met and I knew that I had found home. My advice to others taking this step in their lives would not be on how to find to right school for them , because when you find it, you just know. Instead, my advice would be to simply be yourself; don't hold back any aspect of who you are as an individual. If you simply embrace who you are, then you will make the most of your college experiences and leave with no regrets.

I would say that it is practically impossible for a parent to know exactly what college experience is best for their child- the student needs to find themselves, and then find where they will be the most comfortable in a learning environment. The most important part of a college experience is probably experiencing the diversity of life for the first time. Students should be encouraged to explore foods they haven't tried, or to take a class that they were afraid to take, or make friends with people they hadn't considered talking to before. I feel like this is the beginning of the rest of your life, and you begin to construct yourself as a unique individual. It is important to remember how helpful this growth and change will help you for the rest of your life.

My advice would be to look beyond the price- look at what the college or university offers (extracurricular activities, values, diversity, etc). It's not only the education that will make your four years unforgettable, but it's going to be the people you meet and the activities you participate in.

Consider all you're options. Do not chose a school based on one thing you like but step back and look at all of the aspects of a school. One school may have a great athletic team but when the student is injured, will he/she like the school they are at? I came 5 hours from home to a school where I knew no one. I made the best out of my situation and became an All-CAA field hockey star. I was pushed out of my comfort zone and that has caused me to grow, and that is the whole reason for college, to learn and grow.

Remember that half of the college experience is not the books students read, or the lectures they listen to. It is about learning to make decisions, creating opinions, developing one's character, and realizing the impact that one has on the world and the relationships they develop. Choosing a school can be difficult, but do not over-stress about finding the "perfect" one. Most of college is what the student makes of it. Ultimately, it will be down to how hard the student works for success, and if they indulge in their curiosity of the subject he/she chooses to study. Also, few undergraduates realize that the "perfect" student does not exist. Be prepared to occassionally fail, and understand that one can always move past it. Instead, use failure as a guideline for the future. It is extremely damaging, and common, for students to try too hard. Choose a college that provides de-stressing activities, and enough time to experience live outside of the library. Also, do not be afraid of new experiences, and take any opportunity available. Such experiences can take a student much further than they could imagine. Most importantly, be proud and enjoy yourself.

College is one of the most valuable expierences in life, so you really have to choose the school that is right for you. From personal expeirence I have to say I had to fight my parents pretty hard to come to VCU. I knew it was the right choice for me and so in my mind it was well worth fighting for. After a year at this school I am the happiest I have ever been. From the parents perspective I understand how difficult it must be to let go and make sure they are doing what is the best thing. The thing to keep in mind is that it is the students life and to get the most out of college they must be happy with thier surroundings. The people who get the most out of the expierence are the ones which put the most into it.

Consider your long term goals... There are a number of excellent and expensive colleges. Shoot for the best school you can find that works for you. You should also realize that graduate school is more important, so save money in undergraduate school, so you can afford the nicer graduate school. If you network, try your best and a little bit more, you will get where you want and need to be. Finding what you want to do with your life should be your top priority. It will save you time, and money. Once you find out what you want to do, you should make sure that you progress towards that goal every day (even on the weekends).