William Paterson University of New Jersey Top Questions

It is important not only to find a school that provides optimal education for the student's major but also one that has an environment where that student can feel comfortable in his or her own skin. If the student is interested in sports or specific extracurricular activities, do research to see what the university has to offer. Options for study abroad programs may also be considered the student as these would be a wonderful learning experience.

Welcome to the college experience! Following are some tips to ensure that you make the most of your experience. First, make sure to visit a number of colleges. Typically, students love the first and second colleges they visit simply because college is a novel world. To get a realistic view, visit at least three colleges and consider visiting them more than once. Second, make time to sit down with an advisor from the department in which you wish to major. You need to know that he or she is approachable and knowledgable of the program. A good advisor can make or break you! Third, as difficult as it may be, make yourself known the first day of class. Introduce yourself to the teacher. Exchange email addresses with a classmate. Answer a question. Sit towards the front of the class. It only gets easier to fade into the background as the semester progresses. Finally, take advantage of the clubs and sports on campus. It is true that there is something for everyone! Balancing your work load with safe fun and service opportunities will keep you healthy and well-rounded. This is the most exciting time of your life-- Best wishes!

The best thing to do is check out the colleges of your choice, talk to people who already go there, and get as much information as you can on each school so you can make a very informed decsion. This is one of the biggest ones you will make in your life because it leads you to the rest of your life.

Finding the right college can be scary; at least it was for me. I recommend utilizing the resources available to students. Most high schoolers don't rely on their guidance counselors or have a mentor or role model. All of these people are useful and can help give both students and parents important information, as well as ease some nerves! They can suggest schools, help with the application process and be a source of much needed support when decision letters start pouring in. Visit schools next. It's so important because that's when you get "that feeling" students always talk about. You need to explore a prospective university by talking with students, meeting with professors, or even staying the night with a current student. Once you pick your school, it's important to stay involved. Stay on campus during the weekends, especially your first year because that's when you make all of your friends. You can get an on-campus job, join a club, or hang out with other students in your major. No matter what you do once you're at a school, remember you're there to get an education and being a student comes first.

Finding the right college is always important for the college bound student. I personally feel that you should start early and find out all the information you possibly can about your prospective college. My idea of the "right college" is having my area of study and being affordable. Scholarships help out a lot in order to pay for tuition, room and board, and other fees. It would be a good idea to fill out as many as you can to help pay for your school. My advice to parents would be letting them know that if a student plans to attend an in-state school they would pay less than if they were to attend an out of state school. Now I don't think there is one certain type of college experience because college is different for everyone. Joining clubs and other extra-curricular activities, like greek life, could enhance the experience. But I believe that the most important factor of being able to make the most of the college experience is the people you become friends with. Personally if it were not for my friends I would not be enjoying college as much as I am right now.

To the first-year incoming college students, it's okay if find yourself asking, "What am I going to do for the rest of my life?" Three years later, it's still okay if you find yourself asking that same question. No one said you had to know the answer to every question you asked yourself. What's important is that you're still in school, and you're already taking the first out of many steps to figuring out what you want to do in life. Take your time. College isn't a race to graduation.

My first peice of advice to students would be to find a map of the campus and hold on to it! The first few days of finding classes can be a hassle and it doesn?t help to get lost. Also, I would advice students to buy a planner and write everything they need to remember in it?professors? phone numbers, homework assignments, classmates? phone numbers, and test dates. Don?t leave anything up to memory. Also, I would advise students to find out what resources are available on campus. They are helpful and will make life much easier with studying, researching, and completing assignments. Find out what the library can provide students. Find the study rooms and reserve them. Find the Health and Wellness Center and when a headache strikes go get an aspirin. Find out where the Starbucks is and learn where the best seats in the caf? are. Finally, I would advise students to enjoy their time here. It won?t be long before graduation time will come along and it will be time to face the real world. These are some of the best times of life. Enjoy them! Have fun! Laugh! And make memories.

The word "college" brews in the minds of high school students and their parents alike. Students know that they must do whatever they can to get into the best college possible. Perhaps the one thing that did not occur to me at this crucial time was how much of the college experience was in my own hands. It really is up to you what you do with your major and profession. It is not the college name that will make you who you are. Therefore, do not worry so hard about getting into the "top" school . I am not saying do not get the best education, however. To a high school student, education seems limited to the college name. My advice is pick the college that addresses your ambitions, goals, and visions, not someone else's. Do not forget about the expenses and scholarship opportunities, as it is a big part of the future equation. You might not get into your "top" school of choice...so what? The real question is are you at the top of your personal goals and where you see yourself going? Think about it. The color and shape of your future is up to...you.

To students looking for a college I say, don't be too hasty. Take your time to really explore the campus and the people you'll be essentially living with for the next four years. When choosing your major keep in mind nothing is what it seems, so don't feel dissapointed and let down if the program you got into isn't for you. There is so much to see and do in college that you shouldn't limit yourself by devoting all your time in just one area of life. Go outside and see what's going on around your school, take some of those yoga classes, or just be involved with the community around you. It's great to be involved with new things, and who knows, you might take those hobbies even farther.

Don't limit yourself, and don't underestimate yourself. Education is very important, and making sure you end up at the right school is important too. Visit as many colleges as you possibly can, and if at all possible, see if you can sit in on one of the classes you know you will probably have to take. Make sure you really get a good idea of what kind of school you're going to before you go. Also, sometimes first impressions can fool you. You might see something you don't like, but the school may be a perfect fit for you. Or you may see something you like, and when you get to the school, it turns out things aren't as great as you thought they would be. To parents: your child has one life to live. Students loans may be a problem after graduation, but knowledge is priceless. Please don't limit your child's choice to which colleges to apply to or attend. Don't get yourself worked up about the future. Take everything, no matter what stage in college life (whether it be applying, or accepting, or attending) one step at a time.

Find a school with an acadmic program that the student finds interesting. None of the other characteristics of the school are really as important as that. Some students just want to be with friends or want to find the ultimate party school, but this is still high school mentality. Once you find something you enjoy learning about, it becomes less of a chore and much more satisfying.

Be open minded and willing to meet new people, learn new things, and talk to everyone!

Choosing the right college is a serious decision. Apply to multiple schools which interest you, and try to visit each one you are accepted to -- you're going to be spending quite a bit of time there, and it will shape the course of the rest of your life. The skills you learn and the connections you make will be a springboard for your career, so don't opt for a "party school" over a more academic institution. Be sure you enjoy the campus and the surrounding area. Your state of mind and quality of work depend upon being comfortable and content with your environment. Once you've arrived at your new school, be it your first or last choice, try to utilize every opportunity to enrich your mind, broaden your horizons, and make new friends and connections. You will get as much out of your college experience as you invest in it. So stay organized, work hard, play hard, and don't forget to relax once in a while. College is a great time to grow as an individual and a member of a community -- make the most of it!

Go to a college that has a reasonable share of the world's spotlight. Not necessarily Harvard/Yale, but something like Rutgers or The College of New Jersey. Even if you're not racist, find a campus that's inhabited by people who generally have the same ethnicity so that conflicting cultures won't serve as a detriment in your quest to expand your social horizon. Don't let money affect your decision when you're applying to a college. Go to a place you want to go to regardless of whether a no-name university sends a full scholarship your way or not. Get jobs and internships over the summer breaks and if you have free time, ASAP. For internships, dabble in several that explore different fields of interests, not just one. You want to be able to assess the level of satisfaction you can garner from each possibility so that you can make the best calls for junior and senior year. Don't shun people just because they love to get really drunk and test marijuana while you don't. People are like boxes. They all have different sides that can't be seen when first witnessed.

If asked for advice on choosing the right school, I would tell the future student to not be overwhelmed. True, there are so many schools to choose from, but there are ways to narrow down the search. First, students must decide how far away from home they want to be. Do they want to be completely independent and live far, (over two hours away), from home, do they want to live at home and commute, or do they want some independence but still have the option to go home when they want to, (i,e. attend school about an hour or less away)? After this, does the student want a large, well-known school? A school with a particular sport team or major they are interested in? Are scholarships or other financial aid opportunities a factor? All of the questions should be able to narrow the search down to no more than ten schools. Now, it's just a matter of visiting and seeing how the campus feels, talking to professors or other people that attend. This is the process I followed, and it landed me in the perfect place for me.

When trying to find the right college, the best thing to do is to visit the ones you that are high on your list. A website always makes the campus look good so going there is best. College is like your second home since you will be spending alot of time there so its best to pick one that you feel comfortable attending.

Find out about clubs and other activities that are available, and participate in them! You will never feel "at home" if you don't put yourself out there, make friends, have fun, and keep busy. When you're bored, you're start getting homesick. Find things that interest you!

Let the student visit the campus, and let them make the decision according to where they feel comfortable.

Start early and take the time to look at each school. Interview students. Walk on campus and randomly ask for directions - judge the responses critically: were they nice and accurate? evaluate if there is a 4 year plan for your degree. Validate that plan to past catalogs - often they say to take a course your second year, but only offer it in fall OR spring, meaning the planning is only half way there.

I would say that everyone should really try to attend their number one choice if they are accepted.