Augustana College Top Questions

I would advise students and their parents to consider a lot of different schools and visit many. I would also advise them to pick the school that feels most like home to make the transition to college easier.

Make sure to take time off of work and off of school to go and see your top five colleges to get a feel for the campus and the people on it. If you only visit one and go with your gut instinct it could end up back firing. Once you have decided on a college get everything in early so you get into classes you want and into the dorm you like. During your first semester there take a class you think you will enjoy and have fun in. This will help you adjust to the class load if you enjoy the homework and reading from at least one of your classes. Sign up for a handful of different clubs and go to their first informational meetings. This way you can see which club fits best with you by getting to know the people in it and what they stand for. Most importantly, it is your first year of freedom so have fun, but be responsible. Remember what your parents have taught you and make them proud of who you are and the path you have chosen for you life.

Visit the campus. Stay overnight on campus if possible. I play football for Augustana and stayed with another football player. It really made a difference for me. I was able to ask current students questions about the things that mattered to me. I got to see campus from a social perspective also. I continued to talk to students I had met on campus afterwards. This really helped me make a decision.

I strongly advise you to visit all of the schools in which you are interested. I probably would not have chosen Augustana if I had not visited and seen what a close-knit and enriching campus community it is. I also encourage you to talk with a professor who teaches in the department that you may be interested in. You should also get involved, especially in activities that take you off-campus so that you can network with people in the community. These contacts will help you when you get out of school and are looking for a job. Don't stress about your GPA (though it is important) because people are more interested in the simple fact that you have a degree--not how well you did in terms of grades. Have fun!

The key to making a college decision, and really any decision, is to go in with an open mind. You never know what you will find when you really get to know a school. For example, when I finally got around to visiting the colleges on my list, what I thought was going to be my first choice wound up being my last choice and my initial last choice wound up being my first choice.

The single most important piece of advice I give to all perspective students is to maintain an open mind at all times. Experience everything you can. Four years go by very fast. You'll hear this *alot* but it's absolutely true. You've got to figure out who you are in those years, and you will, but only if you put yourself out there. Good luck!

The quotation by Eleanor Roosevelt, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" best exemplifies my parents' advice to me while choosing a college. I am a very ambitous student with big dreams. My parents wanted me to choose a college that would be most accomidating to by intended future. Another key component of their advice was that it was important that I could picture myself at that school and truly feel at home in that enviroment. Thus, I truly felt that my parents' guidence did not lead me astray in my selection process and I would offer the same advice to prospective college students as well. I would also truly encourage students to get involved in the community and truly give back to their surroundings, because that is truly how students can maximize their college experience. I believe that Zig Ziglar truly embodies my intended advice when he stated, "If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want. "

I honestly believe that picking the right college is less about the college you choose and more about the attitude you have going in. I think that I probably would have been happy wherever I went because I am outgoing and optimistic. With that combination, students can pick a college based on money and career/educational opportunities rather than basing their decision on where they think they will "fit in." The fact is that most people, will fit in anywhere if they just give it a chance! College is like pizza - because even bad pizza is still good.

It is very important to find a school where you feel that you belong and can succeed. There should be a strong academic and social fit. It would be unwise to go to a school based on reputation alone. Visit every school possible and really immerse yourself in the campus. To fully understand the enviroment you must vist during the academic year. Making the most of the college experience is simple when you find the perfect balance of academia and a social life. It is very important to go to a school that feels right to you. After you figure out what that is everything else falls into place. That being said, it is very important to be involved on campus. To find a club, sport, sorority/fraternity, etc, that you can be passionate about. This will help to make college the best experience it can be. Work hard and play hard.

I would tell prospective college students and their parents to go visit many schools. Students should visit schools of different sizes to determine if they want a big lecture hall style school or a smaller more personal school. In addition, I think that visiting the campus and just seeing what the students and environment is like is one of the easiest ways to determine if a college is right for you. I know that I came to Augustana because when I was talking to students and walking around the campus I could picture myself being a student here. Something just clicked and I knew that this was the place for me. I would suggest that a student doesn't go to a school just because they have family history there or because their parents want them to go there or because their best friend is going there. Rather, students should think about where they will be able to learn, develop as a person, and enjoy four great years of their life. They need to find the school that "clicks" for them.