Ball State University Top Questions

Go to the school and take a tour. The student will know what school is best for them after seeing a variety of campuses.

I would advice parents and or students to look into every college they know of. Many colleges have different specializations that are not known until you would look into them. I would also advise to visit many colleges until you find the right one for you. I visited about 5 colleges until I decided that Ball State was the right size and academic difficulty for me. I can not stress enough that people need to visit a college. I was thinking about going to IU but until I visited there I truely had no idea what it was really like. Once I visited and meet some people there I new it was not the right fit for me. The last thing I need to say is that this is a huge decision to make and parents need to be very involved in this decision. Look into the dynamics of the school, like the activities and the classes, and exxpecially the student reviews. These tools will help anyone to make their final decisions about college. Have fun looking and finally deciding, becuase college is one of the best times in a students life.

Learn as much about the schools because you will spend a lot of time at that place. This school is the start of you life and career. Don't go to a school because all of your friends are going. You will make new and more friends and have a bigger network because of it. I have found that if you go and do something because everyone else is doing it, you might regret it later. Don't be a follower, be a leader. Carve you path yourself, don't have others do it. It will make your experience much better and you will grow more if you do for yourself.

I think you should look at colleges starting your junior year of high school to decide where and what type of school you think would fit you best. Once you find a school that suits you and you are getting ready for your freshman year, my advice would be to pack less than you think you should, most of the time you don't even use half of the stuff you take. Once in your dorm room, keep your door open, that way you are opening yourself up to others and make new friends. Also, get involved with anything you can, it's a good way to meet tons of people and also a good way to network later on in life. College will be the best years of your life if you plan from the start and enjoy every minute of it.

The advice I would give to parents and/or students is to make sure the first thing you consider is being comfortable. Money should not be the first thing because there are tons of scholarships and financial aid to go around to anyone who will put themselves to the test of college. Once a student is at college, my advice is make the best of it because it is only a small part of your whole life. Studies are the most important thing to focus on though because if you work hard you can play hard. The main point is to have fun and work hard to make your life easier as you get older. There are temptations and it is safe to say that you will give in to some of them, but as long as you keep your studies and goals right up just in front of fun, you will succeed with flyin colors.

Make sure that you visit any campus that you're thinking about attending. Ask students questions about the school that it is important for YOU to know the answer to. If you know what you're going to school for, look into the program, talk to professors, and ask students how they feel about the program itself. If you don't know what you want to do when you 'grow up' make an appointment with an advisor to talk about the availability of an exploratory program. All in all, just make sure the school works for your personality and goals, not anybody elses.