Melissa
Parents as well as students need to look for a college that they are comfortable with. The staff as well as the others students should make you feel at home. Make sure you have had the opportunity to speak with other students as well as professors to make sure that all of your needs can be met. Another imiportant factor for myself was the location. This location is close to my home which allows me more time with my family. I have four children and a husband and family time means the world to me. As a first time student make sure the school you choose offers a variety of programs that you may be interested in. Also make sure that the school is affordable. College is expensive no matter where you go and not everyone qualifies for financial aid. I would not be able to attend college if it wasn't for the aid but there are many students who don't receive it, so I would compare prices of the different schools and make a list of pros and cons of each and decide which is better for you. Everyone is different so your chioce is yours alone.
Heather
Research your options. Arrange visits to more than one college. Enjoy all of the extracurricular activities and such that the college offers. You only get to do this once - make the most of it!
RJ
Dont be fooled by what recruiters say! Do your own research!
Tracy
Finding out who you are and what you want in life isn't just a matter of academics, it's also a matter of experience. In order to truly develop into a well-rounded person; a student should know that college is just the beginning of life's experience. Who they are today is not who they will be when they're done with school. Look for a college that has both a wide range of classes and extra-curircular activities.
Hopefully, the student will realize that their college years will soon become just a memory. Take time to enjoy these precious years. Try new things to broaden your horizons. Meet new people and learn about different cultures. The world is a big place and businesses need employees who know how to not just survive but thrive in our global environment. The right college will help make this dream come true!!!!
cassandra
The advice that I would give a parent about finding the right college and making the most of the college experience is for them to really pay attention to what their child is interested in and not what you want them to be. If they are homebodies, keep them close. If they are very adventerous and outgoing let them go away from home. Lastly, stay involved, and truly keep on top of how they are doing and offer any help that you can before they fall too far in their grades.
For students, find the best college for the passions you posess in life and not just going to a school, because one of your friends are going. Take your required classes first, until you are truly sure of your major. Be very careful with the amount of money, that you borrow keeping it to a minimum. Lastly, enjoy, network, learn and do not leave without a degree!!!
ElizeBeth
I would have to say that the advice I would give to parents and or students would be that sometimes the best possible College or University's are directly in your own back yard. I also would tell them that they should enjoy all the advantages that can be had during their college years because life is too short that they should take their education to the utmost and strive for high acheivement acedemically, but should also stop and smell the roses along the way and have some adventures and make some great lifelong friends and acquantances that last a lifetime past the college years and into adulthood. I would also say to take advantage of the help that is available on campus to assist with jobs as well as socially. My last advice would be to find the college that feels right to both the student and the parents and have some give on both parts to enjoy the four years they will spend there.
Paula
Going awy or being college life is an exciting yet scary experience. I would advise parents to begin to familiarize the students early with the college of their choice. Take advantage of any early orientation processes that ususally occur the summer before the fall session. I also would advise students and parents to start their searches early, as early as freshman in high school, parents and students should conversations geared toward chosing the colleges that they prefer, and to take advantage of all financial aid prep sessions availible in their areas. After choices have been made, I think that especially for large campuses, that the student finds out about all programs and pre-admission activities available so that the student is comfortable with the demographics before fall session starts. Most of all relax and have fun. It's a once in a lifetime experience that should be considered serious academically, but should also be allowed room for the fun of campus life activities.
Jonathan
Make sure you choose a college that best works with you and your schedule. Don't choose a college because it's where your parents or grand parents went, and don't choose one because that's where your friends are going. If you're a person who likes where they live and work in life, go local, if not find something that's as far away as you're comfortable with.
Amber
The right college is one where the student feels comfortable to be there and knows that its a good learning environment to there own type of learning. I suggest living on campus if the students wants to be more involved with activities. because it is a lot harder to be involved with things when you live at home. I wish I had lived on campus!
alicia
Do what is best for the kid's future.