Eastern Illinois University Top Questions

The key to finding the right college is finding the place that you feel most comfortable. Visit the schools, talk to the students, tour the campus and dorms... I urge you to really get to know each university/college you are considering. I did not visit any of the schools i applied, but I got lucky and ended up loving the school I chose, but you might not. It's much easier to find the right school the first time than to transfer half way through.

Parents and students should work together in selecting the right school. I know that my parents didn't help me in choosing a school -- they barely helped me financially, but I understand they made the decision that was in their best interest. Having a school that isn't close to home might be important for the student, but what a lot of my friends have overlooked is just how expensive it is to travel home over the Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring Breaks. The parent might be worried about the financial cost of a school, but that should be a low priority. Scholorships and awards can help (but perhaps not entirely) with the cost. I recommend living on campus for at least 1, if not all 4 years. The "dorm" lifestyle helped procure my social tastes, and taught me who my real friends are. Living with a stranger actually benefited me in the long run, because I was more open to meeting new people who didn't share my every interest, or who knew all my stories from childhood. I had a whole new group of people to entertain with tales of friends, lost and found.

The advice that I would give parents is to let the student decide where he or she would like to attend. Every school is a party school and each student has the opportunity to go above and beyond in any school they attend. Everything is up to the student on how hard they work and how badly they want to have success in the future. Parents also need to learn to give the student some space and to start learning how to deal with situations on their own and not having to rely on the parent. I believe that is a big step towards maturing and going away to school. The number one advice that I would give the student would be to remember why they are attending school, remember why you are there. To enjoy the expierence, but to be able to do the right thing. In life the easiest things always come easy which are the easiest decisions to make and the hardest things in life are the toughest decisions to make. Do not let the letters of your college make you, you make the letters!

Do not hold back sometimes you have to break out of your shell but its for the better! Pick a scholl after visiting and spen a night there with someone you know! Dont judge the school by the party scene but go and talk to a professor or two too!

When selecting a college make sure you visit it in order to understand the facilities. Also plan to check out financial possibilities in under to get the best eductaion out of your money. Then talk to current students either family, friends or simply college students who don't give you a tour of the school in order to understand the school more completely from an inside perspective. Expect to work hard and never settle for your best work.

The key to picking any college is first off comfort. It needs to be a place where the student could really see themselves spending four years with the same people and scenery. Comfort is the most important thing because if the student is not happy, then they will have a far harder time completing their college education. Only after that does the academic focus of the school become important. What the school is best known for is crucial because it would be in that area that they would be most equipped to prepare students for the reality of the professional field. Very often, the school focus would also have the best job placement, ultimately serving the purpose of college. I think that the distance from home is very important also, because a school too far away is either going to prompt the student to come home too often, affecting their academic and social experience, or the student will become depressed due to home sickness. A school too close to home will be as if the student never left, and the separation that college brings is important for the development of a young person.

You need to realize college is a time that you can test the water in an area you are interested in, but you can always find something that suits you better. This is an imoportant time in your life and the decisions made will effect the rest of your life. So be positive this is what you want t o do with your life. Education is very important regardless of the major that you choose. It will open many doors for you in the world when you are finished with school. This is a serious choice and job, being a student gives you the saftey and enviroment to strech your wings with guidance close by. To me I feel that you must be willing to make new friends and go out and try something new that you are comfortable with. These are the best years of your life so make the most of them.

Go visit different colleges and pay attention not only to the campus (including facilities, teachers and students), but also the surrounding town. Too often are students displeased with the town that their college is in but they never thought to experience it before they came. Another good piece of advice is to not just take the word of an orientation leader. These students are there to sell the school when they take you on a tour. Grab a student walking around campus and ask a couple opf questions. This will give you a less skewed idea of what the atmosphere on campus is really like. Once you are attending school understand that it goes by quicker than you can ever imagine. Develop a strong work ethic from the beginning so that the ride will be smooth. College can be the greatest or worst experience you will ever have depending on what you make of it. Good luck!

Do what you want as a student. Be open for change and new experiences.

The best thing I ca say is to visit the colleges of your choice and take a tour of campus and talk to students to learn about their experiences and how they like attending those colleges.