Florida Institute of Technology Top Questions

Advice that I would give any college seeker who wants to have a great experience while in college I would have to say to them to choose a college that is at a distance that will be comfortable to live at. What I mean by that is if one were uncomfortable living 2000 miles away from their parents, then try to find a college with the desired degree program that is nearer to home. Also make sure that the weather conditions are favorable, because college students spend a considerable amount of time outside going from class to class, and most campuses are large. Make sure to find a college that has a few other desired degree interests just in case the orginal program does not work out. Many colleges have food menus, social activities, and orgainization lists available online which are great to check out a head of time. Try to find a college that offers activites suited to personal interests so that it will be easier to get involved and meet people. Finally visit the colleges that are of interest! Most colleges are very welcoming and accomodating to perspective students, and provide valuable information needed to make a desicion.

Make sure that you visit the campus at least twice before making a decision. Make sure that the student makes the decision. Parents do not make this decision for your child.

Sometimes situations aren't always as you predict, sometimes things don't work as planned. Sometimes you don't do as well as you'd think. You can't "freak out" and make a big deal of it, you can't have a tantrum and expect things to get better. Flexibility and being able to accept and weight setbacks with possible solutions to problems is very key to doing well in class, as well as part of the application process. You of course have to work hard, but it may end up that there's better solutions to problems you encounter then you may have set in your mind. Be willing to adapt. One must also be incredibly enthusiastic about the field and things that interest them. Enthusiasm and interest can carry you very far both in college and in your career. An employer or professor is more likely to hire you/ choose you as a research assistant if you're deeply enthusiastic about your field. No matter what field of interest you decide to pursue in college, being energetic, active in the field, and convicted in your interest will carry you far, often times more then those more knowledgeable.

Students entering college should take the time to get to know their surroundings. If a student takes a day or so to go to every building to see what goes on inside, they won't go the whole semester feeling lost if they ever needed something. It especially helps to find the dorms, cafetria, and buildings you will be attending clases in before you actually move in, if you live on campus. Parents of college students should be able to trust them to use all the little peices of advice they've been given over the years to make their own desicions and act how they want to. Parents should not expect a phone call every day, nor should they expect them to come home every weekend of holiday. The student will make new friends and experience new things, but they will never forget how they got where they are.

Make sure to shop around. Get a look at schools of all different shapes and sizes. Rank the importances of everything you are looking for in a school and compare and contrast that way. It really is a good thing to have to make a tough decision on which school is best for you.

I remember sitting in my art class in high school one day towards the end of senior year with a few of my friends as we chatted about our colleges and why we chose them. I heard a lot of the same reasons, that Cara and Megan were both going to a riddiculously large university, infomously known as a party school, for the allure of Saturday night parties and beer pong games lasting into the wee hours of the next morning. I heard a few others say that, like Jasmine, they were heading up north to see snow for the first time, wanting to run, kicking and screaming from the hot Florida humidity. Cara, Megan, and Jasmine have since regreted their choices for the simple reason that they weren't honest with themselves. My greatest lesson learned throughout the application process was to be absolutely honest with myself about what I wanted and what would be better for me in the long run. Because after the novelty wears off from the parties, what you should have left is a place where you feel comfortable and cared for when the tests get harder and the nights of studying get longer.

I would suggest a couple of main issues. Location, class size, job success rate for graduates, and the major the school offers. The location could decide whether you want to be by the ocean, lake, snow, theme park, party town, crime rate, and more. The class size is usually an issue if you want a professor to care about its students. The smaller the class, the more likely the professor will interact with the class and individuals more. The bigger the class size, the more likely the class will be less entertaining and less chance of extra help from the professor. The job success rate at schools should show how your money is getting well spent for your education. It shows that the school has a good reputation and has a standard out in the real world. The majors that the school offers differ in reputation. For example, Engineering could be ranked the best at the school and business not so great. So make sure you do your research on what you want.

Try to get a well rounded look at many different schools. If you're afraid to go to a school far from home (or let your child go), have faith. I'm at a school over 1500 miles from my home and I'm doing fine. You make lots of friends at any school you go to. The size of the school depends on you preference. I like the little schools where everybody pretty much knows everybody else. At tech schools, they expect you to be smart so you better know your stuff. Also, coming into college with A.P. and college credit helps a bunch too (if the school accepts all your hard work) because then you can get ahead and maybe even graduate early, meaning more time for money-making and the less amount you have to pay while at school. Good luck!!!

First off, students... don't assume that you know what you want to do. Spend a year at a state school and then decide on what you want to do with your degree. For both students and parents, budget out the costs and see what will make sense for what the student wants to do. Don't let the student go to a private school with a budget of approximately $30,000 per year for a degree in something such as general biology or humanities. It may be a passion, but the student will likely have to sell his soul back to the school to pay for it all. One last tidbit of advice for you students out there... GET INVOLVED!!! I have seen so many people fail out of this college, not due to the strain of the academics, but due to the simple fact that they did not get involved on campus or in the community in any way. Not being involved in at least one organization is almost like kryptonite to a student. It tends to ostracize him/her from the community and weakens the student's resolve to succeed because of that lack of commitment.

If you want a hassle free experience find a realatively small and private school to attend.