Howard University Top Questions

To the students I would say to take time to research each school. Find the school that best suits you; not your parents, financial status, or other. I would start this sophomore year of high school. Look for local scholarships also because they are available. To the parents I would say to be a support system, and help guide your students, but let them ultimately make the decision. If the student is happy, they will most likely perform at their best.

truly take the time to know what you want to do in life. before you committ to a college live on campus for a week during the school year. you not only want to know if the school will academically changelle you but you also want if you can make friends at the college of your choice. the most important thing is to be yourself do not go to college and try to invent another person that you think is a better you. people sense fakeness and you will lose friends that way. also make sure to attach yourself to postive people. college is the place where you meet your lifetime friends and it's great to find those kind of people your freshmen year beacuse it gets harder from them and you are going to need a support system. to the parents i would just say allow your child to expericence college. don't expect them to want to come home every holiday and if they son't do not be offended they are just tryint to find themsleves. also never do suprise visits and just relax and allow your child to make the right choice for college.

In this day in time, parents are becoming more concerned about the well-being of their children. Every parent wants their child to be well-off and successful. The most difficult concern a parent can face is selecting which college or university to send their children to, as well as their money. Choices are the one things in life that we cannot get around as human beings. It is up to the parents to decide if they are williing to invest the necessary amounts of capital into their children's futures; by doing so, producing a major risk to their finances. Students also have the decision of whether or not they choose to be a success in their college years. The decision to study and to put forth the extra effort belongs to them alone. When researching the right college and how to make the most out of the college experience, one must research themselves as well. The responsibility of making one successful is not the colleges alone, it also is the student's responsibility. The parent's job is to invest in their children; the students job is to make that investment lucrative.

The most a person can make out of their college experience is to be themselves and not to "comform" to the norm that is on campus just to make others happy because in the long run, you will end up being extremely dissapointed and/or sad with the decisions you have made and maybe even regret your choice of school even if you love the academics/activities. Also, be active because it it a great opportunity for you to meet new people while working on a project or club that you love. In college, the saying goes, work hard and play a little harder, it is a nice saying but do not go overboard with the "playing" and let your grades suffer especially if you plan on going on to graduate or a pre-professional school because you want to look your best on paper. It is also extremely important to at least have research and/or internships throughout your collegiate career. Remember, this is supposed to be the best 4 years of your life so make the most of it!

Be patient with yourself, the people you meet, and the college you attend. College is a wonderful time in a person's life; don't let it overwhelm you, but at the same time, don't doubt yourself and your abilities. You can make it work; all you have to do is find the balance. Find the balance between studying and having fun, and know your limits. Remember that no matter what happens, your family will always be there for you and support you.

For parents, my best advice is simple; give trust and support. This is the first adult decision a child will make in his/her life; letting them know that you trust that they know what is best for themselves and supporting them throughout when it gets tough means more to a young adult than most parents will ever realize. With ever-advancing technology and a plethora of social sites, research students should do to find the right college is a little easier (put those lessons learned in English class to use!). While the school?s site will spew wonderful statistics and facts, college is much more than that; what are all of these things REALLY like? A simple Facebook message could get the good, bad, and the ugly from students who have been there. I met one of my closest friends taking out the garbage. I loved a politics class I dreaded at first glance. These two instances paint a better picture of the best way to make the most of the college experience, which is to be open-minded. Overall it is so much less structured (which can be good and bad), so one should be prepared for anything.

Go on college tours to get a feel for the campus. You may love what the web site has to offer, but you will not get the full effect until you have visited the campus. And, go where you feel comfortable. That is the most important aspect.

My best advice to parents and students is to do your esearch on the schools the student is thinking about or not even thinking about attending. Look at schools near to your home and if the student wants to go out of state research and even try to visit those schools to see if that is the right choice for the student. I suggest doing all of this research early on before the first year the student will be attending college. Of course the student and/or the parents should make sure that all the expenses for the college that the student has chosen to go to are all taken care of.That means loans,scholarships.grants, or anything that will help pay tutition College is about finding your self and by doing that just be yourself. Enjoy your lifeand have fun but also remeber all the responsiblities you have to. Join groups that spark yoour interest or even classes. Another important thing is tonetwork; talk to your peers and your professors it might really help you out. Always remember it may be hard but do not let school stress you out too much. Just have fun and be safe.

College is a time to define who you are as a person. That being said it is vital that student look at colleges that are academically challenging. An easy education is not necessarily a good education. The student should look at school that has strong reputations in the area of study that the student is passionate about. If you are undecided on a major or concentration look for schools that have a sort of academic buffet so that you will be able to eventually choose. The social atmosphere has to be engaging and complimentary to the student?s education. I would encourage parents to help their children develop by asking the student questions about their interest instead of forcing their opinions about what to study on the student. College is going to be a period of reflection and growth for the student and they are going to need as much support as they can get. Parents should let their children make their own decision. During this period the parent?s role has shifted form being the guardian to the mentor. Their role is to guide their children and keep them focused.

In many cases, students look at a wide variety of factors when searching for the right college, and indeed they should. However, too often students quickly relegate themselves to schools that are within their "comfort zones." Now obviously there is something useful about being comfortable at school. However, that should not be the primary determining factor. Attending college is as much about academic learning as it is about social learning, and most importantly learning about oneself. People who spend their lives around similar people never have the opportunity to truly see how wonderful their differences and special abilities truly are, or for that matter to uncover the enormous joy of finding similarities within a seemingly alien person. Being comfortable is good, but learning to be yourself, especially in what might at first appear to be an inevitably uncomfortable environment, is great.