Indiana University-Bloomington Top Questions

What should every freshman at Indiana University-Bloomington know before they start?

Ian

Visit the college before you commit to it. Don't pick a college by looking at it through a book or course catalogue. Get involved in things that you like and there you will find others with the same interests and then you will make real friends rather than acquaintences. Work hard and don't waste your money.

Brendon

Students and parents must work together in selecting the right college fit. Parents should be open about their finances with their children to help them understand the money available for college and help them make the right financial choice. In addition, vititing perspective colleges is an absolute must. It is impossibe to get a true feeling from marketing materials. The students should visit, sit in on lectures and ask many questions of the college administration and their perspective school. Use web resources as well to read student reviews of the campus they attend and when perspective students are on campus visiting they should try and talk to real students to hear their viewpoints about the campus, social, and academic atmosphere at the school. If it is possible and you know someone who attends the school, see if you can stay with them for a night and experance what it is really like to be a student without the parents around, this will give you a real feel for student life.

Rachel

Make the dream a reality?research, visit, and by no means settle. This is an enormous financial, emotional, and academic commitment; all parties involved should be satisfied and excited. When considering a college, be assertive, visiting as many schools as possible. Wasted time punishes the student, not the institution. If academic establishment s do not meet personal par, if tension ensues regarding course loads or subject matter, do not fear or give up. Start early, taking time to find the university that fits the student?s niche, and taking care not to be daunted by the multitude of choices and decisions that accompany. The most important thing is that nothing feels forced and the student actually wants to learn, to commit to the field, the campus, the life. Also, investigate outside requirements such as studying abroad, an expensive but life changing, educational, and paramount investment?the world is growing ever smaller. Remember too that attending university is not in everyone?s best interest. Often, prospective students simply need time to discover their interests and goals before signing away four years of life. When the time is right, be confident, dogmatic, and never say never to a brighter future.

Michael

Make sure that when visiting the school it seems right to you. For me I chose the school that it feels fit me the best. While at college make the most of your experience by getting involved with everything you can. The only regret that I have is not getting more involved. One of my most positive experiences in college was studying abroad, I would reccommend the experience to anybody and it truly allowed me to learn more about myself than any other experience.

Eboni

Entering college is a huge transformation from high school. It requires knowledge and ability to succeed. Choosing the right college may become difficult. I would advise parents and students to create a list of interest of the students. This will give the students the ability to search specific Colleges and universities that fits his/her needs and interest. Speaking on interest, studens should look into activities and organizations to become involve in. It will help develop leadership skills as well as initiating plans and solutionss. Also, parents should look for a school that will allow the students to succeed and will have a great chance of job opportunities after college. Attending the right school is important and requires great considerations.

Julia

My best advice would be to consider the given circumstances of your financial well being as well as what you realy want to do with your life. I would check out as many scholarships as possible and do your best to make yourself stand out in excellence compared to other potential students. If that means volunteer more or do more extra-curricular activites, then DO IT. Doing these things will make you a better person and also help you to be able to say that you've accomplished something great. Also, it's okay to follow your gut when you're trying to choose a college. Most of all, go to college for what you want to go to college for. Don't go to please anyone else but yourself. And of course, believe in yourself.

Kimberly

To find a suitable college, students and parents need to go and visit the campus and surrounding areas. How a campus looks and feels can influence the student's attitude toward their schooling and their college life. They also need to know what is important to them in a school. Would they be more comfortable if it was in a city or a small town? Are they interested in learning about different types of cultures? What sort of activities are they interested in? Also the distance the college is away from their hometown and family needs to be taken into consideration. While touring the school, they should meet current students asking them questions about campus and academic life. Feeling a sense of belonging either from the academics or social life, is important to having a positive college experience. There are so many opportunities in college and students should look into different extracurricular and volunteer programs. They should know that college is a place to learn from academics, but it's also a time to learn by living on their own, making new friends, and working with people who hold different beliefs and values from thier own.

Jeremiah

Find a place that pertains to your career interests. If you do not know, but understand you want the most out of your college experience, then consider schools with a great social life as well as academic achievement recognition. In doing so, you will come away satisfied with your college experience.

Cory

Do everything possible that the university offers. Do not ever just stay in your dorm room. Get out and meet people and your experience will be unforgetable.

Michael

Visit campuses and try to sit in on classes as much as you can in high school to find the right fit. You cannot be shy; you have to find what you want and take it. Initiative will get you anything you want in this world, so take it and explore college campuses and see what will work best for you. That much will get you to the college you want. Once you are there, you cannot take any class or any professor for granted; you must make the most out of your college experience by getting to know professors and students in your program and not slacking off with classes. Never miss classes, because even if you miss just one class, it might be the lecture that really opens your eyes about what you want to do with your life. Even when the classes get tough and the papers get longer, you can't give up; you have to work harder than you ever thought you could, but in the end, you won't regret a moment of it. Throughout it all, you have to remember that everyone else is in the same boat, so help each other succeed.