Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion Top Questions

find a college that fits your personality and has a good history in the area that you want to study.

For anyone searching for the right college for them, I would stress the importance of finding a college that has strong programs in the areas they might be interested in pursuing. Keeping in mind the strengths of the colleges they are looking at will help anyone to make a good decision. By this I mean that if things like fraternities and easy access to a big city are important, than don?t look at schools without fraternities, located in the country. Keep in mind exactly what you want in terms of size, atmosphere, programs of study, etc. This will make the search much less stressful. On another note- I know that the typical advice is to visit as many college campuses as possible before deciding, but the inability to see a campus in person should not deter a person from applying and seriously considering that college anyway. I was not able to visit any colleges first hand and saw my campus for the first time the day I moved in; however, because I knew what I was looking for in an institution of higher learning, I was able to research my options and still pick the right college for me.

My first piece of advice for finding the right college would be directed toward the student, and that would be to find the school that you are most comfortable at. You are going to be spending a significant amount of time there and it is important to find the school that is right for you, not for your friends or your parents, but for you. My advice for the parents would be to allow your child to make the decision. It is their college experience, not yours. Finally, my advice for making the most of a college experience would be to go out and experience the social aspects of the college and community surrounding it. College is about growing academically, but it is also about gaining new experiences and new friends.

Find a place that will make you happy. Find a place that will push you to become the man or woman that you want to be some day. Because that day is coming very soon. College is a place where you discover who you are. If you end up in the wrong place or with the wrong people you might become someone who you don't want to be. So make sure that you find a place and people that you want to surround yourself with while you discover who you are. I think people make a place special or memerable. People make college what it is, the professors, the staff, the students. People make college. The people that I have surrounded myself with are the people that I look the most like. The people that I have surrounded myself with in 4 years of college have made me a better man that I would have been without them. So find yourself a college with people that you want to be around, the books, the knowledge it will be there but if you don't have good people to share it with, it will be a waste.

The best advice I can offer to any student is that they will get out of a University experience what they put into it. Attending a university that has everything served to you on a platter is not far from a home experience where your parents haven't taught you to be functional adults (e.g. saving money, making responsible decisions, submitting to authorities). A college is a place to learn and grow, and universities best serve students who are willing to learn and grow and work to achieve success. Any college experience is going to be a challenging one and you can not expect it to be easy all the time. Be willing to understand that even that "perfect" university you have in mind is run by humans and humans make mistakes. Be willing to learn with a growing university, as well as partake of the benefits and perks it offers you. Have fun and be nice to people. Embrace eachother's differences. If you must become chemically dependent, choose caffeine. Late nights are much better if you know who you are. Offer love and respect to every one around you. Hope. Hope doesn't disappoint.

College is a chapter in one's life where the ideals, beliefs, and morals that will guide a person for the rest of his/her life, is cultivated and given a chance to grow. Before making a final decision in which school you (or your son/daughter) will attend, certain questions must be asked. For example, - "What are your dreams? " "What legacy do you want to leave behind?" and most importantly, "How do you see yourself making an impact in this life?" -- If you feel that you are choosing a college that will assist in accomplishing these and other ambitions, then you know you are making the right choice. The greatest tragedy that you can make is selecting a college based on what you feel is expected from you by society, your peers, or even your family. By no means should you be pressured, or feel obligated to attend a school that does not allow you to follow the desires of your heart. You only have one college experience, blaze your own trail.

Really examine what top priorities matter to you. And how much you're really willing to take on as far as student loans. Don't get in too deep financially that you're overwhelmed after graduation.

I would advise a potential student of any univeristy to pray about your choice, a lot. Just because I love my school and I think it's a great university, doesn't mean it's the right university for everyone. God's plans for me and my life are obviously going to be very different for someone else. So my advice is to continually go to God for guidance. As for making the most of your college experience, just do. By that I mean, you're only in college for four, maybe five years. Do whatever you can. Go on school trips, meet people, go to sporting events, and other school events. Get out and enjoy the community while you can. Academics are important and you need to make time for that, of course. But what a father of a friend told me once is, "It's about the people, stupid." The things you learn in school will eventually fade and be covered with life experience. But the friends you make and the lives you can impact, will last forever.

For students, look for a place that you feel will stretch you to be your best. Remember that you are going to school first and foremost to be a student. Worry about being a good student first, then everything else will fall into place. Also, for me, being at a school where I know that the faculty care for and are praying for me has been one of the major factors that has gotten me through the past 7 semesters. Decide what is necessary in order for you to be successful, and pursue it. For parents, your child is about to experience what may be the most difficult, trying, and crazy years of their life. They will be given a most difficult task--to build their own adult life. Give them room to explore and to grow. It is detrimental that they be given space to discover what is most important to them. And if not solely for your peace of mind, be praying for them. Encourage them to find a place with resources to be successful in what is important to them.

Take time to decide why you're going to school. Do you really want to learn and make an investment in your future? Or are you just going to college for the experience. Consider the amount of money you'll be spending on your college education and make choices that reflect this caliber of investment. Ultimately, college is what you make of it. If you want to learn and grow as a student and a professional, you'll have to work towards that. Likewise, if you're just out to have a good time, your future will reflect that. Choose wisely because the place you spend the next four years of your life, could very likely determine the next fourty.