Minnesota State University-Mankato Top Questions

The advice I give students about finding the right college for them is making sure it is what YOU really want. College is your time to be independent and search for what you want out of life. When choosing a college, don't focus on the schools that your parents went to or that most of your friends are going to. Go where you can picture yourself most and where your interests are shared with your peers. Size doesn't matter when it comes to secondary school, pick whatever setting you're going to feel most comfortable in, yet also thrive in. Making the most out of your college experience is a lot simpler than one would think. First get involved. In anything! Sororities and Fraternities are exciting, but they cost a lot of money. Try a special event planning club, an intramural sports team, or even volunteering with other college students. Everyone says to get involved, but what they don't tell you is to try doing it on your own. It's great to have friends who attend the same school, but you'll never meet new people if you always hang out with the same group!

Get involved right away. Get really, overally involved, then as you figure out what you like better slim it down to a few areas. Don't wait to get involved.

The advice that I have found most useful in my college career, is to be out-going and to take risks. When I first came to MSU i was terrified, there were so many activities i could have participated in but i didn't, i sat on the sidelines and watched everyone else have fun. After one whole sememster of not taking my life into my own hands, I realized I had nothing to lose! and i put myself out there. I can now say I am a confident, friendly, happy sopohmore here at MSU and im having the time of my life.

find something that fits you and your personal needs, but will also make you grow as a person, that will push you beyond what is normal. Try to find a happy medium.

To choose the right school you have to listen to your heart and how you feel about the campus and it's surroundings. College isn't just a place where you have eight o' clock classes, eat ramen and pizza, or pull all-nighters; it's a place where you could find true happiness and acceptance. And once you find that place, that place where you feel wanted, needed and part of a family it is up to you to keep that going. It is also very important to get your priorities in order; I am an RA and I have seen first hand what it's like to have a student who has lost their way, and it can be hard to get back on track. So start out of track and know what is most important in your life at this certain point. Remeber to always do what YOU think is best for you and not what others believe; this isn't a bandwagon. It's life!

Use the resources available to you, visit schools and ask questions.

College selection follows whatever thought process the student puts into his/her desired career path. With that said, not every student right out of high school is ready to make that decision. Once an area of study is selected, be sure to tour what ever colleges fit your criteria to make sure it suits your needs. The college experiane is whatever the student makes of it. It is best when the student is surrounded with positive influences, but ultimately is up to the students best judgement.

The best advice I can give to students preparing to go to any college is get active from the start. In high school I was in sports year round, involved with other student extracurricular activities, and worked at the same time. When I started college last fall I decided to not play sports or take part in any of the student organizations on campus and I just focused on schoolwork, and as a result I became a bit complacent. Fortunately I realized early on that I needed to be more active in order to maximize my experience and ever since I've been having a great time. Last spring I studied abroad in Spain, this year I started playing rugby for the varsity team at Mankato, and I participated in some of the campaign events during the presidential elections this fall. Everything I've just said pertains to my advice about being as active as possible with events and organizations on campus and around the community because it really does make college life more interesting as you are able to meet a wider variety and greater number of people sharing common interests with yourself.

It is scary to think of where you could possibly be going to school for the next 4-5 years so i would start at some state universities and looking at their campuses and asking lots and lots of questions to people that can have to right answers because usually people are pretty excited to answer as much as they can or direct you to exactly where you can find the correct answser. You dont have to know what you want to do for the rest of your life when you get to college there are usually many general education courses that are great to be in and can help you to figure out exactly what you want to do.

Make certain that the school you will be attending is a good fit with the career goals that you have in mind. Find a college that has a strong emphasis on the field of study which you are interested in.