Montana State University-Billings Top Questions

My advice for students would be to check out a lot of different universities. You don't want to limit yourself, because you want to have full satisfaction for the decision you make. Make sure you look up costs and awards, grants or scholarships the school is offering, and sign up for as many as you can. It will help out in the end because the costs of attending colleges is going up. Go on a visit if it comes down to one of the schools you are really interested in. While visiting talk to people around you and get their opinion on the school. When you do get accepted to the university or college of your choice, get out there and interact with people. Go to sporting events or join a club. Make sure that when it comes to studies, focus, but space it out so that you take a breather and also have time to enjoy your social life too. It's a good thing to meet people becasue your social network expands and when the time comes to graduate, you never know you may have connections. Most of all have fun, make the most out of it.

You need to find a college that strives to help their students be successful in their studies and finding the right career. You need to find a college that fits you in all areas and with staff willing to help in any way make your time there worthwhile and educational.

The best advice I'm capable of giving is to basically go with your heart and your instincts, I received my AA degree 20 years ago from a school my parents wanted me to attend and in a field of their choosing. I'm now 45 years old and back in school in pursuit of my dreams rather than theirs. I feel as though a wasted life is right up there with a wasted mind being a terrible disgrace.

Students: Pick a college with the best program in your discipline. I chose a school based on other factors and I regret choosing the school I did. This includes speaking with faculty, students, and individuals in your field to help you understand what to look for in a school. Don't attend a school just because it looks good or the tour was "awesome". Ask questions. Don't let freshman advisors register you for a class if it contradicts what university literature informs you. If you are high profile student-athlete, spend lots of time with the team before you sign a letter of intent because they will be your family for four years. It is important to work well with that group of people. Get to know the coach, ask questions about the community and the athletic department's relationship with the community, the coach's philosophies a rules, seek out his or her coaching record and how long they were at each school. Parents: If your child doesn't want to go to a school, don't make them or guilt them into going. Your child will only resent you. You should guide them, but never push.

My advice to potential students and parents would be to get a an idea for what you want to get our of your college education. A lot of times students get too wrapped up in the college life such as sororities/fraternities, sporting events, partying, and other extra curricular activies that their academic life suffers. It's so important to have fun and make memories, but you're ultimate goal for being there should be degree oriented. I think students often forget to make this their number one priority and they end up wasting time and money in order to finally obtain their degree. It's also important to figure out what sort of field you are interested in. Schools often have a focus field that they are known for and it's important that the school lines up with the students interests. This way you will meet students with similar interests and the school will hopefully be able to provide you with a strong education. I think it's also important to consider the class size. In my school the student/professor ratio was 1 to 20. This provided an ultimate learning enviroment where everyone could share! THank you!

Try to figure out what your goals in life are, try to plan out your major, and figure out in what direction of a job you plan to have for the rest of your life. Garunteed you won't want to switch career paths constantly. Try to figure out the costs (books, laptop, room and board, meal plans, gas..etc.) before you start to decide on how much financial aid or loans you may need.

The best advice I can give to any student is to first visit the campuses you are interested in, talk to students, teachers, ect and then make your final decision. If you are unsure of your major don't try to force your self into deciding too soon because you learn a lot about yourself and what you want to become in the first few years of college. Advice to parents would be to be supportive and guide your son/daughter through this process and don't make the decisions for your child. Encourage them to be there own person and to try new experiences. During your college career be focues on your academics and go the extra mile because it will pay off. Also find your niche socially either on or off campus. Find the balance that you need to be the best student while also allowing your self to try new experiences, meet new people and have FUN!!!

Unless you really know what you want to do for a career, don't waste your time and money. Just start out with your general ed requirements and go from there. There's no rush. You have your whole life. Also, don't wait till the last minute to register for classes, buy books, etc. because you'll struggle with getting into classes you want or getting your books on time.

From my experience, when deciding on a college, there is really only one important thing I have learned, do not pay for a name. While deciding on a college I researched and visited several "big name" colleges. After doing so I realized how petty it is to choose a school for its prestige. In my opinion the prestige of a school only gets in the way of the more important education and job skill factors that should really be adressed. So when looking for a college or university to attend, my only advice would be to look beyond the brochure and past the prestige.

I would begin looking in sophomore year in high school. I'm going to be a junior in college and i've been looking at grad schools for about a year now. I won't graduate for 2 more years but its always good to get an idea of what you want at a university.