Ohio State University-Main Campus Top Questions

Have Fun, and work hard.

I honestly think that the best way to find the right college for you is to simply go and visit the college for yourself. I know this sounds fairly obvious, but it really does work. You'll want to visit the colleges when classes are in session and when students are on campus. By visiting a college during a semester or quarter, you can get the "feel" of the college just by walking around and talking with the students on campus. You can tell whether the atmosphere is relaxed, competitive, uptight, etc. Before picking which colleges you would like to visit, you should research the different colleges. Find out what academic majors they offer, which scholarship and other financial aid opportunities are available, what different extracurricular activites are available outside of the classroom, and what life is like off-campus. If a student is not quite sure what he/she wants to major in, a big university is a good choice, because big universities offer many options and different majors in a broad range of fields. A smaller, more specialized school might be a better fit for a student who knows exactly in what field they want to major.

It's okay to make mistakes, you may not always find the college that's right for you on the first try. What's important to remember is your long term goals and what tools you will develop/use along the way to attaining them. Never give up on what you want.

The best advice I could give is to make sure the school you pick is finacially sound with what you can afford. It is more than important that you take this into consideration because loans can get very daunting. I have had personal experience with dealing with my decision of where I wanted to go to school, and the financial burden it has put on my family and myself. I would have to say, more that the "fit" of the right school, look at price tags.

Make sure that you are checking out many different colleges, small and big to see where you fit. Finding the college that you fit into is extremely important in how you work and feel in your classes and meeting your new friends. College is what you make it, use the tool of education wisely and do not let off campus' activities be your main appeal to a school because that is not even the tip of the iceberg. Fill out as many scholarship opportunities that you can and start saving for college on your own in high school. As someone who pays for their own education by working two jobs and still going to full-time school, I wish I did more to try and ease my financial burden. Your friends and the school you choose helps shape your future so make sure you are happy where you are. Do not settle for a place, find the right place. You have the opportunity to be great, so strive for your greatness.

Don't judge a college on price, location, or size, pick it from what you see, the things that you hear, and how you feel after you visit.

In order to find the right college, so not stick with what you know and what you are comfortable with. I thought I wanted/needed a small school because that is all I knew growing up in a very small town. I ended up transfering to the largest populated campus in the nation, The Ohio State University. I expanded my horizons and found my niche in such a large campus. It was much easier to grow up and disover yourself when you are emmersed into a totally new culture and environment. It forces you look on the inside and decide for yourself the things that are important and how to take responsibility for yourself. The best adivce would be to visit colleges and find things that interest you. My adivce in finding a college would be to look beyond what you feel comfotable with. See beyond your limits, and go farther.

I suggest doing a lot of research. Look at where the student grew up. If it was in a small town, would he be comfortable at a big college (vice versa is also important!)? If it was close to family, would she be comfortable moving far away from home? Most students do not know what they want to major in when they graduate high school (or, if they think they do, they often change their minds). Therefore, I do not recommend choosing a college based on one program. Once a school is chosen, I recommend living on campus if possible. It will help with getting to know people. Also, get involved in programs. If the student was in choir in high school, look into choir at college. Join intramural sports if interested. Joing the Philosophy club, Pre-Med club, or Pizza club. Just get involved! Also, make sure to spend enough time studying. If a GPA starts low, it's very hard to bring it up later. Take a light course load the first term and evaluate if more classes can be taken later. Do not travel home whenever possible but stay and enjoy college. It only lasts so long.

Encourage your students no matter what and help them with finding their best options.

First of all, decide what type of school you are looking for. Different schools apply to different people. Different schools offer different programs. Decide first whether you are looking for a big, small, or average sized school. Some people are scared of going to a school that is too big. Then decide whether you want to stay close to home or get as far away as possible. Be careful though, I know many people who thought they wanted to get as far away from home as possible only to find they were too far and couldn't handle it and wanted to come back closer to home. However, there are some people I know who like the distance as well. After this, decide what you might want to go to school to learn to do. Different colleges have better programs for certain professions. The last and sometimes most important decision is the amount it costs to go to each college. Money is a big issue with most people and can ultimately decide which colleges you can or cannot go to. You need to look at in state versus out of state tuition and the type of financial aid available.