Purdue University-Main Campus Top Questions

Choosing the right college is a major decision for any student, probably one of the biggest decisions that student will make up that point in his/her life. The amount of pressure to find "the right one" is higher than it needs to be. Finding a good school should be fun. My advice is this; First of all, talk to a high school counselor about your interests and possible career choices, and what schools would best prepare you for your future. You should never have your mind set on a specific college before you talk to your counselor, because there's a good chance they will want you to consider one that you've never even thought about. Second, paying for college these days can be near impossible. Make sure you understand everything about financial aid, such as loans, scholarships, and what you and your parents are capable of paying. This could mean the difference between an out of state school, private school, or public school. Talk to a financial advisor about your situation. Lastly, you will want to visit any college you are seriously thinking about. Know what life is like for an average student there.

I would tell parent and prospective students to make sure the campus feels like home. When you visit a college and you can view yourself living there for the years it will take you to get your degree, it is probably the right one for you. As well make sure there is large social scene for you to take advatage of, and not just the usual Fraternities and Sororities. I know college is not all about parties and socializing, but classes can be very rough sometimes and students need to balance their lives between academics and social events. Next I would advise the college of your choice having a good employment and internship office for placement after your degree is fulfilled. Smaller colleges may not have the resources to have this type of office. The last thing I will reccomend is to get to know your professors. They are an excellent tool for networking and getting yourself ahead of the rest of the students. You will have a much greater chance of getting the career you choose. Plus lots of them are just fun and interesting people to talk to .

Find a college that takes pride in their programs and not to be afraid to make new friends and try new things.

Visit, visit, and vist. Once you tour the campus and talk one on one with advisors and students you will get the feeling if it is right for you. I believe that will determine your success both academically and socially. Put academics first, you can't slide buy but arrange your time in a way that your social lfe is important too. It is important to balnce the two.

The advice I would give parents would be to encougage the child in wherever they want to go. Be open minded and start early on finding scholarships and other applications. For students I would tell them to not limit themsevles to the norm. College is about finding out who you are and what you want to do with your life. Also, apply to as many scholarship as you can. You never know what can happen!

When searching for a college make sure to visit the campus several times and interact with the students as much as possible. This will give you a feel for the campus enviorment. Attend their open houses. If at all possible meet a couple of teachers from the field that you are planning on going into. Look at a college for what it has to offer academically and socially. Find out if they have programs in place that help the student adjust to campus life. If at all possible pick a college which is recognize in the commercial/industrial world as being a leader in placement in the field that the student plans to major in.

Visit the schools ahead of time and pick the one that has the best program for your interested major.

If you want to be somewhat close to home, go somewhere that is between 1 and 3 hours away. Make sure the college has a major or majors that interest you. Go somewhere that has a good sports program, attending sporting events is an excellent extra-curricular activity.

Students thinking of moving far from home should really take into consideration all the implications;being ready to not see one's family or friends for a semester or a whole year. Furthermore, there is the challenge to adapt to a new environment and have to start a social life over again. Having to do all tehse things while starting college can be very challenging. The most important factor i would say in chosing a school is the relevance to one's interests. Most other factors will not be as relevant because one knows that they are advancing in their life, that they are attending that specific college for a purpose.

Never let money get in the way of what you want. If you have to take out loans, do it. It's worth it to have a good education and an experience of a lifetime. Take advantage of all that college has to offer. There are SO many people from SO many backgrounds. Join a club you never thought you would, or maybe never even heard of and learn something new. You never know how the smallest thing could change your life, so go for it! Life is too short and you deserve to have the time of your life. Every professor has your best interest at heart, so talk to them and ask questions. They would love to see you and love to know that you care about your schoolwork. Don't be afraid to change majors. Who cares if you're in school for an extra year if you are doing what is right for you. Last but not least, make lasting friendships. Seek out the friends you thought you'd never find. They are there if you just look. The diploma is what will get you the job, but the friendships are what will keep you sane.