Roanoke College Top Questions

I would say that you should try everything you even consider. Make sure you pick the option that is best for you. It isn't your parents going to college, it is you, so make the best decision you can.

Decide where you want to live for four years. Most schools can provide a good education and it is important to realize this is where you will be living for the next for years of your life. Also, visit campuses. It really helps to show what the student body is like and what is available to you as a student on campus and off.

I think the first thing parents and their kids should do is to go visit all types of colleges. The children should know how they best learn. For example, would they learn well in a lecture environment, or do they want they're classes to be small enough for discussion type learning. they need to know the advantages of local small schools and larger schools. Once a student decides what type of environment he/she needs to have to learn and grow academically and personally, he/she should find the school that will most likely nuture that growth. Then, once he/she gets to college, they should surround themselves with social groups and clubs that best show what type of person they are. If they want to help people educationally or personally, they should tutor or mentor. Truly succeeding at college is about stepping outside of your comfort zone and being open minded. It is about making hard decisions by yourself and learning to stand on your own feet. Go to college and take classes you never thought you would like and talk to people that you never thought you would be friends with. Surprise yourself.

Study hard because Roanoke College expects a lot out of you once you're here. Don't slack your freshman year because it will come back to bite you. Have fun, but remember, you need to get a job when you graduate... Join a sorority or fraternity, you'll gain friends for life. There is one for everyone.

Parents, do not pressure your child into going to the school that YOU want them to attend. Students, visit the school before you make your decision. Stay with a current student in the dorm if possible and/or attend class. Don't take things too seriously, but don't slack off either. Get involved and make connections. Go somewhere with good food.

My mom is a College Guidence Counselor, so her job is to help pick out the right fit for everyone. I can not name the amount of colleges that I have taken a tour of. My Best advice is to keep an open mind, and visit as many colleges as you can. When I first heard about my college I thought that there was no way I was going to go to Roanoke. My mom forced me to visit, and I left in shock. I had no idea how pretty Roanoke was untill I visited. I think that it is very important to visit as many colleges as you can. You can hear all you want about a college, but you never know what it is like untill you visit it. My mom even made me make a grading scaile where I would make a chart and grade the college on food, student life, academics, and the atmosphere and I would compair my choices that way.

The most important aspect that should be a major deciding factor of which school a child attends is what matters most for the child and what their needs are. My needs were to have small classes, personable teachers, and to be able to get extra help because of my learning disability. Parents need to think about the right size of a school for their child. They also need to think about a good location. Is the city the best or the country? Should they go to school far away or close to home? They need to decide based on having the major the child wants to pursue. Parents also need to worry about class size, and if it is even possible to graduate in four years. Overall, Parents need to be aware of all aspects of each school their children are applying for. It is imporant to know the good and the bad aspects of each school. The school that is chosen should make both the child and parent happy, and successful meet most, if not all, needs of the parent and child.

I would definitely advise the parents and student to take a tour of the schools they are considering. Also, if possible, I would encourage the student to attend various "Accepted Student" events. Finding the right school is a process, it is not something that happens overnight. Being patient and seeing it as a process is the best way to help make it a worthwild experience. Getting involved on campus is a good way to make life-long friends, as well as connections that could help after graduation when looking for a job. Getting involved on campus does not necessarily mean getting involved with sports or fraternity life; having a job on campus also helps you become involved. Something to consider while deciding on a school is to see if they have activities, clubs, sports, etc that match your interests. College can be the best four years of ones life; however remember that college is what you make it and nobody can change the experience but you. Its all what you make it!