Saint Louis University Top Questions

Spend every moment coming to know those nearest and their culture. Such an experience will not last.

Prepare to have your world turned upside down. You're going to be dropped far from your friends, but it won't matter. You'll be spending nearly all of your free time with new people, going to new places, and trying new things. The first year's challenges are mostly a matter of regaining your balance of academic and social priorities. Although its easy to lose your way (I know a few who did), it's nothing you can't handle. Before you go to college, take a look around you: the lifestyle you live, the people you know, the inside jokes, the familiar places, the intimate way you know your closest friends, the way you and your friends intuitively read each other, the loving nagging of your parents, etc. Your mother will cry when dropping you off at college for a reason: all of that is going to be labled 'Life up through High School'. That's because when you get to SLU, your slate is wiped clean. So ready yourself, leave your friends with a bang. Because when you get to college, you're entering a whole new world. What doors will you be ready to open?

The best advice I could give to students is to really make an effort to visit the schools you're interested in, and to visit more than once if possible. Shadow a student if you can, try not get one day shadowing, and one day with a guided visit. Take a note of dorm quality level, size of campus, primary modes of transportation, and class size. Once you've picked the right school, be sure to thoroughly research the majors, and I actually recommend going undeclared unless there is a highly structured major that you need to be in from the very first year, like engineering. Don't slack off, you'll pay for it in the end. Work your butt off from Sunday night to Friday afternoon, and get your partying done from Friday night to Sunday afternoon.

Finding the right college is all about your child and their feelings. Whatever the school's atmosphere brings is how they will decided what's best for them. It is a big step towards a brighter future. One of the advantages for me was being the first child in the family to attend college. I was the one making all the decisions and finishing paperwork. Sometimes you have to be two people at once, as long as you believe it is the right thing for you. The advice I would give parents and studens is to take a tour of the school and ask as many questions as you can. There is no such thing as a stupid question. When the future is at stake, anything is far from stupid. I never got the chance to learn from my older sibling about classes but if i did, i would make sure to bother them every day of their college life, just to be prepared. College is the best experience of life. It is a "pre-step" to the real world. When you graduate from College with that diploma in your hands, a future awaits you.

The best and most vague advice I have ever recieved was "you'll just know." I recieved this information while touring a college during my senior year of highschool. The tour guide simply stated "when you are decided on a college don't put to much pressure on yourself, when you find your future school you'll just know." I thought that sounded too make believe at the time, but when I first toured my future college I "just knew." When looking for a college tour various types of schools. Do not just have your mind set on one type of atmosphere. Get out there, get your hands dirty, and surprisingly you might, "just know" too.

Do not be afraid to not know anyone, it is better that way. When you know no one, you can be completely yourself and find friends that accept you for who you truly are. Do not get stressed about the courseload, you will get it all done if you take it in one thing at a time. It is easy to get involved in on campus activites if you try. Let yourself be vulnerable in new things, these years are what makes you who you are going to be for the rest of your life.

Searching for the right college can be a very difficult and stressful time for parents and students alike; children/friends going different ways and across countries. The pressure to be accepted to the best school possible is extremely high even if it might not be the best fit for the student. Many questions arise when choosing the right college: big or little, close or far from home, state or private. However, it is imperative that one shuts out all external influences to listen and follow one's own heart in order to discover the college best suited to the wants and needs of the prospective student. Happiness is essential for a successful college experience which can only be accomplished if one is satisfied with one?s choice. Once accepted, in order to receive the most out of what one's college has to offer, it is crucial to get out and meet people, explore the campus, attend campus organized activities, and most importantly remember that everyone is going through the same exact thing you are whether they show it or not. They are scared and anxious too, so be outgoing and do not worry about what people think. Good Luck!

As the oldest child, I started my own college search with no idea what I wanted in a school or what college life would be like. The advice that helped me the most was what my dad always told me when I thought I was never going to find the right school for me. He reminded me that wherever I went, I would make lifelong friends and have a lasting education. The important thing to remember about college is that it's not about getting into that one particular program somewhere, or the most prestigious school that rejects ninety percent of its applicants or the one with the best sports programs in the country. College is about finding a school where you can thrive as a growing adult and take advantage of the most life has to offer. When you find that school where you can see yourself taking challenging classes and also joining the club soccer team, that is what the college search is all about.

Make sure that parents and students take a tour of the university before they make a final decision.

The right college is the one you feel the most excited about attending. College will not be as magical as most high school seniors believe; it is still school. College provides an environment for young adults to make decisions both good and bad. Students must decide how to make the best use of their time. College provides an infinite number of these opportunities to learn and grow as people. Personally, attending a Jesuit Catholic school allowed me to not only expand my mind academically, but spiritually as well. The spiritual environment is very present at SLU, but not forced on any student who does not wish to participate. There are many other schools I applied to, but there was something about SLU that drew me in. It is a special place with wonderful students and professors. The experiences I had at SLU, both good and bad, have shaped who I will become as an adult.