Stetson University Top Questions

I would suggest to students not to worry about whether or not you're school is going to be a fun place or not. All schools have their "party" scene, and what's most important is that you vibe with the location and size of the school you are thinking about attending.

I think its important to have a better idea as to what you really want to do before you apply to colleges so you can apply to schools that have the best programs for what you want to do. You don't want to know you want to study business then while you are in school decide that you want to study Asian business but then be stuck because your school doesn't have anything remotely connected to Asia. The more focused you can be before you get to college the better off you will be.

My advice to students and parents is to take charge of your college search. From day one, make the college search about you and your academia requirements. It can be easy to turn they keys of your college search over to your parents, but for this trip you need to be in the driver?s seat. Many times, my interest and my parents interest are some what different . You must rank the necessary characteristics in order of importance to you and see how well each college matches up. Although this decision is ultimately a personal one, it never hurts to ask for advice from parents, friends, and people who know you well and care about your future. My advise to parents would be to prepare your child for the jorney, assist them in making right choices but encourage them to do the work . Your job is to prepare, encourage and support them to stand alone. All of these opportunities for the students help them to develop and grow , in the process it comforts the parent in watching their child develop into a mature adult.

One of the most important aspects of finding the right college is figuring out what kind of college you want to attend. If you do not have a specific major in mind, the best choice would most likely be to attend a community college for a year or two. This allows you to get general education classes out of the way, as well as experience classes from different fields to get an idea of what major you would possibly be interested in choosing. If you do have a specific major in mind or you have already attended a community college, the next step is to find a college that has all the aspects you want in a school. Although location is important, do not choose a college for the sole reason that it is close to a beach or other major attraction. Once in college, get to know people in your chosen field. These are the people who you will most likely be working with for the rest of your life, so build relationships with people you enjoy being around. Give constructive criticism instead of cutting comments, as they will come back to you later in life.

Make sure you visit all of the schools you are considering attending and talk to faculty and students before you commit to a school. Be sure you can afford to attend the school you decide on, either through scholarships or loans. Do your coursework, meet as many people as you can, and participate in your class discussions.

The best advice that I could give parents and students about finding the right college is to really examine yourself as a person and see what is important to you and what type of personality you have. Some people can go to a large school and are social enough to reach out to people and make friends, others get lost in the crowd and never make friends or get homesick and leave early. Either way you should determine your personality type and think about going to a smaller school if you can afford it. Having a tight knit community like the school I went to is priceless. It can mean the difference between the best four years of your life or four years of frustration and loneliness. We all go to college to learn but we should really be there to make lifelong friends and open our minds to new cultures, experiences, and people. If you can find a school that fosters that type of environment then by all means check it out! You'll never regret the fun of going off to college, living the dorm life, and meeting new people.

In search of the right college, one must be open minded and curious. Brouchures and statistics such as US News Ranking systems have their place yet nothing can subsititute touring the campus and actually observing what life is like at that school. When you find the school that has a certain comfort level, find out more about it. College is going to be a second home for students, and they need to make sure they can be comfortable at the college. Once one finds the right college for themselves they should not let other people greatly influence their decision, the student is the one going to the college, not the parents, friends or neighbors. Once at college, the key to happiness at school is involvement. Living on campus, joining clubs and organizations, or just trying to meet people and spending time with them are all great ways to integrate oneself into the college life.

Although this little bit of advice I am about to give never did apply to myself, I recommend parents and especially the students themselves to explore and locate the right college. Most students settle for colleges that are near their own homes, but those same students might not benefit at the local colleges. Finding the perfect school is vital to one's own personal growth and knowledge. Taking trips and spending several weeks locating the right college might become expensive for most families, but events like this make parents and students realize that there are numerous opportunities available for the student to pick from. Never settle for anything less than what that student really wants in their education, personal development and lifestyle. A student should choose a college after visiting at least three or four campuses. Most decide after visiting one, as in my case, but this practice does not work for everyone. I have friends that have even visited seven colleges before making a final decision, and they are quite pleased with the results. Why attend several universities and then find the right one when that right one should have been visited in the first place?

The most important thing about picking out a college is first visiting it and chosing the college that you feel most comfortable and "at home" at. You also need to focus on how large you want your classes to be. This school is really small, which fits me and my needs best and is why I feel so comfortable here. When you get to college, you need to learn to manage your time appropriately. I have seen many freshman come in and get as drunk as possible and ignore classes. ALWAYS attend class, most professors here grade you on attendance, but missing one lecture can be detrimental. Always set aside one day a week where you do not do anything school related, it will help your stress levels. Also, living on campus prevents a separation of a home life and a school life, so make sure you plan a few days to get off campus to help stress levels as well.

I would advise families to go and visit the school before you make your final decision. If possible arrange it so that you can stay the night in one of the dorms with a current student. The student ambassadors are hired to present all of the positive aspects about a school while giving tours and will often not mention less positive aspects of the school. While staying the night in a dorm, high- school students are exposed to different opinions about the school and will get a more accurate representation.