United States Naval Academy Top Questions

Most students change their minds several times about what they want to get from their time in college. Pick a program that matches the one thing that won't change: your personality. Once you're comfortable in your environment, you will begin to thrive. You will make better decisions about your education and career, and you will put yourself in the best possible position for success.

Making the most of the college experience is easy. Make friends and do as many things as you can on your parents money. It's the last time in your life that you have very little responsbility and your parents will cover the tab. As far as finding the right college is concerned, figure out who you like to be around (athletes, hippies, stoners) and walk around the campus/look at pictures of the students. If you can see yourself in the pictures or walking amongst the student body than its the place for you. Everyone will be able to find their own click once on campus.

Understanding the growth process associated with the undergraduate expierience is the essential aspect that parents must stress to the students. THe Student in turn, must be honest with themselves when evaluating their expectations for their college expierience. Together, the parent and the student have to understand that they will never see eye to eye on the issues they find most important to themselves. The parents, however, must appreciate that this is the first step in the student's maturation to adulthood.

I think the most important piece of advice that I can offer is to talk to students who attend or have attended your school of interest, as well as visiting the school campus for yourself. Try to get as many perspectives as possible and make an informed decision not on impulse but merit and compounding a pros and cons list.

If you know what you want to do in life, go to a school that will teach you. If you aren't sure, go to a school where you can get good grades so you can transfer once you figure it out. There is more than 1 way to get into a school you like. Some roads are a little longer than others.

Visit there at least once. Know the type of people you will be living and working with. Make sure that you're committed to what you want out of the school.

A person should not go tot college to simply go to college; a student should want to attend a university because he or she wants to better his or herself through education. Witht that in mind, the first factor to look at in my opinion is location. Your college of choice will be your home for the at least the next four years, so it is important to go somewhere you would want to live. Issues such as price are secondary because regardless of where in the country you are looking to go to school, there are expensive, cheaper, more historical, more modern, etc. types of schools. Once you have found what area of the country to go to school, and schools that meet your budget, it is time for a road trip to visit those schools. The key is to find the pulse of the campus: go to the academic buildings, look at a dormitory room, eat in a dining hall, talk to students, or watch a sporting event. All these things would be a part of your life at that school. so try them (so to speak) and see how they fit.

If you have a general idea of what you want to do after graduation it makes life in college much easier. Sit down and think that through before making decisions on what college to attend because in a sense you are taking the first step to locking yourself into that profession. If you pick the right school based on what you see inyour future you will be with other students with similar interests which makes your classes and social life much easier and allows for a better chance of success. You also get to meet people in your future field (peers or professors) who might be in your field down the road after graduating. Enjoy college wherever you are otherwise the four years of it will make you not ever want to go back to school later on. With the increasing number of students attending grad schools this could be one of the things that hold you back from getting a promotion at work.

If you are like me, you may never be able to find that "definite, this is it, I just know it" answer. You have to look at where you are and where you want to be. Don't be afraid to take a chance. There are no regrets in life. I chose the military academy path. There are many times when I've looked back and asked myself, "Was that the right choice?" I can never get a straight answer out of myself, but I do know one thing: I'm proud of what I've done, and I feel like I've accomplished something in my life. Any student or parent should know that picking a college isn't about which is the best one, but which is the best one for you, and that might even mean taking a chance at something unknown. That's what college is about. It's about discovering yourself and finding out what drives you in life. It teaches you how to stick to something tough and how to come out on top. College is a life lesson--in and out of the classroom.

The most important thing in choosing a college is where you want to be in your future. I have always known that I wanted to serve my country and that becoming a military officer was right for me. Choosing the Naval Academy was a huge step in my life but I have never looked back and regreted my decision. You always have to make the best of college, especially at a school like the academy. You must always remember your goals and desires and why you are there. Always keeping these things in mind will make school and life much more enjoyable. Whenever things become stressful here, I step back and remember I am doing all this so that I can become a great leader one day and be responsible for people's lives. My main objective is to learn as much as I can now so I can perform later for my sailors or marines. Choosing the right college is very important and I would recomend thinking very hard about your future goals, not so much what kind of social life you are going to have there.