University of Alabama at Birmingham Top Questions

START SEARCHING FOR COLLEGES SOON! Most of the best scholarships are contingent on you gettting your applications in fast. Make sure you go to the colleges you're looking at, do the campus tour thing, and try to talk to some regular students. Ask your tour guide if you can attend a class, or talk to one of the professors from the field you like. And if you don't know exactly what you want to do in your life, look at all of the departments and make sure there is some flexibility to change majors. I think I've heard that most students change majors at least once while in college. Once you get to college, be sure that you don't overload yourself. It is possible to work part-time and go to school full-time, but don't expect to make straight A's if you're skipping classes because you oversleep too often. Don't let your first semester of college define your ideas about college. There are a lot of teachers at every college, and (for some reason) freshmen always seem to get the worst ones.

Make sure your child has the most input on where to go to college. Let them follow their own dreams and find ways to accomodate the cost of college. Take many visits of various college campuses and expand your knowledge of unknown colleges. When your child has found the write college try to visit and call them often. To students find a college you like don't follow your friends or girlfriend/boyfriend, or stick to family traditions of attending a certain college. College is fun and you should make the best of it as much as possible.

Parents don't pressure your child to already have a major when they go to college. Students don't let anyone pressure you to already have a major. Almost every student I have met has changed their major and one reason is because they didn't want the 1st major in the first place and they were pressured into choosing one. So instead of being stuck with credits you don't need, when you go in just take the required curriculum like math and english and take your time to explore other majors and what they have to offer.

Go to the best school for the least money you have to spend out of pocket. But, don't always assume you have to go to the best school even if you can't afford it. I would not trade the time I've spent at my "lesser" school for anything in the world. It turned out to be even better than the brochures made it out to be. Also, once you get to school, live on campus. You learn more about your school and the community by living there. You make friends that will last forever. And, most importantly, it helps you to get involved and you don't have to worry about making it back to campus for something important when you've already gone home.

Try and remember to go where you want to go, not necessarily where all your friends are going. It's okay to branch out to a different college. Visit any college that you may want to go to and try and talk to the students about what it is they are doing there and how they like it. Ask every question that comes to your mind people are always happy to answer.

When searching for the right college, make sure to visit the campus and take a tour with an advisor or a figure in your preferred field of study. Review with an advisor the possible finacial aid opportunities, and if possible, ask current students what their experience at the university has been like so far. Apply for as many scholarships as you can! Most of all, make sure that you are excited about the school you choose. This will help you stay motivated throughout your college career.

Start early, and try and figure out what you want out of college before you get there.

I recommend visiting the campus of the college(s) that you have in mind. Engage current students about the quality of life and activites on that particular campus, especially those in your chosen field of study. Always make sure you are getting prompt responses from the universities administrative offices because this is indicative of their response pattern in the future. I'd also advise each student and their parents to visit locations that are close by campus to determine the quality of the neighborhood in which the student will be living.

Parents and/or students should gather as much information about schools and scholarships as possible. In my experience, I depended heavily on others for information and even with a 4.0 GPA out of high school, I did not receive an undergraduate scholarship. Being one of the first in my family to attend a four year college, I didn't know my role in applying for scholarships. Do your own research and don't assume. If you don't know, ask. Explore all options in relation to the schools you are interested in and how they can help you to achieve your career goals. What they have to offer? What are their credentials? The success of their alumni? All of those things are important. Then, decide what's important to you: social life vs. studying; large vs. small classes; day vs. night classes; etc. Don't get discouraged. Although the process can be overwhelming, take time to visit campuses, visit their websites, talk to current students, and ask questions to be sure that you're making the best decision for your future.

To make the most of the college experience, get involved in something even if it is not school related. There are probably many volunteer opportunities to take advantage of where you could meet great friends. Find things you are interested in and go for it. Some majors have less free time available, but finding something other than academics to do gives you a chance to get a break from schoolwork occasionally and to make friends that could be friends for the rest of your life.