University of Alabama at Birmingham Top Questions

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To find the right college, a parent and child must act as a team. The child will have to find a college whose atmosphere and environment are fitting to them and will help them not only prepare them for their life careers but also help them to mature and grow as an individual. The parent will have to act as a guide because they truly know their children better than the children know themselves, though most kids of my generation will try to argue that. Most parents have already traveled down the college road, some being amongst the first of many to even step foot inside a collegiate building or classroom. They were the ones who helped pave the college journey for myself and others of my generation. Parents can tailor-fit their children's college choices, helping to narrow down their choices based on things such as distance, cost of attendance, special major fields, etc. Both must be involved in this process, from researching prospective schools to the application process to the move-in day.

Parent/student before you make a quick decision you should spend as much time as possible observing the environment of your school(s) of interest, even if the choice is a couple of years away; because this will be the institution where the most of your money and/or time will be spent. The graduate will ultimately be the product of his/her environment.

I would say that there is a school out there that best fits who you or your child is as a person. Write down some of the major things that you feel you should receive with your education, such as dorms, great off-campus shopping/food centers, or size of the college. If you want to be in a more urban area then look for colleges that are located in such areas. After finding the college of your choice, don't be afraid to "jump in" because this is where your life-long friends are made. College should be a place where you find who you are; therefore, you will more than likely mess up. Just remember that life is not perfect even though you think a "B" is not great, you will make it; it only makes you work harder. On the other hand, don't take grades/school so seriously that you miss out on the fun times with the girls/guys. Yes, Friday night at the bar was fun and crazy, but its time to get back to reality on Monday. Just remember those four years are not that long and are gone before you know it.

Don't pick a college just because it is the easiest choice. It may be cheaper and easier than a private liberal arts college, but in terms of the quality of your education, you get what you pay for. Also, if you were meant for a small private school, then going to a large state school just SUCKS.

It isn't something to be taken lightly. Start talking about it as early as possible, no later than Sophomore year of high school. Parents be open minded, students trust your parents. They've been around the block more than once, and usually know what they're talking about, whether they went to school or not. Do your research!!! Find what best works for you, and go for it 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}!

Don't let the academic advisors overload you with to many classes in a semester. They tend to just think of what you need to get your degree and not what it is humanly possible to actually do in one semester. Figure things out for yourself.

I would tell the individual to follow their heart and trust it because once they have done so they will feel relieved. I would also tell the parents not to pressure the student where they want them to go, and I would add that they support their son/daughter in whatever decision they make. Lastly I would tell the individual to focus on the school's academic and long standing success.

My advice would be to absolutely make sure in the research stage that you have enough time to decide on the appropriate college. Most students won't really know where they'll be most comfortable environmentally, so definitely tour the school, check out the setting that the student will live in. It can be really constricting to find yourself somewhere that's totally alien and uncomfortable and that will roll over into the student's ability to make logical decisions. The student must find out the most about the school that he can before deciding. It can all be really overwhelming to make a decision like this but it is of great importance. This will help the student at least know the surroundings well enough that he will not be totally confused and awe-struck his first semester. The more relaxed and at ease that the student is going in, (matched to good professor's challenging the students at the school) the better his chances of success.