University of Alabama at Birmingham Top Questions

the advice that I would give to students is that do not hold back during your college years. It is vital to reach out and see what is out there. Do not enter college thinking that you want to be a doctor, lawyer etc, but instead come with an open mind and see everything that you can because it is only that way that you can decide what it is that you really want and what it is that you can contribute most to for the rest of your life.

find the right college

Bring your kids to colleges early. Spend the day with them at your local school to give them an idea of what is around them. When the time comes to pick a school and visit, they have something to compare it to. If you've never seen a freshman dorm before then any dorm room is good. If you dont know what to look for, how can you pick the right school for you?

Study hard but remeber to have fun. Exercise it reduces stress and helps you stay fit and healthy. Go to some on campus events like movies and homecoming stuff. Join some clubs and volunteer. Visit your advisor every semester. Try to get into a freshman honor society. Maintain whatever GPA you need to keep your scholarship you'll be grateful not to pay out of pocket or with student loans.

I would advise both parents and students to research a large selection of schools, then narrow them down based on the student's affinities. In the end, the choice of school should ultimately be up to the student because they will be the one living there for four years or more. If the student is not happy in an institution they will begin to exhibit self destructive behaviors. It may be minor such as attending too many parties and avoiding studying, or more extreme such as developing alcoholism, drug dependencies, and depression. When the student is content in their environment, they will truly perform to the best of their potential.

Keep your options wide open from the beginning because it can be very easy to change your mind on the spot. Find the one unversity that takes care of ALL your needs and not just some of them. Also maximize your potential for federal student loans and scholarships because it's never too late to start applying and building up your finances in order to cover all your college expenses. The last thing you want to worry about is going into debt on top of attending college. Lastly, keep your stress to a minimum. Attend the college that will fulfill not only your academic needs, but also your social and mental needs because if you cannot have fun and get along with the other students at a university, you could become depressed and therefore struggle with your grades and potentially cause yourself to get dropped from the school.