University of California-Irvine Top Questions

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Make sure you are going somewhere that you will enjoy spending the next four years, you wouldn't buy a car that you dont like, so there is no sense in (often times) moving your entire life, and paying thousands of dollars per year to attend a school you don't feel comfotable at. Also, be patient during your application process, there is a college for everyone, it is just a matter of finding the right one., but don't get too bummed out if you don't get into your first choice, it's not the end of the world. It may end up being a blessing in disguise and the school you end up going to may end up changing your life completely. And finally, and probably most importantly, college is a time to find out who you are, make sure you study hard, but leave plenty of time to have a little fun, half of college is the social aspect and the people you meet! These people will be your friends for the rest of your life! Good luck!

Do not worry about the ranking of the school but rather worry about the friendliness of the staff and the amount of resources the school offer the students.

Most people do not go into college knowing exactly what they want to do in the future. Many people may have an idea but it may change as different professors and classes influence you. I beleive that the best thing to do when you come into college is to enroll in mostly general education courses, that way you dont waste classes.

I would tell parents and students to physically go to the college they are looking at attending, take a tour, and spend some time walking around by themselves to get a feel for the campus. If it is available, do a stay over program before deciding where to attend so you get some one-on-one time with an actual student who isn't paid by the school to endorse it; and that way you also get a feel for how the on-campus housing is as well as the cafeteria food. Speding time on and around the campus before deciding to attend it is probably the most important factor to determining whether you will enjoy your college experience and be able to make the most of it. By spending time there, you will be able to figure out what extra-curricular activities are offered that you are interested in, and how to be eligible for some of the activities before you even start so you have a sense of direction when classes actually begin.

To look into all possibilities and keep and open mind. There are many schools out there and it is important to find one that offers multiple classes/majors that you would be interested in.

Look for the major instead of the name. The major and the department gets the fund if the there's more students in the department. Also look for club and social life he wants. different school has different kind of social life and people attending each UC has certain kinds of talent based on campuses.

Advice that I would give parents and students about finding the right college and making the most of the college experience is that parents and their children need to sit down and discuss what field of study he/she is interested in. Then, they need to research different schools that offer this field and have good programs that can help their child succeed and have a promising career after graduation. They should then visit the schools of interest to see if their child finds the campus inspiring and feel that he/she will fit right in and be comfortable. If a college passes this test, then it should be one of the schools that the child applies to.

As much as the status of the school is important, it is also very important to research the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Whatever UC cannot provide will be provided in Cal States. It depends on what the student wants best out for the future career. Ask yourself, "What can I do in this school? What can this school offer for me (financial wise, academic wise, etc.)? How will I adjust and accomodate at this particular school? How serious does this school encourage success? How safe is this school? How involved is this school? How diverse is this school? How will I accomodate to living far away from home?" It's these very simple questions that students and parents often miss due to reliance on the status of the school. I'm not encouraging everyone should go wherever they feel like. I just want everyone to know that what is important for the students is how they will adjust the transition from high school to college, home to dorm life, and to look for the quality of the school; not just its status in the ranks.

If you want to find the right school for you, don't look at the programs but rather what kind of classes they offer and if those classes interest you. Often times, students enter a major because of its prestige and are overwhelmed by the workload. They usually end up changing majors after the first two years. As for making the most of your college experience, I'd say to join clubs and get involved. Many former students sit back and complain about how boring their college experiences were. They were usually the students that went home on the weekends and never interacted with others besides the people they already knew. College is about finding yourself and by doing extracurriculars ,you are exposing yourself to new interests that may later shape your future. Getting out of your comfort zone is part of the whole college experience and you learn and grow from it!