University of California-Santa Cruz Top Questions

I would choose to attend the school where you feel most at home. It's good to go somewhere where you are comfortable, but still have a chance to learn and grow. If you like sports, go to a school with sports. You'll miss them if your school doesn't offer them. Go to a school that offers programs you are passionate about. You might not always know what you want from life, but if a school has opportunities that interest you go for that one. No matter where you go, it's on you to make the best out of your college experience. You hold all the cards to your succes. Don't rely on others to make your decisions for you. Be proactive and assertive in your education, it will only make you stornger and more confident. Always fight for what you deserve, don't be afraid to challenge those that aren't here to help you. College is a place for you to learn and grow; meet people. Networking will help you in your future. Study hard, but allow time for social activities. Stay away from things that get in the way of fulfilling your dreams.

The biggest advice I can give to incoming students for any college is to embrace new things, and be open to new ideas. You?re going to be surrounded by many people with different backgrounds than your own, and getting to know them and their lifestyle will help you socialize and befriend everyone. Also, get involved with activities on campus; whether it is a club or a fraternity/sorority, you just need to stick yourself in there to become part of the crowd. Lastly, check out the University?s recreational department and extracurricular activities so that you don?t get overstressed with schoolwork. For parents, I have completely opposite advice. You need to believe in your child, they have worked hard to get to college, believe in yourself and your parenting capabilities to know that everything is going to be alright. Your child is going to do fine in college, and if anything goes wrong they are in good hands. Faculty and a good friend basis will get your child through any hardships that they encounter. Also, as much as you love your child you need to give them their space and let them grow up.

Go for it. Choose the college that will make you grow as a person as well as support you, the one with the most to offer in terms of new and exciting experiences. High school is a time when you experience most physical change. But college is really the time when you grow and change as a person. You are away from your parents (and my advice to parents is let your child be as much as you can) for, usually, the first time, and this brings a whole new perspective to life. You will make mistakes, you will do fantastic things, and as long as you have a good community, both socially and academically, you will have a wonderful time, and become a well educated, well rounded person.

UCSC is often called a drug school or party school. In my experience, it is what you make of it. I chose not to be part of the party scene and had a great college experience. The academic reputation far outweighs the party reputation.

Look at as many colleges as possible before choosing one. After high school I didn't travel around at all to colleges and ended up attending one I hated for two years before visiting friends in other cities and realizing there were colleges out there where I truly fit in and loved. I think their really is a college for every type of person, it's just a matter of finding it.

Don't go to Santa Cruz unless you're there to just study. Studying is important but you won't get much done here.

research the colleges your interested in extensively, visit the school, talk to the teachers, talk to students, learn about the available programs for academics as well as recreation

Know exactly what you want to do way before you get to college, probably as a freshman in high school. Finding the right college is all about how much you want to spend and what you are trying to become. Don't waste your time with small colleges and private universities, unless you are getting significant financial aid and got into Harvard or Yale. Attending an Ivy League-caliber school is the only reason to go to a private institution. The best state institutions in about half the states are good enough to pursue an education. Where you go and how much you spend will have little effect on you if you do not know what it is you're trying to become. You will not learn that in college; you will not "find your calling" or "be inspired to study" a particular field. You must already be aware of what your life goals are concerning employment before you enter the university, and then seize them in them most ruthless, cutthroat manner as possible. Go to as many career fairs as possible. Utilize the Career Center as much as possible.

First of all, the decision should be made bythe student. If a parent makes such an important decision (and makes an incorrect one) the student is the one who will suffer. If you are seriously considering a school, it is definitely important to go and check it out. Do you feel comfortable there? Could you see yourself being happy there by your fourth year? Do you think you could easily relate to the students around you? If you answered yes to these questions then you should take some further steps to decide if this college is right for you. In order to get an idea of the academic life, go sit in on a class. Talk to the students and get a first hand idea of what they think of their classes. This would also be a great time to ask them about campus life and extracurricular activities. Once you decide which college you wish to attend, explore the different possibilities it has to offer. Don't be shy--just get out there and ask questions. It is likely that your college will have what you are looking for, it's up to you to find it!

The best college experience can be found with a personalized balance of what is familiar and what is unknown. Feeling relaxed and like you belong is an important foundation for both academics and social life. This can relate to the size of the city the college is in, the political climate, the distance from home, etc. However, these same attributes can be unknowns of a new college experience. The question is, of each potential college's attributes, what comforts are most important to your everyday life, and how much of the new would you like to know?