University of Florida Top Questions

take everything in. try things but at the same time focus on your studies. things that may seem unimportant are going to be important and real in the future. Balance is the key.

In order for a student and/or parents to find the right college, the student needs to assess his or her priorities, perhaps with the aid of the parent or guardian. Does the student want a large college or small? Where does the student want to live? What subject matter does the student really want to explore and which school is most accredited for that subject or career? Do not wait until the last minute to apply and visit the campuses that are the most interesting prior to applying. Once the student is at the college, I would give them the advice to really get involved with the college! It is also important to explore options for the future and try to determine what the student really loves doing versus what the parents or friends would want the student to do. This is the student's time, and the student should do things and choose paths that will make the student happy and prosperous for most of the student's life. Finally, and most importantly, the student should think about what he or she can do for the world at present and in the future.

Find the place that has the program you want, then the activities that interest you most. Consider the location of the school and what the surrounding communities offer.

I would definitely say that visiting the school and talking to other students who attend it is one of the most helpful things in chosing a college. When you visit the school you can usually get a feel for whether the enviorment is a good feel for you. Also talking with current students at the school gives you and idea of more specific things in the area and at the school that may be of interest to you. In order to make the most of the college experience I would suggest meeting as many people as you can and going to as many different places as you can so you dont miss out on anything because each city has a lot of variety of what they can offer. It is important however especially if you plan on further continuing your education that ou manage your time and your work and social life.

College is a very important time in any person's life and the selection of one should not be taken lightly. I had one choice in mind for the college for me and I did not even apply anywhere else because I had a gut instinct about it. My advice would be to visit as many schools as possible and judge how friendly and helpful the people around campus are. Also, I would advise them to do research online about class sizes, resident halls, financial aid, and other pertinient information. Whatever a student is into, whether it be sports, art or politics, I would strongly suggest that they take that into consideration when choosing a college. In addition, location may be very important to some students who get home sick easily so that may be a large factor in one's decision. However, most colleges are diverse and offer a good education and most people are content with where they end up.

Choose to go where you feel the most at home

First, go to the campus and walk around without an orientation leader. Talk to students and ask them how they like their school. Walk around buildings and peak inside classrooms--even sit in an empty one and get a feel for it. Test out the atmosphere and go by your instinct. Ask for a list of the organizations and get in contact with them. Ask how many members are in them, how often they meet, and what kinds of activities they are involved in. Always talk to advisement and get feel for the friendliness factor in them. If you are a transfer student, find out if there will be any registration obstacles you will need to overcome everytime you register for classes each semester. Try to look into the professor to student ratio and make sure that is something you are comfortable with. If it is a huge ratio, find out if professors are generally available to students and how often. Get involved as much as possible! Engaging yourself in extracurriculars will truly make you the strongest and happiest student you can be.

The best advice is to thoroughly research all of your options. If you don't know everything that's out there, then it will be harder to find a school that fits your personality. Pick the school you feel most comfortable with, not the school with the most prestige. Pick a school that has a lot of undergraduate options and extracurricular activities, ones that you haven't tried before or maybe have never heard of. You never know what sort of things you might love once you try them. I came into college ready to keep doing the things I did in high school - student senate, golf, and church groups. The only thing I've continued is church, but I started swing dancing, playing ultimate frisbee, and petitioning for gay rights - all in the last year! Don't limit yourself. If you want to work hard in school, you can do whatever you want to with your life. Don't rely on other people's experiences with a place or activity to tell you if it's right for you. Take advantage of school activities: free opportunities are everywhere! You never know when you'll find something you love.

Choose a college that isn't too far away from home and that is reasonably priced. Why pay so much more for an education when you can usually get the same degree at a college within your home state. Look for scholarships. There are plenty out there and they can really help out, especially in that last year or two. Enjoy your college career because after this, it's the real world for a long time. But don't over do the partying or social life. Remember what you are here for and that you are affecting your entire future by the decisions you make now.

Make sure you research the school to find if the size is right for you. Make sure you visit and like the surrounding ares. Check up on Housing prices and look up your professors and their research. No matter how great the school, whether Ivy League or state, if you do not klike the people or the city or the size of the student body you will not get the most out of your education. Do what feels right to you. Don't spend all your money on a B.A. More competitive schools matter more for your masters and Ph.D.