Gerard
My advice would be to actually take the time to research and visit the different school you wish to enroll in. Once your their your their your their and its too late to say you made a mistake. Lastly I would say, plan what you want and never give up on your vision. A wise man once said that "without a vision the people parish" and that exactly what will happen if you dont go in prepared. You will be easily destracted. With that said good luck and choose wisely.
Ellen
University of Maryland is the college where you can find study buddies who are all seeking for the same goal under the same major and motivate one another to do well. But you can also find social buddies as well to hang around with and build life long friends. Maryland is a place where you can find a lot of things to do but the academic work is also very challenging and gets your brain working along with internships, research opportunities and leadership positions for your career goal.
Brian
Go with your gut instinct and whatever feels right when you step on campus. That is how I made my choice and it has worked out great
George
The best way to choose a college is to visit every one that you are considering. Colleges and universities all advertise a lot, and promise the world, but you don't get the whole picture until you see it for yourself. Talk to professors, talk to students, sit in on a lecture if you are permitted. These will give you a good flavor for campus life. You should also consider the location. You may prefer a school located in a city, or maybe one that has easy access such as a metro stop. As far as getting the most out of the college experience, the best advise I can give is to try everything. Education is expensive, and you want to get your money's worth out of it. Go to campus sponsored concerts and plays. Join an athletic club. Check out the greek life. There are so many options available that it would be hard not to find something you enjoy, so long as you put forth the effort to try it all.
Keddy
When selecting a college or university, first do research on the institution's degree programs, career opportunities present in its different majors, entrance requirements, student and faculty/staff populations, and other factors. Smaller colleges are the ones in which all the students and professors know one another very well and the professors spend plenty of time helping their students. At larger universities, the students are more diverse and there are a greater variety of factors to experience. There are also big universities that have degree programs and other types of special programs with a small number of students in them, so you can experience the best of both worlds. Do your research!
To make the most out of your college experience, there are all kinds of students and people in college, so do not be afraid to meet new people and experience new things. It is also imperative to work hard when it comes to courses and work load. You will feel frustrated and stressed from the workload, but it will be worth your time and effort, as you will only get out of it the amount you put into it. No pain, no gain.
Brandon
Visit as many schools as you can and ask as many questions as you can. Find out about whether the school is research oriented or teaching oriented and find out about the housing situation.
Ben
There are obviously many different criteria that go into the college decision-making process. Some of these may include: distance from home, weather, rank of college or university, availability of specific major or field, athletic prowess and many others. There are several steps that the prospective student and his or her family should take before making the final decision. As a prospective student, one should talk to to as many current students, under- and upper-classmen, as possible about their experiences with academics, housing, and social life. Parents should also attend open houses to chat about what the school offers. Also, if one can, a student should spend the night to get a taste of the campus.
Many students don't take the geographical region of the school into account. Weather can drastically affect mood, so attention should definitely be paid to this subject.
Proximity to a major city is also important. Many schools that are quite distant from urban centers attract harder drugs and higer cases of depression and other similar ailments.
Lastly, the housing situation, both on and off campus, is crucial to keep in mind.
Most importantly, if you have the chance to study abroad, DO IT!
Andrew
Each student needs to figure out what is important to him or her, and base their choice on those aspects. You may want a gorgeous thriving campus, an active social life, or a strong academic challenge, or even all in one, which many schools offer. While it is important for the parent to have an opinion, it should ultimately be decided by the student as this is their experience, and they need to be confident with their decision.
Joining some type of club is how to make the most of the college experience. There are hundreds of ways to meet new people and make life-long friends. At school it is important to find a sense of belonging because it easy to get lost in the crowd.
Overall, the whole idea is to make sure you choose a college that feels right for YOU, not your friends, parents, or anyone else. YOU need to find the place where you can thrive as an individual so you can walk away after four years never regretting one second of it.
bezuneh
make sure that when you look for a college, you feel comfortable with that choice. you dont want to be thinking to yourself after 2 years into college, " maybe i made the wrong choice." you want to choose the school that you think may challenge you a bit but also make you feel comfortable making that challenge.
Phillip
Visit the colleges!