University of Massachusetts-Amherst Top Questions

Be true to yourself. There are lots of choices to consider; how far to travel, what your interests are, what you want to study... weight your options and make a college choice on WHAT YOU WANT. It is your life and your future. Start to live your dream now. Find a place that feels comfortable and where you see yourself. Get out there and make friends. Engage your professors both in and out of the classroom. Take responsible risks and be true to yourself.

Choose the college which will challenge your previously held opinions about political issues or non-political academic subjects. For instance, I hold conservative political beliefs, but I go to to a school with one of the most liberal student bodies and faculties in the country. Studying in such an environment has made me reexamine my own opinions and has allowed me to develop a more tolerant mindset. If you are interesting in engineering or the sciences, go to a school which has opportunities for you to use these skills in non-academic settings, such as helping with local construction or telecommunication projects in the surrounding town or interning at a local hospital. If you are interesting in education, go to a school in the innter city and teach at in a low income community. The best colleges are not the ones with the most prestigious faculty but the ones which allow you to use the skills you learn inside classrooms to face and overcome challenges outside classrooms.

nothing chose what you can afford and also get best education

The best advice I have for students and parents is make sure you know that you really want to go to college. I see a lot of people around my campus stressed or dissatisifed because they believed that going to college was the "right thing to do." You need a strong and innate desire to learn, otherwise you will feel incomplete and wasted. If you do know what college you want to attend, make sure you get as strong of a glimpse as possible before enrolling. For the most part , it is a crap-shoot, but sometimes people just know. Speak to professors in the department you are the most interested in because the rest of the programs won't be of use to you in the process of college. As for the experience of college, try anything (if it doesn't hurt you). You are at an institution of learning and personal growth, so have an open mind to everytrhing. It will only make things more enjoyable and could potentially open doors to a new passion or hobby. Having you arms outstretched can be scary, but it is the only way to live life at college.

Picking a college is not about the name, the status, or the price. Rather it is about the other students and feel of the school. When you enter on campus, do you feel like you are at home? Is it some place that you can imagine yourself living? These are the type of questions a student should ask themselves when visting a school. If you do not feel at home on campus, even though it is the best name around, you will never be happy. Though the prestige of the school is important, it can not be the sole decider for selecting a college. A school with high prestige may not have professors who are eager and approachable. Students should select a school that makes them feel comfortable and safe. Once on campus, students should seek out opportunities and help. Most professors look forward to meeting students during office hours and can be a great resource for selecting classes and internships. This is a great way to make connections. Ultimately, school is what you make it. If you look for ways to get ahead and make the best of your time, college will be the best time of your life.

I recommend going on college tours, just walking around the campus and imagining yourself living and studying there is a great way to get a sense of what life at this college might be like. Also go on tours and listen to what the guides have to say, they're really knowlegeable about the campus and can answer any questions that you might have. Most importantly you should always research your college, look online and see what other students say about it. A great source to get a sense of what your professors might be like is ratemyprofessor.com and though you won't know who your professor is, it lists the types of classes that they teach, so you can get a sense of how other students rate their professors. College is a great experience for so many students, its a way for you to grow up and hopefully get a great career, so no matter where you go make sure that you make the most of it. Get involved on campus, even if its something that you're somewhat interested in, you can try it out to see if you'd like to explore it further.

People should, especially in today's economic circumstances, re-evaluate the high cost of education. Is it worth it to pay for a private school? Giving large public universities a chance can be really rewarding; In my experience, UMass Amherst offers everything (and more) than a smaller school. The resources available are so numerous, and we have amazing professors. It's sometimes harder to get things accomplished (paperwork, dealing with an overloaded administration) but I think that's made me a lot more independent than if I had had more support at a smaller school. I learned to do things on my own, and that's one great skill I'll be leaving UMass with in the spring.

While choosing the right college is very difficult, the best thing to do is to go with your gut feeling. When visiting schools, try to picture yourself at the school, walking to classes everyday. If you can see yourself there, and it feels like a home away from home, then it is a school for you. Making the most out of your college experience is very important. Finding the right balance between school work and a social life is essential. You should not focus solely on either one. While graduating with a degree is what college is for, making friends and having fun is just as important. Getting involved with school supported activities, sporting events, and the nightlife around campus is a great way to meet people and make your college experience worthwhile.

Visits! Look at every place you apply. Ask questions, look at dorms. Looks at everything! IKnowwhat you want then find it. Once you find a place, get ready for a whole different world. You are an adult; you budget your time, spend your money, do things on your own. This independence makes or breaks a first year student, but get involved, have a ton of fun on the weekends, but assignments creep up so definately study FIRST. Also, don't be afraid of big state schools; they're a great value and usually just as good as those private universities.

Get everything done early! If the fasfa is due March 1st, have it done by January 1st! You never know what can happen to you in the course of a year. For example, I come from a "poor" family, and I am the first to go to college. Due to a forclosure that left my family homeless in the winter of 2007, and the lack of credit of the rest of my family, I am fighting to stay in school. Getting loans is not easy when your family is not well off. So take my advise, get everything done early, do well in school, and appy for scholarships!