University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Top Questions

Make sure you visit the college before you commit there. Sit in a class or two, talk to people who currently go there, and make sure you feel comfortable. It will be a long 4 years if you pick the wrong school.

Make sure the university culture is both provocative but also fits with your son or daughters needs.

The first piece of advice I would give is really to make a list of what matters to you when choosing the right college: weather, size of school, teacher/student ratio, proximity to home, variety of majors/minors, extracurricular, standard of living, ranking among other universities. After making a list, put a checkmark or rank which schools (of the ones you've been accepted to or are considering to apply) satisfies you. I think choosing the right college really makes a big difference in determining how much the student will enjoy it. The second piece of advice I would give is to really go out there and be aggressive when you enroll in college. Your college experience is really based on what you choose to do. Sign up for organizations and community service and really try to meet new friends and have new experiences. Go to the sports events that your university is known for and sign up to listen to lectures given by famous professors at your university. Also try to walk around everywhere and really learn to be optimistic and enjoy your college for what it's known and famous for. College is what you make of it.

It's always important to think what you want in a school before you start making a list of schools. Do you want a big school with lots of diversity, or a small school where you'd receive more attention? Do you want a school that has a religious community that you'd like to join? Do you want a school that has lots of school spirit and sports? What extra-curriculars do you want? Do you want a good arts program, or good business program, etc? When I was five I decided I wanted to go to UCBerkeley. I thought this until I was seventeen, visited, and realized that they didn't offer a program that I was interested in. Once you figure it all out, there is still going to be a large list of schools to choose from. The thing is, you will most likely love any school you end up choosing. But to make sure that you do, visiting the schools on your list, talking with both students and teachers, and sitting in on classes, just might be the deciding factor for you. It was for me, and I couldn't be happier with my choice.

I would tell parents and students to pick the college that they can visit and visualize going to. Also, it's important to try and picture yourself after having gone there for 4 years, and try to imagine where you would like to be. The college that in your mind would most likely lead you there should be the college that you pick. As far as the college experience is concerned, I would suggest to try and take advantage of everything around you. Remember to work hard, but remember also that these 4 years can never be given back to you. Try to do as many things at college that you could not do anywhere else; take advantage of your newfound resources.

Spend time on the campus, ask current students their pros and cons. Look for a good financial aid department. Get involved in campus life and get involved early.

I would tell parents to visit as many colleges as they can with their kids because the best way for students to get a feel for what they like is to see the campus, see the people on the campus, talk to some current students, and understand what kind of atmosphere each place is. And as annoying as the campus tours and information sessions were, in the end, each one was very helpful--so I suggest attending those as well.

No one knows what they want to do with their lives when you enter college. Most people still don't know when they leave. However, you will be equipped to handle all the things in between. College teaches you how to manage yourself. You will find out how to learn without someone holding your hand. You will learn how to be on your own. Certainly, you want to be comfortable at college. But if you are too comfortable, you won't be able to leave. Isn't college all about transitioning to the outside world? Try to step just outside your boundaries a little. You might be surprised at what you find.

Both parents and students should find the school that fits best, and to visit plenty of schools before making a choice. More than academics should be considered; housing, job placement after graduation, and student life are all important aspects of choosing a college that are often overlooked.

I guess this will be addressed to students, as I feel that my particular gremlins prevent me from saying anything else to anyone else. Unfortunately, my alpha male "charistique" is suggesting that I am about to feed you with he same bull that everyone else has tried to feed me in the past... All of this, all of the nonsense that has happened, or is about to happen...it revolves around you. Everything that you have done, has led up to he reading of this, which is eventually going to lead to something more. Perhaps the hardest part in realizing how to survive college is to try and figure out for yourself just how you are going to make it. There is a tremondous amount of depression that comes from the idea that you are going into a field of study that you have no idea how it is going to turn out, or if you would even really like to live it for the rest of your life. I can honestly say, that right now, none of that matters. What matters is that you can find something, and let it drive you as crazy as you drive it.