Lauren
Students who are looking to attend a four year college need to do as much research as possible about their potentional schools. You should know all about what your school can offer you to succed academically. Also see what kinds of clubs there are on campus, student's need to be able to relax and do something they enjoy as well. It also gives you the chance to make new friends and find people who also share the same major as you. Having someone to talk to about teachers and classes lets you release some steam. That way you won't be as upset and that person may feel the same way. To make the most of your college experience you must study, that is what it is all about in college. You have to do the best you can to get the degree you want.
Rob
The advice that I would give parents is to really research the school that your child is going to attend. You can find a lot of information about colleges through many of the students who go there. Many schools specialize in certain fields and give a lot of attention to that specific field. For example I chose UNLV for Film because of the status of many Professors who have gone there and also students who have succeeded in the film industry after graduation. I looked up the Professors names and tried to find as much information on student films from UNLV. So the best advice is research and if you can , go to the school and check it out for yourself. Most campuses have tours that you can take to get the feel of that school. You can see how the facilities are run and actual student life on campus as many of the tours take place while school is in session.
Bryan
Parents and students should take practical considerations such as location and budget into account, but that's not to exclude some schools over others. A good student can get a valuable education from any educational institution if they maximize their learning opportunities and take advantage of the resources and knowledge offered to them.
Whitney
The advice that I would give parents and/or students who are trying to find the right college is do some research on that college you are appyling for like: what type of programs they are offering, how much the tuition is, what is best known for, do they offer financial aid, what kinds of clubs and sports they offer, etc. When applying for college make a list of colleges that you would like to attend that way if you don't get into the college that you wanted you have others on your list that maybe a possibility for you to attend to, also apply for the college in that state that you are living in because if you don't get into none of the colleges that you applied to out of state you have a backup plan to continue to working on your education. While you are in college get involved as much as you can either in sports, clubs, fraterities/sororities, etc, that way you have the opportunity of meeting new people and see what is going on around the campus.
Kyla
Go somewhere a little bit out of your comfort zone. Make sure youll be able to get home fast if you need to. Only consider schools in/near cities that you can see yourself living in, even if you werent going to school. Make sure the majority of the population are people you can identify with and get along with. There should be enough diversity to give you something different, but not so much that you feel out of place all the time. Dorm living is a great idea for freshmen, thats where you meet the people youll be friends with for the rest of college. Most importantly, give it time if youre not sure you love it when you get there. If you do feel comfortable, great! Give your support to people you meet that might not feel as comfortable. And be prepared for a change in your sleeping/eating/studying/cleanliness/etc habits. You dont expect or plan it, but it happens!
Yvette
College is an experience that a person can never forget. In order to make the best of it, you as a student must chose a college that you know is right for you. First, you will have to look at the financial part of it; by seeing if this college is in the budget that you can afford. Parents and students should not have to struggle to pay for college when they do not have to. There are plenty of colleges out there that can be perfect for the student. Second, students must research the different activities that the school provide by the students and also the different clubs that a student can choose from. Last, and most importantly, students must be goal oriented and know that college is for them. If a student does not really want to attend college it will be hard and they will not have a college experience to tell their children and others who are looking up to them as a mentor.
April
Remember college is an overall learning experience; not just in the classroom but of yourself. Regardless of what you may think you're going to have lots of experiences good and bad which is going to shape who you are in the future. College is the place to branch out from the familiar and learn to stand on your own. I recommend students to try everything atleast once whether or not its positive such as various clubs or negative such as sex and drugs. These will be the experiences you will remember when you're an adult in the real world. Parents, since college is the place for your students to branch out and truly be who they really are don't freak when they come home a totally different person.
Kyle
My advice to anyone considering attending college would be to go somewhere within one days drive from your family. If you want to go home for a holiday or home sick it is more convenient. I live with my aunt and uncle and I highly recommend it. They keep me on track. Plus do laundry, fix me dinner, give me somewhere to relax and be around family. To find the right college you have to attend a school that offers the kind of degrees you are interested in. I chose one that had sports that I liked because I am an athlete. I chose a warm climate because I like to play baseball and golf. My choice of college also offered me great financial aid options. I am on the Western Undergraduate Exchange Program. It was cheaper to go out of state than remain in state for the division 1 type college life I was interested in. Overall make sure that your quality of life will be good or you won't be able to succeed.
Anastasha
find one that is overall what your looking for even in the location. Research research reserach and get INVOLVED! :)
Sarah
Finding the right college to attend to for students can be a hard decision and needs a lot of thought to go in to it. When I was looking for a school to attend I wanted to experiences the college life style. I wanted to live in the dorms, participate in school activities, and meet lots of new people. So when I choose my first university I attend I found a university that fitted all those needs. After a few semesters I found that my social life came before my schooling and as much as I enjoyed the college life, I needed to go to a school where I could just focus on graduating and furthering my education. I feel that a student should have the right to choose what school they want to go to first, it might not be the best choose at first but that?s part of being a grown up is learning from trial and error. Parents should help their students look at schools that best support their interests but in the end need to allow them to make the final decision