University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Top Questions

Don't let distance keep you from where you want to go.

Visit every college first, take a tour, and interact with other students. It will help you narrow down what is right for you. when you see a school, you will know if you can picture yourself there.

I would advise parents and/or students to find the school that provides the best experience to lead to a promising career, while minimizing the amount of financial impact the education has.

I would tell anyone who is looking for the right college to analyze and organize what aspects of college are most desirable and then look for the college that enhances those characteristics. A student must consider all aspects, such as location, size of student body, setting (urban, rural or other), affilitation (private or public), student diversity, and areas of expertise, because they all play a role in your college experience. After sorting out the colleges that best fit your desires, visit the campus to get an experiential feel of the college. Once you have picked the school that best fits your interests, it is your duty to become an intellectual individual by making the most of your experience. I would recommend that you join an organization that is affilitated with an interest of yours, whether it be social, academic or talent based, because it will help you adjust to the university environment and balance your studies. Also, I would recommend that you take a variety of classes so that you can explore different areas of study. Lastly, I would stress that you get to know your professors so that you will get the most from class.

I think that as long as the school seems like it will fit you choose the one with the most financial aid and then just make the best of the experience you have. Go far enough from home that you don't go home all of the time but close enough that you can make it home for a weekend. HAVE FUN but don't forget school comes first.

Go on tours, meet professors, and talk to students in a major that seems interesting to you.

Check out the orientations that are available, but be sure that your opinion of things isn't based on that alone. Often times, orientations are a too-good-to-be-true outlook. Also, be sure to research the department that you desire to enter into, if you know what it is. Remember that if a school has a department in a certain field it is not necessarily an indication that they have a strong support in that study. Look at how many faculty members there are in a specific department, and beware if there are less than four or five. My department lost two proffessors out of three or four, which made it difficult to find classes that fulfilled the requirements of my major. Finally, if your university has parking rules, follow them! That may sound odd, but the silliest way to lose hundreds of dollars is in university parking tickets, not to mention, having to deal with such things creates unecessary stress!

Finding the right school is kind of like searching for a perfect pair of shoes. First you need to find the right style. Do you want a pair geared for the outdoors, like a school surrounded by mountains or forests? Or would you rather have shiny new heals or dress shoes ready for a night on the town, like a school in the middle of a buzzing city? Then, there's the matter of making sure the shoe is available in your size. Do you want classrooms with more students than you can count, or do you want a smaller intimate environment? Lastly are the shoes within your budget? For students, choosing a college is about finding the right school for their specific interests, and what makes them comfortable. So shop around, most people do not settle for the first pair of shoes that seems to feel great. Furthermore, when the seemingly perfect pair is finally decided upon, do not panic if the shoes do not fit as well as you thought or even if they cause an uncomfortable blister. Sometimes, shoes take time to break in, and it almost always takes time to adjust to college life.

In order to find the right college or university it is not necessarily important to know what you want to do, but to feel comfortable in the environment. I had no idea what I wanted to study when I went to school, but after visiting the campus, I felt very comfortable and at home, and I knew that I would be successful in this institution. In regards to making the most of the college experience it really is to get involved and be as outgoing as possible. I had to option to room with my best friend and I chose not to, and I think it was the best decision I have ever made. I was able to branch out and meet a lot of new people and not feel like I had to be with my best friend all the time. I also joined a sport club, where I met a great group of people and it also gives you something else to do besides classes and work. Overall, listen to what you feel you will like the most and go for it. And once you're at school, join whatever you feel you would enjoy.

The first piece of advice I would give is start earlier than later in terms of searching for the right college, there's alot to think about when making this decision so waiting until the last minute is just too stressful. There are so many colleges and it might be valuable to dig deeper and look for colleges other than all the popular ones that everyone looks at, which I didn't do. I would suggest looking at all types of campuses, big and small, in the country and the city, just to get a feel for what the student really wants. The most valuable resource in learning about a college is talking to people who already go there, so don't be shy most students are probably willing and happy to talk about thier experiences.