University of South Carolina-Columbia Top Questions

Make sure that you have explored all your options and know that this school is the one for you and that it meets all your demands. Have in mind all that you want out of a school and do not make it work go after what you want.

Look for a college that you know will be of a challenge to you so that you can try your best and put your best forward. A challenge will always bring out the best in someone.

I often talked to my younger friends this year who were making a college decision. Most of the time it came down to two schools, including one that was cheaper because of either scholarship or reduced tuition. To ease the pressure of the biggest decision of their lives to this point, I would simply tell them that in the end they will be satisfied with their decision. My choice was between the Universities of Pittsburgh, Maryland, and South Carolina. I knew I would love my time and receive a good education at any of the schools, so I ended up choosing South Carolina because of the partial scholarship I earned. With money being a constant issue in my family, I wanted the best value on my education. I could not be happier with my choice, but if I would have went somewhere else I know i would be saying the same thing. With the college experience, try to get involved as early as possible to find your niche. First semester for me was a tough adjustment as I often felt alone, but i joined a fraternity the second semester and couldn't ask for better friends. I feel at home.

Take your time. Visit every campus and research every school. This is a major life decision and you don't want to make this decision based on where your friends are going. Take into consideration if you want to go to a large school or a small school, what sports are available, what financial aid and scholarships can you recieve, how close to home you want to be. Every question needs to be answered before you commit to a school.

College is what you make it. It can be fun, hard and stressful but you have to deal. Make sure you look into every money option because you could be broke in the matter of seconds from going to college but in the end it will worth it.

Finding the right college isn't about going to the same University as your friends, or going to a university only because it is better than where your peers are going. Remember that college is about yourself. It is a serious business. Yes. you will encounter people who would make you do things that you have never do or don't want to do but in the end, the choice is yours. Work hard, party but less often. Make sure you know your priorities and why you're going to college. Be inspired. And for the parents, understand your children. Sometimes it isn't easy to be far from your loved ones. This is why students sometimes forget why they're in college and make mistakes. Remember, your children need you. Support them in everything they do.

The most important way in finding the perfect college is understanding that the parents need to listen to and understand what their kids are looking for in a school whether or not they agree. However the students should also listen to their parents suggestions because this is a big life decisions, and well lets face it, your parents really do know what they are talking about. Besides that, what personally helped me in the decision process is actually visiting the universities. Books and the internet can be very deceiving, therefore until you actually visit that school personally and get to experience the atmosphere and student life, you will never really know if you are going to like that particular school. I also suggest looking at a large variety of schools, the university I ended up attending was the complete opposite of what I thought I wanted, and in the end it was the best decision I could have made. In the end be sure to enjoy your college hunting because it really is a once in a lifetime experience, and honestly just follow your gut.

I would highly advise students and their parents to visit multiple colleges more than once to really get a feel of what the campus is like. Also, I would let students know that they have to have a balanced approach to their social and academic obligations while attending college. Another important piece of advice...get a loud alarm clock. Waking up for class, especially if you like to sleep in, can be a chore if you signed up for 8:00am classes for the semester. Lastly, get involved. There's nothing more depressing than sitting in your dorm room eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's while other kids are out doing things with student organizations. Overall, make the most of your college experience and make sure that your parents are involved as well.

Wanting to have a new environment, experience new things, and meet new people, is really helped me find the right school. Don't stick to what you know from high school, there are so many new and different ideas that you may not experience if you stay to what you know. You have to be a little uncomfortable to find out who you are. Going out and being apart of campus life, will help make the most of the college experience. You can go to football games, join a service organization, or even go to the gym to work out. If you make an effort to be apart of the college, then you will have a great time. In college, things don't just come to you, you have to go out and make things happen. College is all what you make of it, if you take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself, then college will be the best four years of your life.

I would let them know that they needed to make sure they would feel comfortable on a large campus on deciding whether to go to a university or a smaller college. Students should participate in as many activities as possible in order to find out what potential interests they may have.