University of Washington-Seattle Campus Top Questions

Be sure to meet as many people as possible and take a vast selection of classes.

Find somewhere close so mom can still do your laundry! You'll have a great time discovering yourself where ever you are. Being on your own and in an academic environment will truly open you up to who you are and who you ultimately want to be.

I believe that the best thing a student can do is to enroll in a community college for two years. I did this as a running start student and I truly believe it helped my transition to a larger university. The community college that I attended, Pierce College in Tacoma, was more difficult than high school, but easier than University classes. This allowed me to take classes and find out more about myself before deciding on a major. Many of my friends have changed their majors multiple times because they didn't know what they were interested in. Th age of 18 and 19 is a very young age to decide what they want their careers to be. At this age, our interests change quickly and frequently and I believe that taking college coures at a community college price allowed me to make decisions that I would not later regret. I took classes that I normally wouldn't have, such as psychology and drama because they were not too expensive and I was able to work toward my Associates Degree at the same time.

A University if often embodied by its students, and more, these are the people you will come to know as peers and friends. When you?re trying to decide where you want to spend some of the most cathartic four years of your life, look to them to help define your decision. Look at those who chose to attend this college, and discover why they did. Find out what it offers them that they couldn?t easily pass up. What makes this college unique? What are its most important features, is it the level of academia, a thriving campus life, full Greek community? Through years of educational satisfaction, my most cherished feature of a school is its diversity. Where there is major diversity, there is major acceptance. There is the knowledge that there are always more new and interesting things to discover and be a part of. When you?ve made your choice, make the most of your experience. Immerse yourself in it. Become a part of the college, be active on many levels. Decide what?s important to you, whether it?s academic perfection or a thriving social network. No matter what, be true to yourself and have fun.

It'd be nice if you could 'try' a college out for a few months before actually attending it for real, but reality says that that's not possible. There's not much that really, really lets you know if a college is truly suitable. Truth is, even if a college seems suited for you, there are probably others out there that are more suitable. The point and goal in choosing a college, I think, is in yourself: whether or not you can make the college good for you. From my experience, the whole 'college' idea is remarkably similar nationwide, even worldwide. Chances are, even if you end up somewhere you can't get used to, you probably can. That may sound silly, but I think a very important thing is to keep your options open and stay flexible. Choose someplace that you like, first off, but also be flexible in what you look for. Search for the opportunities, but also let the un-searched-for chances come to you.

Follow the school where you get the most funding and if you're uncertain about your major, take the iniatiative to go out of your way and be creative to assess your career skills even if your advisors are not helpful.

If you know what you want to study, find a school that has a strong program in that area as well as good programs in other areas so you can explore other fields of study and perhaps add a minor or another major (or just change your major - you never know what will happen). If you don't know what you want to study, look for a school with several options that sound interesting to you. Try to find a school that suits you in terms of size, student to teacher ratio, values, climate, etc. It can be hard, but being somewhere you feel comfortable can be just as key to your success as being somewhere with a good program. Basically, the best school is the one that offers more of the things you're looking for than any other.

Visit some schools before you start your applications so you can better define what you do and do not like when searching for schools farther away. Visit all schools your are seriously considering, and if possible, sit in on a class in your area of interest. Research schools you are considering online before visiting them. Once at a school, make the most of your college experience by trying new activities, and making an effort to meet new people in and out of your classes.

Tour the campus and talk to students on the campus. The more information you can find out before you get there the better off you will be. My sister went to the same school I did and I think she was much happier her first year there because she had someone helping her prepare for the change. Making the most of your college experience is about the relationships you build but it always important to remember why you are there. School should come before your social life because getting your degree is the ultimate goal. No matter how bad you do on a test, stick it out. The best thing you can do for yourself is to talk to the teacher. They are people too and they want to see you succeed so don't be afraid to ask for help!

Definitely visit the college first and hang out in the area of your prospective college.