University of Wisconsin-River Falls Top Questions

Campus size and class size were two of my most important factors in choosing this college. You want to pick a school where you think you will fit in, and I think UWRF is a place where anyone can fit in. To make the most out of college, try everything. Join as many groups as you can on campus, and meet as many people as you can. You don't want your college experience to be something you are going to look back on and wish you had done it differently.

Find a college that you love and that makes your happy with where your going and who you want to be.

Go somewhere you want to go. Don't go because your friends or family are wanting you to go there because they are/or did. This is the best time of your life and if you let someone choose it for you it may not be the postive experience that you want it to be. Most students have some type of idea what they want to go in so look at schools that have your programs so when you get there you do not have to worry about transfering to another school. Make sure the college you choose is going the comfortable for you and your needs.

Visit the college during one of the college visit days that occur during the regular semester so you can be there and see how the campus is during the school day. You need to make sure that you feel comfortable at that university and what the university has to offer for education and after curricular activities. You need to check out the program and compare the program and the success rates with a degree from that school to make sure that the program being offer is outstanding because that is the reason you are going to college for a degree and you want to make sure that the program is accredited and a well known program. Make sure your student finds balance between school and social and become involved in the campus some how. Live on campus at least one year the experience is amazing and I feel that everyone should have the experience of living on campus. Life on campus is a totally different experience than living off campus. You only attend college once make it count!

Do a lot of research before choosing a college to attend. Even if you don't know what your Major will be right away, choose a college based on the variety and availability of classes, as well as a good social atmosphere that you think you will fit into. Visit each campus you are considering and get a feel for each one, choose the one that most interests you personally. Don't choose a college to attend based on what others think, or if your friends are going there or not, etc. Make this choice for you and you only. It's generally pretty easy to transfer schools but it's easier to find the right school for you right off the bat.

In order to find the right college is to first look for the major that you are interested in. When you find the colleges that your major is or think your major may be, then look for the estimated price per semester that it may cost. I chose to go to River Falls mainly because it had my major that I really wanted and the cost was very reasonable. There is no reason that anybody has to pay such an extreme amount to go to a college. The only reason anyone pays so much is just because of the name of the college. I get the same education from River Falls as I would at Madison. When you find the school that you believe is right for you then look at all of opprotunities that the school offers. Whether it be groups, fraternities/sororities, or extra curricular activities, you must find the school that will keep you interested not just because of your major but because of the friendships that you will build by interacting with other students and socializing with everyone. Above all, it must be a college that you believe you can have fun and become an individual.

Find something affordable for at least the first two years. THere is no sense wasting your money at the big name schools when you are just doing generals anyway.

Parents, help your kids pay for school. My dad refuses to even co-sign on a student loan and my financial aid loans don't even come close to covering my tuition. I have a part-time job but I have to support myself so I ended up turning to a loan company that turned out to be a little sleazy and it looks like I will probably be about $70,000 in debt by the time I graduate because my loans have such high interest rates. My tuition is only $6,000 a year. Constantly having to worry about finances and how I'm going to stay in school makes it hard to focus sometimes. If I had some help from either one of my parents, and I don't just mean money, it would make things a lot easier. Students, become involved with your school. Don't fall into a routine of sitting around or partying. Find things that you enjoy doing; maybe you could even help some people. Self-affirming activities will help you feel inspired to reach your full potential and to feel part of something bigger than yourself.

Visist the campus you want to attend and make sure you like the setup of everything. Don't be afraid to ask quwestions!

Talk to graduates from that school or even students currently enrolled. Research the graduation rates as well as the transfer rates. Review course catalogs and compare with other schools to get the most diverse classes offered. Know yourself and what you want out of the university i.e. your goals and determine campus sizes as well as costs. Note if the school's housing is mainly on or off campus; because socializing will be impacted heavily by off a lot of campus housing and "suitcase colleges". Also research and make sure the school has any needed organizations. Lastly, check the location!!