Virginia Commonwealth University Top Questions

Let's be honest, I could give the same advice as everyone is going to give...go on tours, visit an unnecessary amount of schools and take all the advice you can get from your friends. I'm not going to give you any of that advice, though. What I am going to tell you is listen to your gut. That sounds cliche, but it's true. If you had any inkling of an idea of where you wanted to go to school your sophomore or junior year, you were probably right. Now, what to do when you arrive at that school is another story. To really make the most of your college experience, I would tell you to just have fun. That, yet again, is also a cliche piece of advice, yet I truly believe it to be true. Go to parties, stay up all night at least once, even if you have to make those crucial 7-11 runs at three in the morning. Take a day trip to the river, or beach with your friends and a cooler. It's all part of the experience, and it's one you'll never forget.

First and foremost, I would suggest parents and students to visit all the universities that they are interested in. Whether the life style, or the surrounding area, or the programs that the school offers, every upcoming college student should at least come and spend a day there to experience the real life at the campus. On the day visiting the university, parents and students can ask as many questions as they want from the students who currently go there. Make sure that parents and students have written down everything they want to ask in case if they forget to. Again, do not hesitate to ask any student about the school. However if financial problem is the most important to the students, then students have to compare and choose whoever offers the most money to cover all the college expenses among all the accepted universities. Once students choose to attend the university, they have be responsible for their tuition fee, so if the students have money difficulties then do not choose to go the school they like but cannot afford to pay and waste time for transferring.

The advice that I would give to a parent would be to choose the college that offers the most money. College is a big transistion from high school and if possible let your child talk to someone that has been to college. Maybe before their senior year let them stay on a college campus to get a feel for what it is like. School never gets easier it's only to going to get harder as you get closer to being out in the real world. College is going to be the best time in your life. Make friends that are trying to go the same place that you are going. The friends that want to succed in life and make something of themselves. Focus more on your education and not your social life. Your social life can sometimes take your focs away from the prize and don't let it happen. The best college I would say is whatever you can afford.

I believe the most important part of decidng what school you want to attend, is to make sure you visit the school on a Friday. I say this because, you can experience the most important part, the classroom experience, and also the social experience. When I say the social experience, I do not mean the parties (yet), I mean seeing some of the people you will be interacting with on a daily basis. You can do this by eating a meal at the main cafeteria, which allows you to taste the food you will be eating (for at least freshman year), and also the types of people who attend that school (and seeing them in a relaxed food setting is best). It may be apprehensive at first but before you know it, you wil be wondering where your first year went.

Find a good group of friends, and balance you work and play time well.

No matter how many hours you can spend sitting and flipping through pamphlets or websites on a certain school, nothing can compare to actually going out and visiting colleges. In order to find the school of your dreams you have to be able to visualize yourself living there. Most students attend college for at least two years or more; therefore if your not comfortable enough to simply visit a school, chances are you won't like living there for four years either. The most important thing to remember is that college should be a reflection of you as the student. With tuition costs rising more and more each year, it would be absurd for your parents to shovel out so much money for something your just not that passionate about. As much as we would like to say, "pick the school with the best academic standings," it all comes down to what YOU want and who YOU want to be. VCU is not listed as one of the greatest schools in the nation, however I as a student and as a person have never felt more complete and sure about myself since I've been here. Remeber: Passion is knowledge.

The best advice I can give about finding the right college is find a college that fits you! When you walk on to a college campus you should just know that that college is the one you are destined to go to. Also, even if a college has a huge population of students it is easy to become a number but it is just as easy to stand out and find your way. To make the most of the college experience I would say focus on academics first and social life second. It may be the most 4 years of your life, but if after those 4 years you have no where to go you may regret it. It is easy to have a social life and still do well, you just have to know when you must focus on work and when you can play. Overall, have fun but don't slack!

It is important to have a clear view of what you want to major in. Though not everyone knows what they want to study right away, if so, then you should look at the areas aroung the college and see if you would feel at home there. The most important thing to remember is that college is a life experiance and it will be where you will grow as a person so you should pick what feels right.

I would tell students find the school that is right for you, not for your friends or parents but for you. The school should have what majors you are looking for and what interests you. You should try and keep you work load to a moderate level your freshman year. Overwhelming yourself your first year is not a good idea transitioning to college is a different experience then anything you have done before. It is a great experience, but different. Always remeber to have fun, college is for learning but also to make friends and have fun.

My biggest piece of advice is simple: Don't pick a college based on that fact that you already "know" what you want to do. Take "plan B" into consideration. Most kids have an idea of what they want to do, or a dream job, and most of the time college is the road to that job. That's great, but most kids change their mind about what they want to do once they get there. If you're stuck in a college that only really focuses on one type of career and it turns out that you want to be something else, you're (for lack of a better term) screwed! Set yourself up to have the freedom to change your mind and still come out with a degree that employers recognize. If it turns out that you kept your original plans then you didn't hurt yourself, but you could if you get stuck in the aforementioned situation.