Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Top Questions

Make sure to visit schools beforehand. It is really important to try to find a place where you feel you will fit in. If you decide to attend a large school, introduce yourself to the professors and go to office hours frequently so that you will have someone to write recommendations for you when applying to graduate school or for a job. Take advantage of the extracirricular opportunities that the campus has to offer, they are not as accessible after you graduate. If you're have too much free time, try to change that. If you do not have any free time, change that as well. Even though they will be easy to forget about because you will be so busy, do not forget to call your parent(s)/guardian at least once per week or month. And remember that if you do not like where you end up, you can always transfer.

In order to find the right college, you do not necessarily need to know the major in which you want to pursure. Visit as many colleges that interest you, and talk to some of the students and faculty there. Observe the environment and schoo spirit around you. When you have found the right college, you will feel it.

Don't be too quick to pick a college take your time and examine all your options. The first thing you'll notice about college is the workload. It will be heavier and more intense than you ever experienced before. The major challenges of college work are the large volume of reading, the short deadlines, and the writing. You'll be making a lot of new friends. Continue to be yourself. Don't strike a pose or play the role of someone you're not. Select your friends with the same care and patience you have always used. Believe it or not, your college friendships will be among the most satisfying and long-term of your life. You may even start to think about your future. Be on the lookout for role models. Maybe a certain professor is especially inspiring. Perhaps your school has some ground-breaking research going on. Be sensitive to your own gravity. If some area of study attracts you, find out all you can about it. It might be the beginning of your self-definition process. Going to college is as much about finding out who you really are as it is about getting that degree.

If there was one piece of advice that I would give to a parent about finding the right college for their child it would be to start looking at schools early (Junior year of high school). It is important to do this because not only does the student have more time to decide what college is best for them but the parent also has time to help in making that decision, which may include scheduling campus tours and researching the schools in depth. To further their progress in choosing the right college the parent and child should make a list of all the schools that they are considering and go from there. Now that I have graduated from college I am pleased to say that I do not regret any part of my experience there and that is because I was involved in my school. I think that is the main thing in making the most of a college experience. Getting involved in activities and organizations on and off campus. It can be anything from sporting events to charitable work for the community. Being interactive with your school and peers will allow a student to have the best college experience.

College experience is one of the most important experiences in ones life time. To get the full benefit of it, it's important to have good time management skills. There are so many things that you can be exposed to aside from the academic side of college. Getting involved in different organizations and clubs to build your leadership skills, volunteering your time to service projects, attending social events, career fairs, and all these things will demand time. Therefore, if you want to be successful, you have to know how to best manage your time, your school work and social life. It's important to know your priority and have a balanced life. Good luck!

RESEARCH! and visit many campuses!

Definitely visit schools before deciding, because the atmosphere could mean everything. I wasn't interested in Virginia Tech at all until my parents drove me around the drill field area where there were tons of students hanging out and I could see the whole campus. The college life is how you make it, so even if you choose one that's not right for you, getting out there really makes any school more fun. Definitely look at Virginia Tech though! It's a great school with a really beautiful campus!

When you think about schools, you need to consider what you really want in an education. Do you want to be trained for a specific line of work or do you want a more general liberal arts education? Pre-professional schools prepare you for a specific jobs such as engineering and pre-med. Some schools have very strong programs for those interested in the sciences but might not be right for someone interested in literature. A liberal arts education equips you with general knowledge and reasoning skills suitable for many jobs. Does the college rank in the major you want to study? . While it may be too early for you to know what you want to major in , check out how strong the programs and professors are in the various fields you are considering. One indication of how much emphasis a university places on a major is to find out how many students are studying that major, how many courses are offered in the field and how many faculty members teach the courses associated with that major and others like it. This should give you an idea as to the size of the department and the range of courses.

It's always best to visit the college campus and talk with several students (especially ones that are similar to you) about their college experience. Everyone's experience is different and it's always good to keep in mind that when you visit a campus that their putting on their best face too. It's really good to make sure you, the student, is not making decisions based on the wrong reasons, like attending school because all of your other friends are going or because your parents want you to go. Certainly college is what you make it, but it's also an opportunity to grow as an individual, step outside your comfort zone, learn more about the world, and challenge your current ideas of the world around you. Especially for minorites, it's really important to consider how willing you are to encounter/correct predjudice and accept the fact that you may be the only one that looks like or thinks like you and be comfortable with that. In addition, it's also really helpful to have a good network of people you share alot with in common. Their support in my experience has been vital to my success.

Pick a college that is not too far away from home, but not too close. Being away is a great experience and a great way to learn about yourself. Choose a college that is not too expensive, but do not sacrifice a good education to save some money. Find a college with a nice environment and setting. Avoid a large college if you want to feel close to your professors.