Western Carolina University Top Questions

Every student is different. Each has different strengths, weaknesses, and priorities. It is important to find a school that makes the student feel comfortable in their surroundings. Academic quality is also important when looking for a school. Many schools have programs they specialize in, if you are interested in a specific degree, it might be best to rule out some schools before making final selections. Ask alumni and current students what their experience has been, they will be honest and tell more than a website. Take advantage of services offered on campus. Use the graduate assistants, computer labs, and study sessions with professors. There are also lots of activities on campus, use these opportunities to get involved with different groups of people. Most importantly a school should bring out the best in you, and should encourage your growth as a student and soon professional.

Visit, visit, visit! Not just when they are having events, but also when normal classes are going on, just sit in on a class. The best way to know what a University is really going to be like is to see it when they aren't trying to impress anyone's parents.

To the students I would advise them to find a school that is close to home because even though you want to be independent it is always good to have your family near by for support because you never know what might happen.

The best advice I would give is to pick your major as early as possible. In some majors they require extra concentrations and minors that are hard to pick up if you decide in your junior year what your major is going to be. Talk to schools about your intended major because some schools do not have what you might be looking for and others may be better for particular fields. Choose a school where the student will feel comfortable with the distance from home. A student will not do well if they are homesick. Always check the food availability of a campus as sometimes the offerings are not very good. If a student does not eat well they might get sick and a sick student does not study well.

Pick a college far away from home. Make sure that the student can be as independent as possible. College is about obtaining an education, but for the student, it is about figuring out who they are. Students will make mistakes, but pick a college where there is enough competition that continued mistakes are not acceptable. There is plenty of time in life to party and it is very important that a good student does not end up in a party school, though every student needs to be exposed to this behavior. Pick a school with smaller class sizes and where discussion is a main part of the curriculum. Think about what kind of degree the student will be looking for and what other degrees the student may need to obtain for their career choice. It is very important to realize that graduate school will also cost a fair amount of money and time. Make sure that the college the student attends as an undergrad is not the school you want to get your Ph D from. Finally, pick a diverse campus. One that encourages studying abroad. Every student should study abroad and that students obtain a world view.

Make sure your son or daughter stay on track. The school has a great deal to offer if they are not swallowed by their freinds peer pressure.

I would recommend to check out the majors that the university offers first. Than research the activities and group organizations that are offered. I think that it is really important to become involved with your campus and each campus offers something different.

Make sure your college fits. it should have a easy peaceful feeling not unlike your home

I think that students should pick the school that they will be happiest at. It will be difficult to be successful in a place where you are not comfortable or happy. Things such as what you will be studying and overall campus envirnment should be taken seriously as well. Schools that do not specialize in certain areas can still offer good programs but if you want to do something like engineering you should look at schools that have good programs. Students should take the oppertunity to visit several different colleges and get an overall feeling about the campus. Something else important is how far away the school is from home. If you are not comfortable not being able to drive home on the weekends then you are going to be miserable stuck on campus. Just remember that college is a once in a lifetime experience and you should do the research so you can make sure it is a good one.

The most important thing about finding a college is the atmosphere that the student will be the most comfortable with. A good education will follow