Western Washington University Top Questions

Just find place to study. That's it. Seriously, everything else is over rated. Find a place to be serious student.

My acedmic advisor(s) were actually my professors and did not have the time nor resources to fully advise me. The career center was inadequate in assisting me in finding a job outside Washington state. My advice to new students is to be especially critical of the resources available and supported by the university that will assist in getting a job after graduation. This will also be true for internships.

College is a stepping stone between being a kid and being out in the "real world." College is a place you will live for the next 4 years. You should not only choose a school that has good academics and competitive programs, but choose a town that you can see yourself living in for the next 4 years. This town will soon become your "temporary" home. It's worth it to be in a town you enjoy and like, because when those mid-terms come and challenging courses stress you out the last thing you are going to want is a place that doesn't feel like home.

While it's important to find a college with a solid program in the area you want to explore, I find it far more important to find a college with an atmosphere you work well in. If you find a school with the greatest academic program in the world but you hate being there, you're not going to learn what you need to. And don't search so far and wide for that "perfect" school, because it doesn't exist. Find a very good school, then stick with it. You will be much happier and more successful that way.

Finding the right college is all about the learning style in which your child or you feel fits you best. If you feel you can sit within a lecture of 400+ people and obtain knowledge fine, then maybe a larger more competive school is more right for you. If you want more smaller classes in which you can raise your hand and be called on in the next 5 minutes and have open discussions with your classmates then Western is where you should be. Making the most out of your college experience is devoted to how much you want to put into it. If you go out and get involved the more exciting your college experience will be. Never give up!

Make sure that the campus you pick fits you well and is a place you can stand being at for long periods of time.

Visit a lot of schools and explore the area and take every opportunity to talk to students about their experience at the school. When you find the right school, at the end of the day, you'll know.

I would tell parents and students to find a college where they think they'll fit best. Its not about the ivy leauge school, or the one with the divison one sports teams. I think college is equally a growth experience as it is an academic experience. The college you/ you child choose is a four year commitment. Each environment different, providing potential for different experiences, and growth towards different carreer paths. When I entered college I had no idea what I wanted to major in and I still don't; but i'm happy. I found a place cut to fit my needs and wants from a school but also a social system. When you visit campuses take the time to meet some students (not just the tour guides, they're paid). Walk around and look at campus but also the surrounding area. See if it is somewhere you can see your child/ yourself for four years.

Pick a college that offers a flexibility of majors that you can choose from that could be right for you, so that if you end up changing your major, as so many undergraduates do, that you won't feel like you went to the wrong college and end up being miserable throughout the remainder of your experience. Pick a college that is an acceptable distance away from home; e.g. if you're okay on being all the way across the country, then do that, but if you're not, then pick a college where you can get home in a short amount of time if you need to but one that still offers the different experience of being truly away from home. Most importantly of all, pick a college that is richly diverse, full of the same kind of people as you are to help you and your confidence grow, but one that lets you experience what it is like to come from completely different backgrounds and life situations. All of this will help you grow and develop as a person and human being.

When I first thought about applying to college, at first I thought I wanted to get into the more prestigeous school, the one that everyone said was harder to get into and academically high class. However, I fell in love with my university, which is moderate rather than difficult to get into, because of how nice the people on campus were, how upbeat the school was, how nice the atmosphere was, and that the class sizes were moderate rather than very high numbers. I never wanted to go to a tiny school, but my school felt just right. I later heard that a professor from the other school actually recommended students go elsewhere for undergraduate school, and that the more prestigeous school really made a better graduate school, because the undergraduates were so many that they could easily get lost in the shuffle. I am so glad I chose the school I did!