Westmont College Top Questions

Choose a college where you can live away from home. Actively work at figuring out who you are and what you want to do with your life. When it comes to choosing a major, don't worry about what will "sound good" or get you a good job. When I first arrived at college, a professor told me that hardly anyone gets a job directly related to their major anyway, so to pick something I enjoyed studying--it was some of the best advice I received. Class is NOT everything. Most of what you learn will be outside of class--classes teach you good information, but the rest of college teaches you life skills and (hopefully) how to think. Don't be so caught up in grades that you miss learning and forming relationships. And whatever you do, don't waste your time, money, and brain cells on drugs and alcohol. Instead, be willing to face yourself and what is going wrong or is difficult, and if you need counseling, get it--there is no shame in it and it can be exceptionally helpful. Open up to those around you too--they are often going through similar things.

The most important aspect of college education is finding a school that has academics that are right for you. There are so many people that realize later that a school doesn't have the right academic programs for them and end up having to transfer. It's also important to take into account, what kind of person you are. Do you like the quiet? Are you a partier? These are hugely important because social life can affect the total aspect of your college experience. If you have social stresses in your life it can affect your academics, so make sure you choose a college where you fit both academically, socially and emotionally. The college that you should also be in an area that you like, because you are going to be there for the next four years or more.

Visit Visit Visit! You need to visit the campus in order to see what it and the students and professors are like!

I would advise students to take a looking into many differen colleges before they begin the application processes. Becuase application fees can get a little expensive decide the top five or six schools to apply to after you have looked into maybe fifteen to twenty different colleges. I wouldn't recommend choosing a school just for the name, i had never heard of the school i attend now before they sent me a letter my senior year in high school, and not i cant imagine myself anywhere else. After you have been accepted to the schools of your choice, make sure you take a visit up to the campus to see if it fits you. Have a conversation with a professor, or someone who works on campus and you might find insite about the school you would have never known otherwise. When you are visiting schools, im sure you won't have a planned major that you will be studying, but make sure the school supports what you might have in mind of majors. Make sure that you will feel comfortable and relaxed at the college you will be choosing, your deciding a big and exciting part of your life.

Search, not for a place that is simply strong in your area of interest, but search for a college where teachers and students treat each other as fellow human beings on a journey of discovery. Do not go into college expecting all the answers (or even worse, assuming that you already have them) but expect to learn to ask good questions. Be open and earnest in getting to know your peers one on one, but don't waste you time at parties. Try to understand and fathom how blessed/lucky you are to be at a college (whether you or your parents are paying for it) because so many worldwide are starved of intellectual stimulation. This humility should allow you do thrive and be excited in trying circumstances, and also humility will give you passion and feeling of purpose in caring for the needy. If nothing else realize the value of balance. Balance socializing with studies. Physical activity with rest. And get involved with professors early on, take the initiative, and be willing to try new things. Give your classmates the benefit of the doubt and try not to judge people.

My advice to students who are looking to apply to college is don't just look at the big name colleges or universities because you are accustomed to their abbreviations (especially because of sports) but take the time to think about what it is that you are looking for in a school, and don't exclude the small schools! Take the time to look around and don't limit yourself. There are different options that are out there! There are so many schools that you are bound to find the perfect one for you! My second advice to students who have started their college experience is to not have too high of expectations. Give your college experience a chance, give your friends and professors a chance. If you go into your new school with a set idea of how it will be, it is possible that you might be let down. Instead, let your new school show you what it has to offer and what it expects of you. It expects you to get involved to make friends, and it expects you to work hard to do well, and it expects you to take pride in it as a student.

Make sure you learn what you want to learn. That's kindof the point.

College is a very unique and exciting time of life, but it is also a time full of great change and growth. The most important thing that I learned in college is that learning is a process, and that I don't have to have all the right answers. It's okay to change your mind, your major, and your school. Take time to completely plug into your new school: get involved in clubs or other activities, stay on campus over the weekend, and try out campus traditions, even if they seem a little bit weird. Finding the right college means finding a school that will both nurtue you when you are struggling and challenge you when you think you've reached your limits. A great school will have faculty members who are interested in you and your future goals and are passionate about helping you achieve those goals. They should be more interested in who you are as a person and then in how high your GPA or SAT scores are.

College is an extremely important time for teenagers to grow into young adults. There are many different aspects when selecting a college that can help or hinder the growing process involved. Although different schools are good matched for different people, it is important to remember that attending college and paying large sums of money is manily about getting an education. It would not be necessary to attend a school without the education process, and if there is not enough emphasis on excelling accidemically, then the whole process would only result in waisted time and money. Finding the right school that provides the necessary emphasis on accidemic success which affects the future is extremely important. However, it is also important to meet people with similar interests and paths in life, because often the people met in college are friends for life. Having the appropriate social life at school is also a siginificant part of the growing up process. Finding the proper balance to education and a social life is the key ingredient in sellecting a school that is a perfect match for a prospective student.

Start looking at colleges EARLY. Its really important to consider the type of college you'd like to attend after high school while your still a sophmore in high school. Many more academic schools require "pre-college" tracks, emphasize extra curricular activities, look highly on AP classes or all three. If you know what colleges expect from you in high school your college search will be easier because you will be more prepared and have a better chance of getting in to the schools you like