College

Choosing to go to college is a large step for most people. Deciding what the right school is can be incredibly challenging, and finding the right program for you can take a long time. Below you will find some tips and tricks from college students for finding the right place for you, as well as choosing your major.

Finding Your Place

Finding the right school for you can be tricky, and going to school somewhere you don’t enjoy can make college much more challenging. One great way of deciding if a college is right for you is taking a college tour. Tours give you an in-depth walk through of campus and a good look at how life will be at that school. When choosing your college, here are a few things to think about:

• Location:
  • Is the college in-state or out of state?
    • If the school you are looking at is outside of the state you live in, it can raise tuition prices. Keep this in mind when finding schools outside of your area. Some schools offer scholarships for out-of-state students to help get the cost closer to the in-state cost, so be on the lookout for those.
  • What is the weather like in the area?
    • Harsh weather can make getting to class during the day challenging, especially if you aren’t used to that sort of weather. It can be helpful to look into average weather for different times of the year to see if you’d enjoy living in that climate for 3-5 years.
  • Where is the campus located?
    • Some colleges are located near or in larger cities, and some are in more rural towns. If you don’t enjoy city life, or oppositely don’t like living in rural areas, a college located in that area may not be for you.
  • Housing
    • Often student housing can be challenging to find, and usually the dorms are reserved for first and second-year students. It is a good idea to look for housing early on, as you often have to apply months before at least. It can also be good to look at public transport in the area, or transport provided by the school, as parking on campus can be expensive and difficult depending on the school you attend.

• Campus Life:
  • How active is campus life?
    • Some colleges have a very active campus life, and there are a lot of different activities going on during the week. Others are more tame and have less scheduled events. Either can be rewarding and finding the right fit for you is important. When looking for schools, think about how you want to spend your time outside of class and studying.
  • Athletics
    • What are the school’s athletics programs like? Some schools have large athletic programs, and others do not. If sports are important to you, it may be better to go to a larger school, but smaller schools with less emphasis on the athletics programs can be fun as well.
  • Campus surrounding areas
    • What is there to do outside of campus in the close vicinity? Some schools have a lot to do just outside of campus, others have most of the activities on campus. Take a look at the surrounding area and see what there is to do off-campus. It is also important to look at the safety of the areas around campus, especially for campuses located in larger cities.

• Degree Programs
  • What degree programs does the school offer?
    • Choosing a degree can be difficult. Often students may switch degrees part of the way through their schooling. If you know exactly what you want to do, choosing a school with fewer degree options can work, but if you haven’t decided on a degree path yet, it may be better to find a school that offers more of a variety of paths.
  • Advising & student-teacher ratio
    • How many advisors does your program have? If your degree path has a large amount of students, and only a few advisors, finding an appointment can be incredibly challenging. likewise, a lot of general education credits are large, lecture hall-style classes with hundreds of students in them. This can make finding office hours for professors difficult, as they have a lot of students to speak with. When choosing a college, think about how you learn best, and if a smaller class size is important to you, it may be beneficial to choose a smaller school.
  • Internship & Career Fair opportunities
    • Internships are often very important to finding a job after college, as they are great for both gaining valuable experience and making connections in the workforce. Getting an internship early on can be challenging, especially if your school does not have Career Fairs or anything similar. Look into the post-graduate employment rates for your school, as well as how they have their career services set up.
  • Accreditation:
    • It is a good idea to check if the school you are looking at is accredited to the program you want. Accreditation ensures that the university meets certain academic standards and enhances the credibility of your degree.