|
How
to find the best school for you
There
are some really great sites out there to help you. They have information
on many of the most common and important facts you want to know.
There
are many things to consider when choosing the school, other than
where your friends are going OR where your parents went. This
is an importantand new step in your life. Remember that in the
worst case situation you can always change schools. You will learn
to become a successfully happy whole person. Many people think
beginning college is the way to be the "new you". You
can reinvent yourself. Dress how you want, listen to and learn
about new music, meet different types of people and learn about
cultures, the list is endless. For some this may be the first
time away from home. Being away from hmome can be scary for some
and a relief for others. It can also be a little of both.
The
areas of interest you want to ask yourself about the school you
are entering are:
- Size
: The enrollment number of the school reflects the number of
students attending. This number is comprised of Residential
and Commuter students, Full-time or Part-time students, etc.
The average size that a class can be is 15 - 35, to 100. It
will be important to find this out from the Admissions officer.
The classes with higher numbers of attendance tend to be held
in large lecture halls and cover topics that can easily be addressed
to larger groups. This setting sometimes takes away from the
sense of ease with interaction in the classroom setting. Smaller
classes provide an oportunity to share and respond to the Professor
and the other students in the classroom. If you are a person
that is uncomfortable or becomes intimidated by large groups,
it is important to find this point out.
- Location
: Are you going to want to live at home while attending college?
Or can't you wait to go out and try living "on your own".
It is very important to explore this because some schools may
require students to live on campus, have freshmen housing, co-ed
housing, etc. you will want to know if there is public transportation
to campus if you don't have a car, and if you have a car and
either live on campus or commute - how parking is on campus
(I can't stress enough that parking on campus is a big factor).
The way the school looks may be an important factor for you.
Some people are really attracted to old stone buildings set
on a rural grassy landscapes and others want a more edgy urban
feel. It may also be good to consider if you want to live in
a small town or a big city.
- Cost
: This is a big factor for most students. Public institutions,
like state universities and community colleges are more affordable
than private schools. Private institutions, like Ivy League,
Art and Music schools, and religious backed institutions tend
to run slightly higher. For further detail
(click).
- Major
: You may be amazed at all the different types of majors that
colleges offer degrees in ceramics to zoology and back again.
You may not know what you want to major in. For further detail
on
how to choose your major (click).
It is okay that you may not be 100% sure, but the knowledge
of what your school has to offer is helpful.
- Competitiveness:
There are institutions that are very competitive and some that
are not. If you are attending a small school it is likely that
you will get to know everyone pretty quickley. There may be
a smaller amount of majors/degrees and classrooms will tend
to be smaller in size. College is difficulkt. There are many
things to adjust to and it is always adviseable to go to talk
to someone if you are feeling overwhelmed, conerned or lonely.
- X-tra
Programs : There are government funded programs that are
spread about the colleges in this country which are in place
to help you with your educational success. Some of these programs
have a financial link (i.e.: Equal Opportunity Programs, TRIO
programs, Talent Search and Upward Bound, etc.). Other programs
that may provide personal and academic assistance are Athletics,
Freshman Programming, Learning Communities, Study Abroad, Career
Services, Counseling Services, and Greek Organizations/Fraternities
& Sororties.
If
you know the name of the University and check
it out here OR
go to the website for the Community
College.
See
if the college you are interested in has their catlogue
on line for
you viewing pleasure.
©1999
- 2002 Counseling U
|
