Appalachian State University Top Questions

When I came to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Here at ASU, I truely feel like I have found a home and have my life going in the right direction. In high school you have the pressures of your parents and school teachers to contend with, but in college you learn to be independent and you start to shape into the adult that your institution makes you. The best advice that I can give any future college student is to be open to all opinions and views. Don't choose your college based on where your friends are going or how good the football team is, choose the college that makes you feel home. I didn't know what I wanted to major in until the end of my freshman year and I'm glad that it worked out that way. I thought I had an idea of how I wanted to spend the rest of my life, but it honestly takes real experiences to learn who you want to be and what sort of asperations you have. Keep an open mind, study hard, and have fun (but not too much).

Go with your gut instinct. If you feel strongly attracted to a particular school, go with it. It's important to remember that, while you are enrolled in college for a good education, extracirucular and social activities need to be considered as well. No one wants to live a dull and boring life full of nothing but school. Yes, it is very important to do well and succeed with school related work, but it is just as important to get involved, meet people, and have fun. Don't be afraid to ask professors for help. They may seem intimidating at first, but most genuinely care about your grades and want to see you succeed. Overall, I would say that choosing the right college is a big step. Take a campus tour and get a feel for what the school's atmosphere is like and consider whether or not you would like to live in that atmosphere for the next four years. Just remember that the college experience is very unique and you won't soon forget, so enjoy yourself, and study hard.

Finding an institute that satisfies your wants and needs and is supportive of your individuality is essential. Don't feel that if you aren't accepted to an institution with prestige that you aren't as good of a person. Instead of playing into the norms that society creates for college bound seniors, find an institution that you would be proud to say that you are a part of and one that you feel like you would fit in at. Being proud to say that you are a part of your campus requires more than just being enrolled in my opinion. Create an identity for yourself once you get into the way things work on your campus first semester. Get involved with intramural sports, clubs, or greeks that pride themselves in being multifaceted (a good balance of academics, social encounters, and community service). Once your a part of an organization, remember that you will only get back out of it the exact amount of effort you put in to it. Run for a leadership position in your organization to distinguish yourself from everyone else who is only along for the ride.

Research as many colleges you can and if you can, actually go visit them. Make sure that it's during the week though because come 5 p.m. on a friday, a campus can drastically change. In making the college experience, get involved! Join as many things that interest you as you can while still being able to keep up with your school work. Academics is the main priority in college but it certainly isn't the only priority. Go outside of your comfort zone and take chances, delve into something(s) you're only somewhat interested in because who knows, you may find that you're actually very passionate about it or them. Most importantly, have fun and make your decisions that are in the best interest for yourself. Go to your classes, go to club meetings, go out with friends and don't do anthing that you can see yourself regretting doing or not doing later on. Seize the day, have a great time, and make the most of these four years that could be the best of your life.

The advice i would give to parents and students who are trying to find the right college would be to go and visit the school you are looking at. Take a note to how the student body acts, what the environment is like, and look at the conditions of the building. If a college has construction going on then you know the college is growing and expanding. Also look at the number of dorms and see how many off campus houses there are available. Also make sure you time the distance from the house to the university to see how often you could go home if you needed to. Lastly, go with your first instinct not your parents'!

visit the campus before following through with going there even if you are already accepted and ask questions.

If you are undecided about your major pick a collge based on where you can see yourself living for four years, the type of people and environment you want to associate yourself with. If you know exactly what you want to do as a career pick your college based on who offers the best curriculum based on your major. Get involved in extra curricular activities. When you first arrive everyone is nervous about making new friends, don't be scared to talk to new people.

The first step to finding the right college is to figure out what your plans are. There are great schools that specialize in different fields of study everywhere. Your first goal as a student is to figure out what your interest are and what school would be best suited for your different paths. As a student you may find that you the major that you thought about for so long isn't what you want out of life anymore and that is nothing to be ashamed of. College is all about discovery of subjects and, more importantly, yourself. Leave yourself open for different paths just in case you change your goals. Then your second goal is how you are going to finance your degree. Studies have shown that about half of the students who enroll in college end up dropping out for financial reasons. One big reason for this is because students change their degree programs but end up spinning their wheels trying to figure out where their true interest lie. If you can meet the two goals that i have outlined, you have greatly improved your chances to have a successful college experience.

A great college experience should be the springboard from which you launch your entire professional career. However, so much is made in today's society of "finding the right school" that it is often all too easy to lose sight of the most most vital componant of a successful college career: the student themselves. I believe that every college campus should strive to become an environment where any student can excell based on their own merits, with the full support of their family and friends. Students should endeavor to define their college experience in a unique and fulfilling manner which will bring them success both now and in the future.

If you know what you want to major in make sure they school has a good program. Take everything into consideration, and community college is never a bad choice for a year or two, in order to transfer into your desired school.