College of Charleston Top Questions

go somewhere fun, just be sure to focus on school enough

do what you want and follow your dreams!

Why did you guys spring this question on me? I thought I would be able to fill out a survey and just be done with it. I would say that finding a campus that is visually appealing is pretty important. So, probably visiting lots of campuses would be a good thing to do. My first year I went to a school that I hadn't even visited and I was pretty disappointed with it. I also believe it is important for a student to live on campus with roommates if that is affordable. It's important because when you live on campus it's easier to make friends. In classes it's kind of difficult to meet people, and I can attest to this as I live at home. Also, I wouldn't recommend working a lot if you're in school full time. You want to be able to focus on your school work and social life for the most part for an excellent college experience.

Advice I would give to students in finding the right college is be true to who YOU are when searching for a school. Simply because a large school may look fun, if you tend to be shy, a smaller close knit campus may be for you. On the other hand, just because a school is excellent academically, if it's tiny and you want lots of things to do, people to meet and school spirit to share, a larger school may be a better fit. Home-bodies, don't travel too far away and adventurers don't limit yourself. College is YOUR time to grow and develop socially and academically. Most importantly visit the school! Most people can tell right away if they see themselves laying on the grassy green reading a book, in the class room, or just hanging out with friends in the dorms. Have fun with the decision!

Visit the college before you decide on it.

My best advice is DO NOT GO WITH THE CROWD!!! Make your own decisions. In the end you will be so much happier, you'll make better friends, better grades, and better choices. Parents, please do not pressure your children to do what you think they should, because as previously stated, it wont make them happy which makes it harder for them to be successful. Prospective students, dont be afraid to not settle down your first year. If you dont get into the school of your dreams, commit to getting there- work hard and make the grades and transfer, its totally worth all of the work and stress of moving schools. And do not declare your major too early. Take your gen. ed. classes and some survey courses that you maybe arent that familiar with. Eventually you'll find something that inspires you and you wont waste time committing to a major that is what you think you should do. Keep your mind open and clear. Dont get into the menatlity of "I'll do better next semester", because that semester will never come and next thing you know you're graduating. Carpe Diem!

Before you even begin to look at potential colleges, take the time to sit down and figure out what you expect to get out of the whole "college experience" thing. If you want to be heavily involved around school and feel "part of a campus community" then go to a college with a prominent football team - everyone likes football in college. If you just want to get out on your own and live for yourself go somewhere where the college is a part of the town, not the other way around - you get that warm and cozy "resident" feeling. Truthfully nobody goes in to college knowing what they want to be, that's what college is for. "Academics" is just another term for "what I want to do", consider your interests and go somewhere that seems it may cater to them. You get to make college whatever you want it to be; you'll be in a new place with new people, change is never a bad thing.

To remember that this time is fleeting and to enjoy the four years you spend in college. It is the time in your life that shapes who you will become.

My advise to parents is to go and visit the colleges your child is interested in. College is an investment and should be well researched and evaluated. My advice to students would be to choose a campus that you would like to be at for your complete four years. When you transfer colleges you lose more credits then you think, plus you have a larger sence of belonging when you have attended one college for all four years. There will always be another party or get together, but you cannot make up a class or assignment. Use your time wisely and learn to budget you money. Take advantage of internships, they will be your stepping stones towards your future careers. Have fun and be careful, hard work does pay off!

Look for a college that fits your educational and social needs. Don't stay close to home because you're scared to leave....you need to get out there and ecperience it. Focus on your school work, but allows time to meet knew people. The best friends i'll ever have i met in college.

I'd tell them to start looking early. To find a place where they can see themselves living for the next four years. To look into the types of extracuricular activitys the college offers. And to fill out every single scholarship they can, because every little bit helps.

Visit as many schools as possible. Talk to as many students as possible. Know what you want out of your college experience but be open to changing those views.

Of course the first step to making the most out of the college experience is finding a college specializing in fields of interest, but the most important aspect of college is being open to new things. Experience and trying new things are the best ways of determining how one desires to live out life. Students should join at least two on-campus clubs or organizations to feel apart of the school and connected with a social life. This gives more opportunities to meet people, a drive for working hard in school, days to look forward to, and also a stress outlet. I would also recommend moving, because it forces the student to be open, make new relationships and understand life for themselves. Culture shock can bring new melancholy feelings but helps people grow and learn immensely. I recommend seeing the sights and doing all the regional tourist activities offered because even this small travel opens many doors, helps better understand different people and encourages learning. All in all, the most important way to being emotionally and physically successful in college is staying positive. Being positive is the easiest way of getting through the difficult parts of life.

Do not stress out about trying to find a school and completing the application process. The right school for you will choose you if you fit with their curriculum and difficulty level. Overall you need to be involved in the campus; you will make lifelong friends and establish relationships and networks with those who have similar interests. College is supposed to be on of the best times of your life, so make the most of it and get out there and learn!

To find the right college: do not go where your parents went to school, do not go where your friends are going, do not be scared to go out into the world and discover who you are. Trust yourself enough to make a good decision for your future. Choosing where to go to school will shape the direction of your life, so be bold and dream big. Do not be afraid of student loans, you are lucky to have the opportunity to go to school. Education will be your freedom. If you can find what you love to do and then make a living out of that passion, you will be one of the lucky ones- a person who knows what they want out of life. So find what you love, love what you do and change the world. To make the most out of your college experience, try everything; take a class you know nothing about, make friends with someone you normally would not, discover who you really are how you can make an impact. My advice would be to let go of everything you think you know, and learn everything you can.

My advice to parents with students about to start college would be simple. Let your student make the choice. Even if you think it is a bad one. They will either eventually realize you were right, or it will end up having not been a bad choice at all. The worst thing you can do is try to limit you student, even through good intentions. My advice to students about to start college, don?t worry about it. Any college is the right choice, as long as you are willing to put yourself out there and make friends. You must also be willing to make mistakes, because you are going to make a lot of them. However, often making mistakes is much more fun than not making a mistake!

I would give the same advice I was given and that is never let price choose where you go to college. There is financial aid out there. Also make sure in your choice you think about location including if it is a city or rural area, weather patterns etc. Housing should be considered, in the sense if you want to live on or off campus and if you have that option. One other thing to consider is if the school is right for your career and major choice. There are of course other things to consider like school size; close knit buildings or spread out over the city, class size, teacher to student ratio but the forementioned were pretty important to me in my decision. I loved the idea of being near the ocean and that my school had very good science departments.

To pick a school that you are comfortable with the amount of students that will be in your class. If you learn better in smaller classes go to a smaller school for example. Pick a college that is in a town you feel comfortable to live in. Try to get as many scholarships as possible.

Be sure to visit all of the types of colleges you are looking at and visit a variety of every type of school. I visited numerous schools when I was applying and talked to students and counselors while I was there to get the best feel for the school. It is important to find out as much information as you can about the schools you apply to so you can make the best educated decision as to which school to ultimately choose. It is also important to apply to as many schools as possible so that you have many options if you do not get into your first choice. Also a great help to me were the college match up quizzes that you can take on many websites including www.cfnc.org. The best advice anyone can get when applying to colleges is just to get as much information and experience at the schools as possible.

After taking classes on three different campuses, I tell anyone who will listen the importance of being flexible and having fun. College is an amazing time of growth and discovery and students as well as parents need to relax and enjoy themselves. I recommend living on campus and trying to be as involved as possible. There is cool stuff to do, but it can't come to you so get out there and try new things. I would remind parents to be supportive and understand that your student may be under some stress during their college years. Don't try to fix their problems, just listen and offer advice. Parents, also remember how you were back in college and try not to smother your student, you both need this newfound freedom whether you know it or not!

My advice to parents is save for your children at a young age. The cost of tuition continues to rise year after year. The government does try to help out the best that they can, but some families still do not have enough money to send their kids to college. Private loans can cost families a fortune, and scholarship offers are becoming more cut-throat each day. Families everday struggle to make ends meet, and one more thing added to their plate is how they can help there son or daughter become that lawyer or docter that want to be. My advice to students is STUDY!!! Take high school seriously. Take advantage of every oppurtunity presented to you! Do not ever let anyone get in the way of your goals in life. Be smart about the decisions that you make with your life. You only get one life, so live it to the fullest.!

Find a balance between a scoial environment that is right for you and a school with strong academic programs in your area(s) of interest. Be realistic about how far away you want to be from home. If possible, take gen. ed. classes at a cheaper institution, it will save a lot of money. Go public if possible, its much more affordable. When in college, have a lot of fun, but do your work - in many people's circumstances there won't be an opportunity to do this again so make the most of your educational experience while you have the chance.

Always make sure to check the accredditation systems of each school in case of possible transfer to prevent loss of credits. Make sure the college has good programs in the field you are interested in and also quality knowledgable professors. Make sure to visit the campus before hand to get a good feel of what attending school there would actually be like because the internet and other's reviews may be good sources, yet they can be deceiving. Once you have found the right college, it is important to keep a strict budget so you do not end up in debt. That is easy to do during college. And it is also very important to remember the reason for college is to gain a higher education that will help you succeed in life so dont let your social life and your school work become unbalanced in a way that could damage your future.

To start off finding the right college, I would tell parents and students to explore their options. Most people have a one track mind when it comes to school and I believe it is important to visit different schools. What is on paper and on the television is not necessarily what the school actually is. Once you find that right school that is perfect for you and nobody else, then making the most of college is all about the opportunities. Joining different clubs, taking different classes, studying abroad, and volunteering are only a few of the plethora of opportunities out there in college. By grasping the right opportunity, your entire future could change making "the college experience" well worth it.

Find the college that fits you and your personality the best for the best price. What you get out of your college experience is up to you whether you go to a $50,000/year private school or $20,000/year public school. It's important that you enjoy where you are and what you're doing. Pick a school that is well-connected to the community. A vibrant and diverse community often has just as much to offer as the school. The best advice for making the most of your college experience would be to attend classes even if the classes don't have attendance policies, keep up with school work, get to know your professors, and get involved in school and off campus activities. Plan to have fun, too. Schedule your partying so that you dont crash and burn in your school work or end up partying too much.