East Tennessee State University Top Questions

Visit as many schools as possible and talk to people other than those in the office of admissions and your tour guide.

Visit as many Colleges/Universities that you are considering. Do not hesitate to ask questions while visiting the schools. Enjoy every minute of college. Get involved on campus and enjoy your freedom. It is nothing like high school!

I think it is really good to just put as much research you can into the process of finding the best school. One of the best ways is to look online and search school websites. It is very important to know what kind of school you want to attend. Some people like to attend Universities, Community colleges, or Private Schools. A positive attitude is the best attitude. I try to make the best of my school experience because I know I am here and I am here for a reason. My first reason is be get an education. School is not about all fun and play. If your opinion of your school is boring than you should work on finding groups of friends and activities that will provide satisfaction.

I would strongly encourage parents and students to stay close to home for school. The transition seems to really get to the students who go further much quicker than those who are close to there family. I would also encourage students to stay away from retail jobs unless you are on the higher end of the management. Retailers tend to take advantage of college student who need money and influence them in negative ways. I have know several who dropped college to work retail because they were pressured so much with the job. Do NOT worry about that job, worry about your education and career.

Make sure you like the college and that they offer the program you want. Also be aware of the class room size and student teacher ratio. Also check into Financial Aid and find out how available professors are outside of the classroom to help with classwork.

trust your children

I think that people need to understand who they are before heading off to college. If you were born in a small town and love that small town feel, don't think you are going to love the giant universities. If you love the city and the smell and nightlife, well by all means go to the giant schools. I went to UT and I did not like it at all, I never saw professors, I had master degree level students teaching my classes. I wondered why I was paying so much. I hated having to find our scores on a paper list on the wall, not names but student number. I like the personal touches a small town college gives. If you want to be a person not a number, consider what school you will be attending.

Find a school that is safe. Try as many new things as possible. Meet new people. Don't be shy. Ask for help. Study, study, study. You most create and adopt good study habits. Don't go wild and do illegal things. Be good but have fun.

The most important thing in college is being in a place you are comfortable with. Ninety percent of colleges are great academic facilities, so the most important thing is where it will be easiest to learn and make lifelong friends.

My advice to the parents would be to make sure your child previews as many campuses as possible before choosing. Second do not pressure your child into going to a school just because you the parent wants them to. College is a growing experience and kids need to start learning how to be independent. As for the students, find a college that fits your needs, not what your parents or friends want. Second never go to a school based on a girlfriend or boyfriend! Finally when you find a school get involved! So many students I have known drop out or return home because they never give college a chance. College is an amazing time in a young persons life, it is a time to grow, become independent, and be free!

Choosing the right school is one of the most important decisions of going to college; if a student goes to a school that he does not like, then he will not enjoy college nearly as much as he would if he were at a school that he loved. The school is the main ingredient in the college experience. Also, a student must choose his desired program early on; I know of countless students who have entered programs late and have been put behind by as much as two years. This led to burnout and depression for these students. In addition, he must not take his education lightly; this is not high school, a place that students can just show up and succeed. College requires effort, motivation, and a desire to learn. He must work on becoming an organized, driven pre-professional; this is the most effective way for him to succeed in his education and make the most of his college experience.

I have attended two colleges. My first college was Northeast State Technical Community College. The reason I went to Northeast State Tech for a year was simply to save money and thats what I did. The tuition cost was only $1,300 a semester. One might ask did I enjoy this school and my response would be no. The campus life is as close to zero as it can get! So I then went to East Tennessee State University. The tuition at this school is almost three times as much! However the campus life is 100 times better! So when choosing a college look at the academics, social life, and of course the diversity.

Take your time and make sure it's what you really want. Also, know that college is a lot different than high school and make sure it is something that you are willing to work for.

advice i would give to parents/ and or students about finding the right collge would be RESEARCH. by research i mean on the comp., by other people that have or do attend the school, and also by visiting the school. go to the school and be around the surrondings to see if you like it if you feel you do, do more research and make sure you no. that is what i did though you might be like me. i research and visited etsu and i thought i would love it , i am know a sophmore and i hate etsu. i got to know the perforssers and seeing how classes are being taught . some teachers no what there talking about some dont. so if you are like me and accept a college and in your sophmore and junior year transfer to a school you think you would do better at. though i reccomend that if you are going to transfer try to do it you sophmore year if you plan to go to med school or any pre school becuase you have to get to no your perforssors for recommendations ..... well hope you find the right one, good luck!!!

My advice to the parents would be that everything is OK. Your son/daughter is moving away and learning who they are and what the world is like for themselves. Your students will not forget who you are. My advice for new students would be that it is very important to be involved on and off campus. It's how you make friends and those friends will stay with you for a life-time! Always try your best to go to your classes because it's hard to catch up after you miss.

Firt off, don't be like I ORIGINALLY was, and think that you MUST go to some prestigous ivy-league school to get a good education. I used to think that you had to attend Harvard or Yale (no offense) or somewhere like that to get good job opportunities. Going to a university that works around YOUR schedule, has advantages for YOU personally, ignites YOUR academic fire, and that prepares YOU for the real world is the best way to go. I'm so glad my parents shed the light down on me and told me to go to ETSU, because they do work around my schedule, they have a great pre-med program for me, they challenge me academically, and the university has really prepared me for things I probably would not have learned at Princeton or Vanderbilt (no offense). Be who YOU are. Grow and mature in a university that encourages you to excell to your fullest potential, that helps you meet new people, to experience college parties, to live in a dorm, to broaden your mind and perspective (and perhaps change it). So don't go by what others say, be who you're meant to be.

The best advice given to me before entering college was given by my grandfather. He told me to take to heart my next four years of school as they will determine every year afterward, for the rest of my life. This is the advice I would give. I think going to college, making friends, and having a social life is extremely important, but not to the extent of being trashed every night of the week just because your parents won't know. Study hard, the results will payoff. Another piece of advice I would give to high school students is to start looking for scholarships while you are still in high school. Take advantage of all the campus learning and guidance services, which are almost always free. Be involved in your school, wether it be fraternities, intramurals, or volunteering as a research assistant. Make a friend out of your professors and you will find that they are more than willing to work with you. Finally, keep a level head. If you go into college looking to party all the time, you will regret it. Be diligent and inquisitive and your college career will propel you to a lifetime of success.

Make sure they pick a major that they can get a job in, and they will enjoy that job.

To be completely honest, choosing the right undergraduate school does not really matter. Your child, or you, will get what he/she/you put into it. I thought that I would hate my school, and I was kind of disappointed that I chose a state school, but I see now that it was the best decision for me.

Make sure you know what campus life is like, and be prepared to work hard. College is not easy! It requires a lot of work, and staying focused. Go look at several different colleges before you make your decision.

Make sure you stay on top of your financial aid.

visit the campus first. the only real way to know if it is the right school is by the enviroment!

If you want to pick a specific college to attend for 4 years, it helps to know what type of field you want to enter, because that helps with the process of examining programs offered by various universities. If you know you want to go to college, but don't know what field, a better idea might be to attend a community college, or remain undeclared at a school close to home. For many, it is inevitable that price will be a major issue, so be sure to tour the schools and talk to students, faculty, and alumni to help assess the overall value of the education you will receive. Be sure to gather as much information about financial aid as possible. Making the most of your college experience involves finding a balance between what you do to pass your classes and what you do for fun. Studying too hard can become monotonous, and at a certain point probably unnecessary. Conversely, partying too hard and not paying attention to your classes can hurt attendance and grades, not to mention cause of lot of unpleasant stress. Leaving time set aside for work and play is a must.

Make sure the college has a good reputation for the field the student is interested, affordable as not to leave the student in debt, accessible to jobs if needed, safe housing and environment and more than enough activities to keep the student from wandering and losing interest