Franciscan University of Steubenville Top Questions

If I could go back to high school and give myself advice I would tell myself that grades and involvement in extra curricular activity is far more important in the long run than who is most popular or any of the other petty things that typical high school teenagers worry about. I would tell myself that once I get to college I will realize that the world is so much bigger than what surrounded me in high school and that I will be far more thankful for a high GPA and hard work than that I was popular or accepted in my little high school circle. I would also say that college is not just the next step. It is completely different from high school, it is a real, hard, transfer in to the adult world were you make decisions that will affect the rest of your life and learn to make choices that have real and sometimes scarry consequences. Prepare to work hard, grow up, trust, and persevere then you will be ready for one of the greatest and most rewarding adventures in your life.

The greatest tool for success in finding a university is self-knowledge. This is the foundation and springboard of discernment.

The advice I would give to parents and students about finding the right college and making the most of the college experience is this: can you picture yourself on campus, taking part in the extracurricular activities the school offers, and being excited about what each new class will bring? When I visited my school for the first time I was a little apprehensive about being 600 miles (11 hours) away from home. After that first visit I was confident that the adjustment would be easy since I had observed and learned about the community-like environment. It was true ? I fit right in. I knew that similar, friendly, and like-minded people were students there so I was welcomed in a great way. You want to find a school where you can feel that atmosphere and you definitely want to visit all of the schools you are looking at to see which ones will be the best fit for you and which ones you can picture yourself walking around campus at. Even if you have to go far to find a school that is the perfect fit, it will be more than worth it!

The best advice i can give about finding the right college is to visit the college and just sit and watch the students walk by. Any college that you can sit and not see a single group of people walking around is for those people that like to sit inside and watch tv and movies all day. A college where everyone walks around without talking to eachother is for those who really want to study hard. And a college who's students walk together talking and smiling and are everywhere is for the people who love the social life. My advice is to figure out what you want from the college experience and search for a college that will fill your need their is a college for everyone don't settle and whatever you do don't follow a girl or guy to college it will most likely end badly.

Do what YOU want. If you have a desire to go to a cetain school or study in a certain field, then by all means go for it! God gave you that desire for a reason. Listen to Him. As far as practical advice, the main thing that helped me was sleep. Don't stay up until the wee hours of the night . A regular sleep shedule helped me to stay focused. If you have any questions about anything in your classes, go talk to your professor. My professors loved it when I did that. I even found a friend in one of my professors by doing this. As a result, I got so much more out of her class. Visiting your professors may even earn you a few extra points in your grade. Do your best at everything. Live your college life to the fullest. You will get out of your college experience what you put into it. Even if your grades aren't the highest, and your social status not the most glamorous, just do your best. That is all you can and are meant to do.

It is important to take the time to figure out what is important to you. This better enables you to find the university that will fit you as an individual and not just as someone who wants to have fun at college but not grow as a person. Morals and ones lifestyle is extremely important in this search because it limits the amount of universities that take such issues seriously.

You must enjoy the atomosphere of the campus. Ask current students questions about living and academics at the college. Make sure it has a broad range of academics to major in incase you switch majors. Don't pay loads of $$$ somewhere you're not sure about. Overall, you should be satisfied with your choice and feel at peace about it.

Understant the fianacial Aid!

My advice to parents and students who are looking for the right college and making most of the college experience is to find a school that your child is going to be the most successful and most happy. Making the most of a college experience for future undergraduates would be to get involved into community service, ministries, clubs, and even sports to meet friends. Also, finding a group of moral people who can hold you accountable and to go to church with will help you through all your college experience. Having faith will get you through the toughest parts of college: mentally, physically, spiritually, or emotionally. Finding the right college includes seeing what they have to offer, finding out if the website for the school is really what the school is about or if the college campus is not really what the website declares it is, spending the night to get a feel of college life, seeking their extra-curriculars, talking to students around campus and even professors. It is so important that the student feels comfortable on the campus and can see themselves being successful and making friends at this place, especially if it is out of state.

The search for the right college can be strenuous and scary when one is searching for "the right school". To be concise, the largest determining factor in my experience was to realize that the four years a student will spend as an undergraduate are some of the most formitive years in some people's lives. Therefore, a potential student shouldn't worry about finding a school "made for them" so much as they should realize what type of formation they should do. It is possible to go to a good school offering a more than adequate education, and learn nothing but party games and how much beer you can drink. Many people waste their time and money this way. The one who strives for the presence of mind to utilize the education offered to them will be closer to realizing their potential for greatness. This is not to say college is all about books and tests-- a college student may learn more about who they are from their social life than from a class about journalism. The point is this: Choose a college that will challenge you to grow and become more fully who you are meant to be.

Physically go to the college while classes are in session, talk to the administrators, but then go to the commons or the caf and just sit and listen. You will get a very good idea about what the college is really about by just listening to the kids that are already students are filling their days with.

1) Don't go for a degree, go to learn. You probably will be alone in this, but it doesn't matter, once you make up your mind to learn, no one can stop you. 2) Decide what you want to learn. If you are unsure, try to learn everything and see what stands out to you. If nothing does, then try to learn everything. 3) Remember, you can learn just as much from a hangover as you can from a textbook or lecture if you want to. 4) Just say no to the word "no".

Find a college that has a strong program in the degree you are interested in, close to home, and has a liberal setting.

I would suggest to students and parents looking for a college to make sure they visit the school before hand. Also make an effort to stay over at least on night in on campus housing. Check out the local area as well, it makes a big impact on you experience. To make the most of the college experience I would suggest not jumping into any clubs or sports freshman year, check out various groups and figure out what you want to join, there is plenty of time to commit to groups second semester freshman year and sophomore year.

Go for the college where you will be in a good, wholesome environment conducive to academic and spiritual growth. Focus on your studies but have fun too and never neglect your spiritual life.

Don't ever decide not to go to a school simply because it costs more than you want to pay. If you really want to go to that school, no amount of debt will change you experiences and how much you get out of the school if it is teh one you truly want.

Find a college that has a great program in the field you wish to study. It is time and money consuming to attend a school that does not teach well t hesubject you want to learn, plus it's really boring to study something you hate just because you want to hang out with your friends. College is a time of freedom, but not just so you can get drunk every weekend. You are investing a lot of money and time into four years, learn as much as you can, and so don't choose the party schools. Make sure that professors at the school are willing to spend time getting to know you and mentoring you. I recommend smaller schools for that. Choose a school that will make you a better human.

Find a college that will encourage you to grow as a person. Find a friendly atmosphere that is safe.

Find a college that has great professors and social life. They will help you succeed when you are struggling.

I would say that the most important thing is to not rush the decision. Look at all of the aspects of the college: academics, community life, extracurriculars, etc... After you have made the choice, get involved. Nothing is worse than being at a college with people everywhere waiting to get to know you and you are sitting in your room alone. Get out and meet people, enjoy it, and study hard.

A crucial part of choosing a college is visiting. Immerse yourself in the campus life and among the current students. Ask them exactly what they enjoy and dislike about their college; they will most likely tell the absolute truth. Make sure you feel comfortable amongst the student body. Above all, choose what factor of college is most important to you: for some, it is academic strength; for others, student life; and for others, a different aspect: maybe a religious factor. Once you determine what is most important to you, choosing a college will be that much easier, as you will evaluate them according to a ranking system. If you choose a college and dislike it, make sure you stay focused academically while keeping a social life. Balance between the two is key. There is nothing wrong with transferring to a different school, many students decide to do that, but it's important to take a good GPA with you! Most importantly, enjoy college. You're not paying for a miserable four years!

I would tell prospective students to STAY in college, and persevere. I would also tell them to study A LOT. Stay away from alot of parties. I dont say its bad, but I would say its something that can easily pull you away from staying focused. READ the TEXTBOOKS!!!

College is about becoming an adult, separate from the comfort of your parents and inherint social setting in which you grew up. Because of this, the choice of the college you attend will in some respects determine much of who you become, but also it will not make or break your life. Choosing a college is about going where you are comfortable and where you feel you will benefit the most academically and socially.

Make sure that you/future student visits every school you apply to. Sometimes the academics offered make the school appealing, but the living environment makes the academic load unable to handle.

When looking for the right college, it is obvious to pick one that has the right classes for the major that you wish to pursue, has a reasonable price range, or fulfills your personal criteria on size. However, the vibes you get when researching or visiting a college are also very important, and sometimes overlooked. As a perspective student, you must be able to feel safe on campus. Are there escorts or emergency call posts around campus? You must also be able to feel safe when living in your dorm, so the feelings you get when scoping out a resident?s hall is also very important. Remember to pay attention to the current students when visiting a college. They should seem friendly, upbeat and helpful, all important qualities when considering living in such a close proximity with others. Your impression of other elements, such as grounds and faculty are also very important. Grounds should be clean and kept, and the faculty should be helpful, cared for, and professional. (Do the cafeteria workers seem happy to be working?). Remember that your intuition and overall feeling of the college is vital when choosing the right one.

Balance is key - always remember that virtue is the middle path, not the extreme. Don't settle when choosing a school, remember that you'll be living there for the next four years, not just studying there. But don't forget that you'll be studying, too. Make sure the campus you choose makes you feel comfortable and make sure it has good academics. One without the other will hinder your journey towards a degree. Don't end up paying an arm and a leg only to be made miserable. You must set priorities to this end. What do you really want out of a school? What can you live without? What is essential to you? No campus is perfect - compromises must be made. The most important part of my decision making process was visiting each college. There is no better way to get a feel for the atmosphere - brochures are idealized, but staying in the dorms, eating the food, and visiting the classes is the closest thing you can get to a trial run at the college experience. I highly reccomend making as many college visits as possible. Lastly, don't stress. It wont help you.

Find a college that teaches you how to think and will give you a financially beneficial degree.

Make sure the lifestyle of the college you choose is one where you will be happy. You're going to be living there for around 4 years and that is a long time to be miserable and unhappy with your enviornment. Also, don't close yourself off from campus life. Doing well academically is important and should be your primary focus, but it will be far eaiser to deal with the stress of education if you have friends supporting you.

I definately think that making the decision on what college to attend is important because it plays a huge part on the formation of the student as a person and should be a push in the right direction. Therefore, when choosing a college make sure to look into the foundation of the programs and the social life and of the college as a whole. Students should take much more from their college experience than facts, so they should try to get involved in positive activities and organizations to help them get a real feel for themselves, their lives, and their careers.

Finding the right college involves discovering the kind of person you want your son or daughter to become, for the college experience is the time that a person truly finds and solidifies their identity and their role in society. It is thus of ultimate importance to look at a college's values and see if what the college holds dear is something that you want your son or daughter to also embrace. By examining the quality of education, the extra-curricular activities, the diveristy of human experiences, the study abroad opportunities, and most of all the persona of the student body as a whole - one is able to determine what college they best want for their children. A college that respects your values, offers various opportunities for human growth, and graduates solid men and women of integrity who you want your son and daughters to be like is a college that will rightly form, mold, and solidify your son or daughter. What you have to discover is: who do you want your son to be? Who do you want your daughter to be? Only after answering that question can you truly begin to decide which college is right for them.

My advise to students is to choose the school that you want to go to, at which you feel most at home and that it's the right fit, no matter how much it costs. While one may be paying off loans for a long time after college, the degree of education that one receives and the overrall experience is well worth. This is one of the best times of life - it is irrepitable and therefore it should take place at the university of one's dreams (that's not to say that there won't be times of immense stress or various trials, but that makes the times free of such things so much sweeter). To parents I would advise that they don't force their children to go to a particular school. If their children make a mistake it's something from which they can learn. Also, parents shouldn't worry about the money either; it's a hard thing to do, but taking out student loans can truly provide an excellent educational experience and lifelong memories that are worth more than anything.

Allow your young adult child to chose the college they feel most at home and that will help them become a better person by the end of those four years.

Obviously academics is important , but make sure to choose based on the other things the university offers as well - based on its atmosphere, extracurricular opportunities, cultural experiences available, mission statement, and other things as well. It's not just about being able to get a job when you graduate, but about really discovering what you believe and what you want to make of yourself.

I would say that you have to narrow down your search by picking out what is most important to you in a school, whether that be the job you want afterwards or the type of community you want to be surrounded by, the state/country you want to be in, or what type of faculty you want teaching you. Over all you want to be nurtured in mind, body, and soul and you want to find the school that is going to provide this. I also think that you can't be afraid to find the right fit, even if that means transferring or changing majors once enrolled. Visiting schools is a great way to get a feel for them, but its even better to do it on your own and not through the school. That way, you see the REAL thing and not just what they want to show you on a limited tour. In your first year of college, take a wide variety of courses so you can see what you like and what you don't like. I also recommend starting out at a community college to save money and get generals out of the way.

When you are looking for the right school, you must first start with what do you really want. Major is at the top of the list for concerns, but if the school enviroment is not what you like the education won't matter because you wont be happy were you are. Look at the student life ratings, and aviod schools that have distractions such as partying. Just because it sounds fun does not mean it is worth throughing out your GPA and 20,000 or 30,000 dollars for a year. Look at the professors: are you a name or a number? What about the size of the school, do you want intimate (small ) or variety (large)? Every school has something it is well known for, are you looking for a faith life, a scoial life, superior education, great city. Make a list for you piorites and then find out how all the schools stack up on your list. There is a school out there for you, dont be afraid to look for it!

Look for a school that not your child or you yourself can not only grow academically but can also be formed as an adult, in their conscience and in their maturity. Find a place with a strong community which is there to foster that growth, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Make sure to visit multiplte campuses to compare and contrast schools, and then choose the best fit. And once there, stay on top of your studies and try to do well academically -- it will serve you so much better in the long run! But at the same time, don't bury yourself in your books or you'll lose your mind! It's all about balance and planning. Trust me, I speak from experience!

Visit the campus and stay overnight it is the best way to get a feel for what the campus is really like. If your going far from home make sure the campus isn't dead on the weekends. Make sure it has a good career services program.

Education is the beaming light and pride of a individual, along with their character and ethical stance. When one chooses to further their learning, finding the perfect college is more than a choice of 'who will make my resume look good'; it is a choice of who will have an influence on your life for the better. The school chosen will be the instrument to further knowledge and will implement a certain mind-set. It is imperative that a student does not let the school think for him/her, but allows them to use the materials at hand to discover truth. Pick a college that provides an atmosphere where your values are not compromised, your career path is nurtured, and your interaction is not limited by the ideals of a small group of individuals.

Make sure that there is a stress on academics. Equally important is the stress on student life, look for a school with a school that emphasizes social interaction and participation.