Guilford College Top Questions

Well, if I had to give any advice on picking a school that?s right for you, it?s research. I picked my school after about a year and a half of researching and touring campuses. In fact, when I applied for schools, I was so confident I applied to only my school and a backup! When touring campuses, unless the school gives a private or very small group tour, don?t bother. All schools will toss out similar statistics about their class size and how successful their alumni are. Knowing someone at the school already helped me pick it out, as well. As far as getting the most out of the college experience, get out and get involved! Join as many clubs and activities as your schedule can possibly allow. Go out and meet as many people as possible; that way you can find a group of people that you enjoy hanging out with. Of course, it is equally important to keep up with academics. Partying is just as important to the college experience as working, but if you party all the time you won?t be in college for long.

Focus on a school that will best suit the personality, needs and wants of the student. Make sure the colleges you consider address the academic, social and personal values you have and will enable the you or your son or daughter to develop skills for critical thinking and economic and social change in addition to academic success and career opportunities. A good college should address the whole student and provide opportunities for development in a number of areas and should not limit the student to a single track of study. By the time a student graduates, he or she should be able to express him- or her- self without fear of being misunderstood or offending others. The student should look at any perspective school, and ask themselves whether or not the community in which they will be devoting so much of their time will allow them to develop a sense of self-worth, accomplishment and confidence in who they are and where they are in the global and personal perspectives of life.

I would stongly recomend visiting potential scools and setting up meetings on an individual basis with faculty in your intended area of study.

Price and location of a college doesn't matter. It is all about the school and the people in it.

Vistit colleges, talk to teaches, interview and talk to current students.

Parents- Be there to catch them when they fall, to nudge them back on track when they're lost and confused, to soothe the loneliness having to make their own family, but remember that must do it on their own- you can't do it for them if they're going to learn. Help them through the struggle to find their own two feet and stand back, proud in the knowledge that your student is ready, willing, and able to take on the world. Students- No college will be perfect "right out of the box," something will always seem not quite "as advertised." It?s part of your job to mold the college, to make it better and stronger than it was when you started there. Whether it's in sports, clubs, academics, community service, or work, create your own family and you will be happier. College isn't just about the academics or the parties, its about the personal connections you make with fellow students, the lady who serves the lunches in the cafeteria, your academic advisor, and so many more.

There will be a certain feeling when a college is right that is indescribable. When I arrived at Guilford I was overwhelmed by this sense of calm as if I had found the place that I wanted to be. That feeling has stayed with me and I am very happy about my decision to go to Guilford.

Out of all the pain that the kid may cause the parents with the application proccess and finding the right school, when the child knows that its the right school for them they will know. And the only way they will know that is if they actually go and visit colleges. Have your kid stay on campus with a student if that is avaliable. The kids have and awesome time and it helps the see the atmosphere of a school before they chose to go there

No matter how much financial aid a college might give you, what matters most is the feeling of a campus. Attempt to stay over night, get to know the party-scene (and if you can handle it), sit in on a classroom, and, most importantly, attempt to make friends that you may rely on when you arrive later that year. Scholarships are important; however, going to a school for little money where you are isolated from campus (or too involved in parties) and cannot enjoy the classes is not worth it. Moreover, go to a school with a support structure: i.e. tutoring services, guidance/counseling, career/internship services. If you find yourself in over your head, these people can help you. At my school, we even have a time-management counselor that can help you figure out how to study, fit in socialization, and take time for yourself. Do not forget to make time for yourself. Time with friends, family, professors, and your job can be tiring. Work hard for your parents, work hard for your family, but relax for yourself.

Make sure you are going for the right reasons

Make sure that it allows for the students to not only study what they would like to, but also a chance to experience new things that maybe the student never even thought of doing. Also, there should be like minded individuals to feel confortable when you first get there and during your four years.

visit, and stay overnight if you can. eat lunch on campus, but not during a time when there are parents or lots of visitors on campus. sit with students at lunch and talk to them. grab a student newspaper. take a self-guided tour of campus after one with a tourguide. ask questions!

I would tell them to go into it with a positive outlook. Make sure to research the school well, and go to the campus. If you get the tour, ask people you seen on campus what they feel about it, and try to chose a variety of social types and people so you can get a general outlook on it. Find out what is most important to you early in the search: is it money, academics, location to home or something else, class sizes, size of school, etc. Once you get there, be active, especially if its' a big school it will make the experience a lot easier if you can a small group of friends through a club/sport/etc. And live in moderation when you get to school, don't go wild and crazy trying to do all you can do in the first year because you'll get burnt out on it. Have fun, but work too.

Be aware that you will change alot between your freshman year and your senior year. I know alot of people including myself who look at other schools later in their college career and wish that they had considered them when they were applying for schools. Dont pay too much money for college. Sometimes it ends up being not worth it. A degree is a degree no matter where you get it from at the end of the day. Make sure that you school has good campus life records/facilities. Living in crappy dorms/apartments suck. So does eating shitty cafeteria food.

Three bits of advice: visit, keep in mind the purpose of college, and don't forget to have fun. For me, visiting the different schools I was interested in made all the difference. I knew while walking through a campus full of people with frowning faces, that that particular campus was not going to be the one I would want to spend my four years on. The visit made all the difference. While college is thought of as a non-stop party, don't pick a school because you think it will be a good time. Pick a school because it will give you the kind of education you want to recieve, programs you're interested in, and an environment you feel will be suited to your learning style. But of course, college should be fun. Pick somewhere you'll be happy and healthy, somewhere you'll enjoy for the next four years, make sure they'll be four great years. If you put a lot of consideration into your initial decision, it will be easier to make the most of your college experience in the long run. Find your match, make the most of it, change your life.

VISIT the colleges. Ask questions! Talk to the students! Without doing this you may never know if the school is right for you.