Linfield College-McMinnville Campus Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior there are only a few words of advice that I would tell myself. First would be that gaining control of my finances and searching for financial aid and scholarships is an absolute must in the beginning and shouldn?t be left to the last minute. Then and now I know that my education does not have a price tag however if I had known how stressing college finances really are I would have done more before my freshman year to try to win more scholarships to ease my worries. Second would be to do all you can to manage time correctly. It is extremely important to plan out time in the day for studying, socializing and the various other extracurricular activities involved in as well as personal time for sleep and basic necessities, such as eating and bathing. I believe that if I had known these two pieces of advice prior to my freshman year at college I would have done better and learned some lessons an easier way and college life would be even greater.

I was so worried about making friends and fitting into the social scene at college. I was worried that I would have to change who I was to fit into the "college standard." If I could go back I would tell myself not to worry about that, because once I got involved in my Major department (the Art Dept., in my case), I was able to meet people who had similar world outlooks and priorities in life, and I made almost instant bonds and friendships. It was easier to meet people since you didn't have to start from scratch, you already had the same major. I ended up finding people that I could be myself around, and didn't feel pressured to go to frats every weekend in order to meet people.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not worry so much. Worry has stressed me out far more than necessary. In order to not worry, I would tell myself to trust God more, since He is bigger than my worries, and is capable of handling them. I would also advise myself to begin the college searching process earlier, and to visit more colleges during my senior year. Visiting more colleges would have given me a better perspective on the different types of colleges. Worrying less and college searching earlier would have decreased the pressure I felt during my senior year.

Dear Jenny, You may think that yellow Post-It Notes are the perfect planner, but great organization skills in the form of a planner book will become one of your best friends in college. Invest in one and use it. There is nothing greater in life than cherishing time spent with family. You are an adult in college. An independent, who has to balance time, money, your school work and a job on campus. Learn to appreciate the simple joys of watching a movie with your mom at home, without a care in the world. Give unconditional love to your family. (North by Northwest is a good movie, Jenny) Dedicate your time to the things you enjoy most in life and do not let anyone discourage you. The more effort you put into your music, the better your experience in the college bands will be. Keep practicing, but practice efficiently and hard. Fear is the only thing that can hold you back from what you want to achieve. Be bold, be confident. Most importantly, besides family, is to remember to keep your faith alive. You're going to have a great year, so have fun! Love, Me

Assuming going back in time to talk to my high school self would not upset the space-time continuum, the main advice I would give to myself, and any aspiring college student for that matter, would be to relish every moment of college and to be proactive about fulfilling your dreams. Anything is possible, including having the time of your life. So make sure to live! Do some soul searching; this is the time where you will discover what kind of person you want to be for the rest of your life. Make friends! Choose an area of study that you truly love and are interested in, and start to think about what you can do with that degree. Think about what you want out of your career, and decide which tracks you need to take to make that happen. If a community service opportunity, guest lecture event, or particular course looks interesting, then attend! Don't just sit around playing video games telling yourself you can just go to the next one. Pretty soon, you will be a senior and you will turn around and discover you have created valuable memories and grown into a wonderful person.

Dear Self, Hi! I?m you in your freshman year of college, and I have to tell you a few things you definitely want to know. Attending college is hard, but leaving home is harder. High school is a world of it?s own, and don?t expect college to be anything like that twilight zone. You need to be ready to go to a place where people see what you do more than how you look. Be ready to leave home and high school life with no regrets. Put down the gameboy, turn off the television, and step outside. There are so many things to do that you won?t be able to in college. Hug your parents goodnight. Go to church with your mom. Have lunch with your friends; the girls you?ve known since middle school. Listen to those strangers you go to school with when they try to tell you what?s bothering them. Kiss that boy you like so much. You?re leaving soon anyways. Go shopping?once you?re in college you won?t have any money to spare. But most of all, relax, because you?ll do fine. I know. Love, Rachel

I would first and foremost emphasize the importance of prioritizing activities on a daily basis. Freshman year can be overwhelming because of your new personal freedom and new friends you will be making. It will be easy to put off studying and homework to watch TV or go to a party with friends. If you take care of your school-related work first, you will be able to enjoy these extra-curricular activities more. Finally, meet as many people as you can. Your 4 years in college will go by faster than you can imagine, and it will be 4 years surrounded by some of the smartest and most interesting people you will ever be around. Get to know as many people as you can. This will not only enhance your college experience, but create a valuable social network that you will be able to take advantage of for the rest of your life.

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a highschool senior, I would tell myself to relax. I would tell myself not to worry about fitting in and that no matter where I may go I can make friends when I get there. I would advise myself not to worry about classes being to difficult because as a senior I was already prepared for any class that came my way. I would end by telling myself to enjoy myslef. The next few years are going to go fast so live them actively.

To be successful in this huge transition from high school to college it is essential to form a support system when establishing yourself as an adult and a student. You must prepare yourself to be open to everything, including change. Changes in time management, extraversion and confidence may all be necessary. These all prove invaluable when you have 5 paper due in the same week or need to ask a question in front of a class of 45 or making decisions about your education without any guidance outside of yourself. All these things may violate previous habits that allowed you to get by or take comfort in high school but college is on a whole new plane and it must be entered with an open perspective to such: the new.

First of all, my advice is for students. Parents should be involved in the planning process, but the student needs to take responsibility for his or her actions. By taking responsibility for choosing a college, applying for financial aid, and paying for my school, I gained ownership of my college experience and it is worth a lot more to me than it would have been. When looking for a school, students, don't be afraid to shop around. I wanted to go out of state and I wanted a private school. That's fine and dandy, but now school is getting expensive and I wish I had looked at state schools in surrounding states, if only for comparison purposes. Don't make a hasty decision. Look at all aspects of a school and find out which are most important. Use that data to decide. When you get to school, focus on school. Not parties, not your M.R.S. degree. College is for learning. However, don't get bogged down and overwhelmed by school. Take time to enjoy college, to meet people, to try new clubs and experiences. It's cliched but true- college is the time of your life!

Listen to your gut instincts. I only wanted to go to one school. I was so sure of my going to that school that it was the only school that I would apply to. I took it as a sign of my being where I am supposed to be that I got accepted. Pay attention to how you get along on campus when you visit. It is how you will feel If you attend that school.

Campus life is absolutely crucial. When deciding on a college take the time to visit the campuses and really take the time to interprate how you feel about the campus and the people there. Money is important but I feel that it's not as important as how you feel on campus. The college experience is just as important as the education you're working to receive. If you don't feel like you fit in on campus and aren't having any fun it's going to affect your grades. College is a delicate balance of playing and studying - don't be surprised if your grades droop a little your first semester. This happens to many college students because not only is your workload going to be more difficult than in high school but you are the one who is managing your time; you don't have your parents there to tell you what to do and when to do it. Really take the time to try to prepare for your first year of college, make sure you make time for both socializing and studying. Taking time to make a daily schedule was the best decision I made.

In order to make the most of your college experience choose a school that fits you. Don't go to a big school if you want small class sizes and for your professor to know your name. Likewise if you prefer to have someone hold you accountable and know that you exist as a person and not just a number, consider a small school. As far as succeeding and making the most out of your college experience it is important to remember that grades aren't the only thing that matters, growing as a person and discovering who you are and what you want to do is just as important. With that being said however, grades are definitely important. To succeed in the classroom know that college isn't necessarily more complex, it simply requires more effort and work in order to be successfull. Learning to manage your time and be responsible is of the utmost importance becuase classes move faster and cover more material. It's better to be diligent and possess a strong work ethic than be a genius in college, although being a genius certainly helps too. Ultimately, the school doesn't make your experience, you do!

It would help if you have an idea what you want to study and choose colleges that have a program for that. If you don't know what you want to study pick colleges that have programs that are close to interests you already have (don't pick art colleges if you want to work with computers for example). Once you have chosen a type of college narrow down your search. Look at location, class sizes, classes, extracurricular activities, etc. Once you eliminated (or chosen) a few based on your criteria visit the campuses during the school year. This is important so you can know if the atmosphere is right for you or if you absolutely hate it. Make sure the campus life will fit your personality. Otherwise you may love the classes but hate the rest of your time there. You need to find balance though. Don't choose a school completely for the academics or for the atmosphere/lifestyle. Find one where you can learn and enjoy yourself at the same time.

I would tell each and every parent and student to be open to ALL possibilities, and to not be bias about a school based on its location or whether its public or private. Its extremely important that you explore all of your options and that you seek out a school that will challenge you both socially and academically, but that will also cater to your needs should you be looking for direction or struggling. Also, for many students, it seems tempting to pick the school that's farthest away from home, but that can be just a monotonous as going somewhere too close. Visit every college, test your limits, and if homesickness would be a deciding factor, then honor that, because it most certainly has the potential to take a toll on a student's academic performance. And especially for parents, be enthusiastic and excited and be PRESENT in the college application and picking process. It can seem daunting to a student and its important for them to know that they have their parent's support.

Always tour the schools before you apply. You can't really know where you want to go until you set foot on campus. Talk to alumni, talk a lot with admission counselors and anybody else who has a personal relationship with the school. Do a lot of digging and push on the financial aid. College is expensive but most colleges (even the really expensive ones) are willing to work with you.

Students should make their best efforts to figure out what type of college setting is the most necessary to accomodate their learning styles and social needs, and parents should do all that they can to facilitate such discovery. Asking the proper questions and getting a better feel for college campuses, professors and surrounding environments is important in addition to the level of education available. The college experience is a valuable one, one that should not be taken for granted. College provides a wonderful opportunity to make life-long friends and network for future success. One never knows where certain roads will lead, especially if one never sets foot upon them.

College is a time of change, and a time of growth. When choosing a college to attend, remember that you will be there for the next 4 years, most likely, and will be doing more than just studying for classes and tests. One should remember how important the social aspect of college is, and even if the university or college you are looking at has a good repuation for academics, if you don't feel comfortable, do not go there. In order to suceed, you must feel comfortable in your surroundings, and college is no exception. Also, when deciding on a college, make sure to ask every single question you can think of about the school. Even if the questions seem outrageous, you have the right to ask those questions, as you will be making one of the largest investments of your lifetime. Most importantly, enjoy the experience of college, and take from it everything you can. College is, many times, the greatest experience of anyone's life, so don't be afraid to step outside of the box, try new things, and have fun while doing it.

You should always keep in mind that it isn't so much the school that you go to, but what you do there. I've done an internship at Cosmopolitan, had one of my short stories published in a local magazine and maintained a very nice GPA. I credit these accomplishments to the amount of work that I put into my studies and how often I took advantage of opportunities that I was given, not a particular school. So choose the school that fits your personality rather than the one that had the best success rate or the most famous graduates.

I would say that the most important thing to realize is that during college open house events the school is prepared for you to be there, the current students know as well as faculty and staff. This is important to realize because that means the experience you have during the open house event may be really great but it may not be realistic. I feel like you should come during unscheduled events and avoid the campus tours, instead just look around for yourself - because then you can really get a feel for the cool and its environment. At Linfield they offer a prospective student thing where student looking into Linfield can stay with current Linfield students and through I didn't do that as a prospective, I have hosted and the expereince is always great for the prospective student because they get a glimpse at how real college students are living and it's not stuffed with a bunch of fakeness, its a genuine experience.

It is important to find a right fit college for you. Don?t let your parents or friends make your decision. The college search process can be stressfull, but if you take the time to research and visit different schools, you will find your right fit college. When deciding on a college, there are many points to think about including size and location. Do you want a big school or small school? Do you want to be in a lecture with 400 other students or small classes? How far away do you want to be from home? Do you want to be as far away as possible or close to home? If you have no idea where to begin, talk to people you know about their college experience. Ask what they liked and didn't like. Visit colleges and universities near you so you can begin to get a feel for different college environments. and see what you like and what you do not like about each place you visit. Once you get to college, get involved. Join a club, do research, or play intramurals. Don?t be afraid to move outside of your comfort zone and try new things.

The college you choose will be your home for the next 4 or more years make sure you want to grow up in that environment. Choose a school that you will feel comfortable connecting life, learning and community. DO NOT let money keep you from applying to a school, see how much financial aid a school will give you before turning away. Parents allow your child to find the school they want then do anything you can to make their dreams come true. Allowing them to fulfill their dreams will give them the chance to help others fulfill theirs dreams. As a freshman entering school, all of your past high school experiences are unknown to others, which allows you to start new in any way you choose. Become the person you truly want to be for the rest of your life, and have fun and get involved in everything you desire. Try new things and be prepared to fail, but always get up and learn from the failures and never make the same mistake twice. Treat your RA with respect they have the HARDEST job on earth but they can teach you the most if you let them.

I would tell parents and future students that nothing is ever FINAL. If you believe a school is not the correct choice for you, you can transfer. It is not the end of the world. I think a lot of students with similar personalities go to similar schools. I feel that small schools have more social drama because everyone gets to know everyone really well. This is either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the type of person you are. I think in big schools, no one knows who you are and depending on the person, once again, it can be a good or bad thing. If you are thinking about traveling abroad or entering the school for a special program, make sure they will still have that program available to you in a year or two because programs often change every couple of years. I feel that the more you like your school you will achieve more things and get great grades. If you do not like the univeristy or do not feel like it is a "good fit" I advise switching schools to somewhere that will be a better fit. Good Luck!

Pick somewhere close enough to home to be able to go home fairly often, but far enough away so that you can't live there.

Do the Competitive Scholarship Day! Easy way to view the campus and win money towards Linfield tuition!

The best way to figure out what college is right for you is to visit the college and talk to as many people as you can who go there. Planning an overnight stay is also a great way to feel what it is like to go to the college. Ask yourself some basic questions such as: Do you like big or small schools and class sizes? Are you interested in sports or clubs? Do you enjoy a more independent community or one that is very social and cooperative? Then, when you visit schools, have someone answer these questions. Don't get stressed! Remember that education is very much what you make it to be, and no matter where you go, you will have an educationally enriching, life-changing experience.

Find a college that fits your personality. Ask yourself questions like; Do I like a really big community or do i want to be a part of a smaller community, What do I want to study, will this college help prepare me for life after college, and will i be able to have fun and learn in at this college

The best advice I could give is really find the right SIZE school for you. If you're a person who benifits more from small classes and personal attention, then look into small liberal arts colleges. On the other hand, if you like the bigger scene and a super diverse campus, then maybe you'll feel more at home at a state school. Never be afraid to transfer if you're not happy where you are, but college can be the most amazing time of your life. It's worth finding a campus that you can call home. You'll be most successful, most happy, and most likely to make lasting and worthwhile friendships if you're happy in your environment! best of luck!

For finding the right college, be sure to visit the campus. The most important thing about choosing a college should be how you feel on the campus. As for your college experience, get involved. Figure out what things you really love and then do everything you can to support those, if you don't know what you love try different clubs or activities on campus. Also, be sure to balance school and your social life so that you don't get overwhelmed. Most importantly have fun!

The years spent at a college or university have a significant impact on a persons life. Choosing the right school is crucial to the success and enjoyment of their higher learning. Finding the right college doesn't have to be difficult, and by visiting and touring several different campuses, it is easy to decide what type of college environment is best suited to your personality. It is important for parents to allow the student to make their own decision, and not to add any extra pressure to their decision making process. Once a student has decided on a college or university to attend, they need to make sure they are completely prepared for the experience. Getting involved in campus activities helps to smooth the transition into college life, and makes it easier to meet people with similar interests. Getting established in the college community early will help to ease anxieties, and make the following years some of the most memorable of their lives.

I would advise parents, to allow their children to make the ultimate choice about where their child wants to attend college. Being happy and comfortable at your college is critical to both academic and social success. College really is home away from home, and it brings a whole new level of good and bad experiences that help shape a person's character.

When you choose a school to go to, choose it for yourself, not because you know people there or because it is within your comfort zone. College is you first chance to really branch out and take control of your life, take your life into your own hands! When you get to that school join an organization that you are interested whether is a sorority, a church, or a volunteer group, it really helps to have a support system that you can really depend on when you need it! Also, organizations look great on job applications and offer lots of great opportunities! Above all stay true to yourself and be open to change because you will grow a ton during your freshman your of college.

More than anything, I have found that the best indicator of where you should go to college is the overall vibe you get when visiting the campus. While a lot of information can be gained from going to college fairs and doing research in books, the only way to know for sure is just to go there and experience the college. There is no such thing as the perfect college, even though all of the glossy brochures and pamphlets make it seem like it. In reality you learn to accept the things you don't like about the school. If you spend your time looking for the perfect college experience you will only be disappointed, instead be more pragmatic in making your selection. Think about if you can live with the problems that you might have with the particular school instead of dismissing a school outright. There is also no substitute for talking to students and staying in a residence hall to get the college experience. Although, It seems as though even small colleges are big communities. Even if one group of people doesn't seem like it fits, it doesn't mean they won't be out there somewhere.

The keys to finding the right college and the keys to making the most your college experinece are remarkably similar. You should sample a wider variety of schools and experiences. Variety is not just the spice of life, it's the path to success. To find the right school, you need to be unafraid to try different ones on. I reccomend applying to one or two "safety" schools, three or four "target" schools, and two or three "reach" schools. This will give you the most options when it comes time to select the school you're going to attend. Then when you have your acceptance letters, financial aid offers, the schools' web page, and (hopefully) notes and pictures from your campus visits laid out in front of you, you'll be able to make your decision with all the options and all the facts. Makeing the most of college requires the same thing. Try different things! Just because you didn't do student governemnt in high school doesn't mean you can't start now. Just because you were never an athlete doesn't mean you can't enjoy intermural sports. Variety is truly the key to college success.

Don't be afraid to step outside your 'box' or comfort zone. Be willing to go out and try new things. College is about being able to become who you are, and if you stay with what is comfortable, you may not find that special spice that makes you who you are. Put forth all your effort into making new experiences, having fun, and making the most of your education!

The advice I would give to parents and students about finding the right college is to evaluate your high school experience and take the pro's and con's and see what type of university would fit you, whether it is a small campus or a specialty school. Don't stress if you don't know what you want to major in for your first year or two. It is normal. Also don't go to a school because your two best friends are. Chances are if that is the main reason you go to a college, you won't like it. Everyone is different, even best friends. It is good to get away from all the high school drama and trust me, at a big state school where most of your high school probably goes, the drama is stronger than ever. It is good to branch out and try new things because the relationships and connections you make in college will shape your life as you age. Visit a few different colleges before choosing one. Live it up because it will be the best four years of your life. Try new things and stay on top of your studies.

I would tell them that they should choose a school that when they visit makes them feel at home and not like a high school student. Also for them to look at schools with a small teacher-student ratio because it makes you feel more like a person and less like a number.

Apply to a lot of different kinds of schools in a range of environments and sizes. Get involved in as many activities as possible.

Pray about it. Put it in God's hands. If you submit and surrender to Him, He will guide you to where you need to be. It's that simple. God Bless.

Know yourself and what you value in friends, professors, social life, academic experience etc. Be true to your vision and find a school that fits with your vision. Don't be afraid to be different.

Don't think that attending an out-of-state college isn't an affordable option for you. Many times being from a different part of the country will make you an attractive applicant to colleges and increase your chances of recieving a scholarship. I've had a fantastic time learning how to live on my own, 2000 miles away from my parents. It also challenged me to meet new people and try new things, like join a sorority, because I had to make a whole new set of friends. If I would have gone to the college in my hometown I believe my social circle would still be limited to my high school classmates.

When I was going through the process of deciding where to attend college, I had the hardest time figuring out what size of school would be the best fit for me. I had family members who knew the only way to find an answer to my question was to see as many schools of as many sizes as possible. They took me to areas where i thought I might like to live and I saw so many schools they all started to run together. But in the end, I just knew that Linfield was right for me. I had this pull towards the campus and the people there. It fit like a glove, nice and snug. I truly believe that if the school is right, the student will just know. And as far as making the most of college life. The biggest mistake many friends of mine made was to not get involved in something on campus. Living on campus is the first step. Just being in the dorms makes you an active member of the community, and allows you to meet that many more people. There is a club out there for everyone. Get involved in what you love.

Keep an open mind and allow yourself to grow. Take risks because that's the only way to really learn about yourself. Make sure to seriously consider the size of the university as well as the location. Go with your gut, it will lead you in the right direction. Don't be afraid to make a mistake, just do it and change it later if you don't like it. Don't let yourself have regrets.

I would advise to visit the colleges, and to have your son or daughter stay overnight on the campus with a student, because you get a better sense of campus activity and life that way versus just getting a tour of the campus. Then also go to some of the sporting events, or concerts because then you get a feel of campus spirit and participation.

My number one peice of advice would be visit the school!! A college can look great on paper but there is something to be said about actually steeping foot on campus. By doing so you get the feel of the campus, students, faculity, and how the school is run. Personally I visited Linfield in the summer when there are few students there to talk to; however, the staff there was very helpful, personal, and extreemly personal. I was able to get a great feel for the campus and feel in love with it. After that visit I was sold on the school and could not wait to see it active with students. My second peice of advise and if not of same importance is to find out what you want in a school- The oppertunities it offers, the type of classes offered, the type of activites that take place, and what the scocial life looks like on campus. To do this I would encourage students to look into a varity of schools and soon they will find out what is important to them and what they will require of their future school. For me, Linfield offered all of the above.

If the child wants to be close to home or not, Amount of activities (or pertaining to the students interest) the college has, also if religious nearby chruches

Advice for finding the right college? Well, I would say that many people have that "Omigosh, this is the ONE" moment, but that's not always the way it goes, and don't be freaked out if that's not the case for you. Make a Pro and Con list to decide. Financial aid, community, social atmosphere, etc. and then cross- check it with your own values. I chose mine because they gave me the most money, flat out. But it was the best choice I've ever made, because that was the one thing that I was really concerned with. Do your values match those of the college? To make the most out of your college experience, try everything twice! If, the first day of classes, you are completely freaked out, give it another try. College is not worth quitting, so don't. My mantra for Freshman year was: just keep going, because there's no way you are backing out now. Stick with it, even if you don't like it and the good times will come! Go to clubs, football games, parties, whatever. Just get out there!

Start looking for colleges your sophmore and Junior year, that way your senior year you only have to worry about applying, not finding which schools to apply too.

Find a college that best suites you now. Look for small if you know that you grew up in a smaller town of school. Drinking is a big part of any college, so keep this in mind when you try to find your independence and your own feet in a new college.