North Central College Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Luke

As parents and/or a student trying to choose a college, you've probably spent a lot of time trying to find the perfect school. However, no school out there is a perfect fit, so figure out what is most important to you and find a school that meets those needs. Beyond that, you need to make the school you've chosen the perfect school for you. Make sure to nurture your talents and interests and don't get too bogged down with the classwork - it's important to attend to each aspect of yourself as a person - socially, academically, and along other dimensions that are meaningful to you. Above all, take action. Don't stand on the sidelines. In class, take risks. Challenge the teacher when you disagree. Just be prepared to defend yourself and use solid reasoning when you do. Outside of class, take risks too! Join a club you never got around to joining in high school, be that chess club or even a social action group that you're finally brave enough to affiliate with. Enjoy your college years - what you don't do you will later regret so do as much as you can!

Jon

First of all, make a list of all the colleges you would like to attend (college fairs may help develop a list). Visit as many of those schools as you can and as early as you can. Eliminate the ones that do not fit your priorities or wants, and focus on the ones that bring interest and fulfill wants. Research the academic prowess and availability of internships in the schools that are considerd. Also, stay over night or sit in a class at the schools. Finally, think about what you want out of college and pick the school that is most likely to allow you to achieve that position.

Gregory

Go where you are going to be confortable and do not regret it!

Susan

Remember that whatever your first choice is doesn't have to be your last. It is perfectly fine to transfer, switch majors, even take a semester off if it means moving closer to discovering who you are.

Kathryn

It's GREAT here. You'll love it.

Alexandra

Visit as many schools as possible. Study hard and don't slack with your last year of high school. The higher your g.p.a., the more scholarship opportunities you will have available to you. If possible, have some sort of college fund. Research different types of loans before committing to one. Pick the college that you feel most comfortable with...!

Katy

Make sure that your child likes where they are going. That they feel like the faculty and their classmates will really offer the support they say they will. Also, frequently checking in, or visiting a school multiple times before making a decision is better than jumping in without all of the facts. Try walking around campus without a guide and talking to different departments as if you are a current student - see if their attitude towards you is any different (meaning, don't fall for teh facade schools put up on visit days). And by all means, give your kid the benefit of the doubt, teachers and staff aren't paid to care, so things won't always work out the way that they would in a just and fair scenario.

Hina

Also look into the amount of time student will get from prof. when help is needed. Good schools always devote time to their students. Also, look for caring prof. it will be the hardest 4 years of any student career if they go to a school where the prof. are very uptight and do not care about their students grades and success.

Charlotte

College is not only the pathway to a career, it is a life experience which should help shape a person's perspective and encourage growth and maturity. Along with selecting a school with appropriate areas of study, the student should evaluate the school's principles to ensure that the academic and social relathionship he or she will develop will be beneficial and valuable. Passing classes and having fun is not what the focus should be, so the student should search for an institution that offers activities in their feild and areas of interest as well as resources that will enable the full potential of the student. Every university offers you a diploma, but not every school will help you decide what to do with it and help get you there. It is important to choose a school that will take a personal interest in aiding the student and helping them network throughout their college career so that when graduation day comes, career opportunities will abound. The college experience should offer a life-altering experience of personal development, both academically, professionally, and morally. This is what a student should look for.