North Dakota State University-Main Campus Top Questions

Don't put too much thought into choosing a major. Focus instead on getting your generals out of the way. Choose a general major that you can personalize, one that offers different areas of emphasis. You can work out the specifics later. Focus on your school work. It's something familiar to you, like an old sweatshirt. It may not be the most stylish, but you don't need it to be. The more classes you take, the more you will discover about yourself, your interests, and your own sense of style. Even if you feel like you know exactly what you want to do, don't be afraid to experiment. Keep your mind open to new opportunities. Who knows, maybe you'll change your mind entirely! As your sense of self develops, you will be better prepared to tailor a major to your own needs and desires, but remember, your undergraduate degree is only the beginning. You can further accessorize and personalize your style with graduate work. Save the professional attire for later. For now, stride through the campus wearing your favorite sweatshirt, confident that you will be successful in whatever you decide to do.

Find a college that is in a big enough city where there are things to do for entertainment and one that is equipped with the best and newest types of teaching technology.

NEVER TAKE THE EASY PATH! If I could tell every future college student one thing, it would be to really research and understand the programs at the different schools. I would encourage the student to sit down and really think about what they want to do with their future and what school will provide them with the best opportunity to succeed with there goal in mind. Do not go to a school because your high school friends are attending or because you are following a boy/girlfriend. Choose the path that will suite your needs and I believe that this is a decision that calls for a little bit of selfishness. Don't let somebody talk you into a school because they believe it is the best choice for you, take their advice and research it on your own before you follow blindly. I would also tell a student that they should be realistic about tuition costs and location of the school. If a school 1,000 miles away has the best program but you don't think you can handle the distance from home, really think about how that alone could affect your future.

First, in selecting, you need to find the campus that feels like home to you. Make sure that it is a place that you will be comfortable with spending alot of your time in. It much more relaxing just to be at school. Explore all of that schools programs; academically and extracurricular. Be sure that the classes that you are interested in are going to be part of your education, make sure your choice is the BEST option for you, don't settle for less. Then, while you are at college, you need to get out and meet people. Here is the place to make life long connections with people that may change your life someday. Along with that, the more people you meet, the better you get at just talking to people and being able to make common ground for conversation even though you both may be from different backgrounds or religions. Get involved in activites through the schools to make friends and gain expereince working with other people and having real responsibility. It all comes down to the student being able to take a realistic look at themselves and their future and make the best decision for them.

Go visit all the schools you are intrested in going to. Then once you get enrolled at the school of your choice, go out to public functions and meet a bunch of people. It will help you become more social and the people you meet could eventually help you with your class work if needed. Also the people you meet will help relieve any stress you have by going out and socializing with them.

If you are unsure of what you want to do with your life, or what major to choose, it is ok to be undecided. You can always take a few classes to see what you like. If for some reason you choose a major that is not offered at the school you initially picked, there is nothing wrong with transferring to a different school. A lot of what you get out of your college experience tends to reflect how much effort you put in.

I would tell future college students to read about the college first before applying. See what kind of organizations, sports and clubs one could join while attending school. That way they will have an extra curricular activity to do and will also help them find life long friends. It is also important fot the student to take there classes and grades seriously. I would explain to them that going out and drinking may be fun at the time but in the long run will hurt you. You can make the most out of your college experience without drinking alcohol. This is the time where you can build your knowledge and help reach your goals for the future.

Pick a college that you like the area/town around it. If you want to be close to home or not is very important. A visit will let you know how you feel when on campus and tell you about the kind of people that attend that university. Size and acedemics is very important in consideration and what the campus has to offer you. There is always someone there to help with classes or non-school related problems, you just have to look for assistance! Remember why you're attending college so work and study hard. Don't worry about things and make friends with your professors!!! Be in as many organizations and activities as possible becuase there are so many resources available through them as well as meeting great people!

To the parents helping their teens find the right college, first be sure to consider where he/she wants to attend; If your child does not want to attend the college your inquiring about, the entire college experience can be very unsatisfying for both you and your son/daughter. Take a tour of the campus with your child, interview staff, and ask questions about your concerns. Be sure to gather all the information you need while you are there, so you can develope an honest opinion about that college. For students searching for the right college, be sure that your campus has professors and other staff that are willing to sit down and listen with true compassion and an honest understandings of your ambitions in life; This will lead you indefinitely to a greater education. Last, but not least, check out campus activities and have fun while you are in college; Be confident that your college has a diverse community of people for you to relate with and talk to if you need anything, because they are now your new friends and family. And if your going to take my word for it, I would choose North Dakota State University!

When looking for the right college, a lot of advice is common sense. Look at the school's website and see what programs it offers. Most colleges are known for being strong in one or two areas, but that doesn't mean the other programs are bad. I go to a school that emphasizes Engineering and Agriculture, but I've been very pleased with the English program. Also try to visit the college. If you're going to spend four years there, you'd better like the campus! Thirdly, keep finances in mind. Most people check tuition, but there are two places students often don't look at: college scholarships and job opportunities. No matter what tuition is, most schools have several scholarships for incoming freshman and returning students, so college might not cost as much as you think. And once you're away from home, you might discover that a little pocket change is useful and decide that you want a job, even if you weren't planning on it initially. Budget this money wisely. That gaming system might look cool, but there are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities on campus that you don't want to miss.

The decision to find the 'right' college can be extremely stressful. Hours and hours can be spent on the decision. Here are a few tips. First, decide on what major you or your student would like to pursue. A good idea would be to have a few in mind and find a college that has all of them, because once you enter a program you may find it is not for you. After this is done, you have to decide on your other requirements for a school: cost, distance from home, size of population, and just overall feeling you get from visits to the campus. Hopefully, you will find a campus that meets all or most of your requirements. After that process, you begin your experience. Get a feel for how much is required of you and prepare yourself for that committment. Work hard and meet people that will help you succeed. As your doing all this you also have to find the balance between friends and school. Focusing solely on one will lead to places you do not want to be, failed from school or alone. The balance will help you remain happy and ahead in your studies.

Finding the right college and making the most of the college experience is probably the first major decision in your life. The phrase that gave me the best advice was "Don't be afraid to try something new". Don't go to a college close enough so that you can live at home just because you've never lived away from home. Don't major in something that everyone in your family majors in just because that's all that you've known. Find new hobbies, sports, activities, interests and friends, then get involved in these new things, because this is the last chance you have to explore and figure out what you will be doing for the rest of your life. The one thing that you don't want to change, however, are your values. Stick by your values when making these life changing decisions because they can be counted on to guide you through these decisions. Values will keep you out of trouble that could screw up your life. To wrap it up, college is an experience just like high school was an experience, the only difference is this is your last experience, so make it worth while!

I would tell parents and students that the student should make sure they tour plenty of schools that they are interested, do not just settle on a college that is close to home. Most importantly, however, the student needs to apply for as many scholorships as possible. During my first year, I did not think that this was a very important part of college, but now in my fourth year, I realize how important scholorships are to college life. Without scholorships, the student may have to get a job outside of school, and that cuts into their schoolwork time. If you have enough scholorships, you have one less thing to worry about and can focus on buying the right textbooks, study guides, and spening your time on studies.

Advice is usually a tricky thing to give. Every person's life is different and each individual goes through different challenges in life. There are a few pieces of advice that I can give, though. The first is for the parents: Don't push any certain school on your child if that is not their first choice. This happened to me and I spent one schoolyear in a place that I did not want to be and it was a miserable experience. My second piece of advice is for the prospective students: Apply to as many schools as you want and choose your favorite. There's no use in going to a school where you really don't want to be. And don't worry about making friends, there will be friends for you at any school you attend.

You need to visit the schools that you are looking at in all weather conditions. Take the tours and talk to actual students, not just the student guides. Walk around the campus by yourself and sit in on a lecture. Start looking for colleges early so you have time to think about your choices and revisit the top ones. If you want to make the most out of your college experience then you need to leave your dorm room and get to know other people. Get involved.

I believe the most important thing one can do when choosing the "right" college to attend is to make an appointment to visit the campus. A campus tour shows the prospective student what life is really like for people attending that university. Not only will one get a feel for the social, academic, and living situations on campus, he/she will also get a feel for the distance between the campus and their hometown. Distance from family sometimes plays a big role in deciding which school to attend. Once getting to college, I believe one should take full advantage of any oganizational "fairs" the college puts on. They may look "cheesy" or "boring", but they are really good for reaching out to students and getting people involved. Joining one or two groups can make all the difference in the first years of college. Students with the same interests join similar clubs and can become great friends.

The main piece of advice I would give students is to trust themselves and not be afraid. Going to college is a big step in life, and there is a lot of pressure on students to choose the right school, the right field, and the right activities. Choosing the right school out of those that accepted a student can be difficult, but often, the student knows which school will be right for them and have gotten overwhelmed with details of all the schools combined. A student needs to trust him or herself and make the decision on their own. Do not be afraid to try new things in college. There are many exciting courses, organizations, and ways to get involved on campus that can open new interests. Also, do not be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are learning tools when used the right way. Finally, college can be the best years of your life. Stay open to opportunities and new ideas, and live in the moment. As the band Relient K sings, "it's funny how you find you enjoy your life when you're happy to be alive."

First figure out what you want to major in, or at least what your interests are. By doing this you can find a school that has classes that will fulfill any of your interests, so you won't have to attempt to transfer credits. Also, make sure you tour the campus that you're interested in, because even though it may sound perfect on paper, it may be completely different than what you want. In the end though, the main thing is to make a list of your interests and find a school that can cater to most if not all of you're interests, because then chances are that you'll be able to find someone with the same interests as you and it will make your college experience that much better if you're not missing something that you enjoy doing.

I encourage students starting at NDSU to stay in the freshmen dorms, and to get involved with some organization that interest you as soon as possible. Consider taking a class that interest you each semester that doesn't really relate to your major, unless you are already overloaded. It is nice to have a change of pace, and it could lead to minor in something. "Non-required" homework really should be done because your teachers will expect you to have gained knowledge from that material and test you on it.

My advice to parents and students about finding the right college is find a college that best fits your needs. Pick out the qualities you want to see in a school, such as cost, class size, how big the campus is, is it close to home, ect. As for making the most out of the college experience, get involved on campus, find something that you really enjoy and stick with it. Most campuses have tons of clubs and usually you can find something that fits your interests. Be involved on campus and get to know people, in the long run it will pay off.

I would say it's best to find a college that offers an education in the career field you are most interested in. Then I would try to find a happy balance between the quality of the education and the expense.

The most important aspect is to get a feel for the college and see if it fits yourself. Make sure to go on as many campus tours as possible, just to get a feel for what is out there. There are so many options available and a decision should not be made until numerous options have been explored. Making the most of your college experience can be easily summed up in two words: get involved. The easiest way to meet new people is to join a group or organization that fits you and will have people that you can get along with. I joined the marching band my first year and instantly had over 100 friends. It made the transition much easier. Another way to make the most of your college experience is having an equal balance between academics and social life. This balance is crucial for any college student's success in classes. You cannot be a study rat who does not get out and meet new people and have great experiences they will remember forever. But you can not go out everynight and expect to pass all your classes. Mainly, get out and explore your options.

You should find a school that is in a location that will allow you to succeed. Make sure there are enough options when it comes to majors, so that if you want to change you do not need to tranfer to somewhere else. Don't pick a school where you will be worrying about how you will pay tuition all the time. Base the dicision on the size of campus on what you think you will be comfortable with. Take a tour of the campus during the school year so you can see students as they move around campus so that you are familiar with the types of people that you will be in class with. Check out the opportunities the school offers to graduates trying to get a job. Don't pick a school because a bunch of your friends are going there, because you will not be able to meet as many people and probably will not branch out to new people as much.

Do your research. Don't let funds hold you back. There are many opportunities for funding out there, you just have to find them. Work hard, and it will pay off. Remember to enjoy your time there. Its not all just the schooling, but the experiences you will share with the people that you will meet. Its a blast. Everyone should experience it!

While the condition of the buildings on campus is important, the people you meet while touring colleges are more important. The people are the ones that you will have to spend the next 4-5 years with so its important that a school is friendly and welcoming and that there are opportunities for you to meet different types of people because you can learn as much from them as you do from your classes.

It's not necessary to go to the most expense, top-ranked university ages away from home; what's important is that it will get you to where you want to be going.

Choosing the right college for you, to me, depends on what you are looking for educationally. Picking a college that has a strong program that you are interested in is very important especially if you are considering continuing on to graduate school. Freshmen orientation is also a very helpful tool in selecting the right college for you as are campus tours. Campus tours are very useful because you are able to speak to others in the major of you interest, visit the on campus housing, sample the cafeteria food, and learn the general layout of the campus. This also gives the you oppurtunity to meet and interact with other incoming freshmen so you are able to start making friends before you even select the college. Friendships in college are one of the most important relationships that will be made, the people you meet become your new family and these people will help you make the adjustment to college life and get you through your first finals and other random nights.

Students should be honest with their parents about what they really want to get out of college.

Enroll in interesting classes and make the most out of the experience by taking part in extracurriculars.

Go where it makes you happy, where your college is well known for producing good kids. Do not go where all of your friends are going.

First the student and parents need to visit multiple colleges, view there ciricculum and choices for classes. Then decide on the school that best fits the students needs and wants. The student should decide on what they want not what the parents want. If the school is out of budget have the student apply for scholarships or grants so he or she can go to that school if its the school they prefer.

The first thing you want to do before picking a college is to pick an area of study or field that interests you, and go with that. Then you can begin your search of what schools have good programs. After that, just pick a school that fits your personality. I wanted that wasn't too big, but wasn't too small either. Scholarships help make a decision too. The best thing to do is apply early.

find a school where you as a student are happy and feel like you fit in well

Dear Parents and students, Choosing a college is the most diffcult descision one can make, but having made the choice myself I have one peice of advice. Choose one and stick to it with no regrets. This is because no matter where you go you will get an education, make friends, and miss home. But if you go to a school YOU have choosen than it can become your home. The saying "home is where you are" is the best way to describe it. I have made my school into my home and my friends into my family and I believe that no matter what school I picked I would have had a family and home and that has made all of the difference. Sincerely, A Happy College Student

I would advise students and parents to be open-minded about options for college. Check out as many campuses as possible and be sure to research available majors and minors offered as well as extra-curriculars and organizations available. I believe in many situations, such as college, what you put into it is what you will get out of it. By studying hard academic acheivement can be accomplished, by joining organizations and activites social success will be found, and by volunteering philanthropic experience will be gained. By acheiving these, I believe a student will become a more rounded individual. Most importantly I do advise that academics come first, but it is up to the student to overcome the challege to balance everything to which this reward is invaluable.

I would use some internet lists to find the best college for what you're going into

Try to know somewhat of what kind of major you want and make sure the school has that and other majors close to that.

NDSU offers everything expected of a large university, without being overwhelmingly large. It is safe and diverse, with plenty to keep a student busy in freetime, without being distracting.

Let the student decide what they want, if the parent does the deciding the student will not be on the right path.

The most important thing when choosing a college is the value of the education you will receive. Most schools will allow you to learn more than you could dream if you just apply yourself; higher cost doesn't necessarily mean a better education. The real secret to success at college is becoming involved with student organizations. Once you reach college, find a club that interests you and become involved with it - that's where the real opportunities lay. You will be surprised what you can learn and what you can accomplish if you put yourself out there and show people what you can offer.

Do your research. Do not pick an expensive school simply because of its name. Look around and fine quality schools for what you are truly interested in. You may find some surprisingly good but affordable schools that are making quite a name for themselves in their specific areas of research.

It is very important to pick the right school for you, go to the campus and if it doesn't feel like it fits you then, choose another one. You will not be able to learn to love the campus you are on. You must walk onto campus each day and love it, or you will be unhappy.

Talk to professors and students who attend the school.

Make college an experience, go out and join stuff.

Get involved, and find your friends early on - like in the first week.

I would say to visit as many as you possibly can. Sit down with the staff that you will be working with and really evaluate them since they are who you'll be working with for the next few years. That helped me pick out one less than desirable teacher. You really need to balance whatever is important to you in making the decision. Pick a school that is just as strong in your preferred activities as your selected major. To get the most out of the experience, get involved in whatever you can to find friends. Go out to an event even if you don't feel like it at first and don't give up if you don't find where you fit right away. Some don't, but when you do, you'll be glad you stuck with it. Stay on the campus. DO NOT go home the first weekend. Many never come back after that. More than anything continue to seek out the place where you most belong on the campus.

find the right school and see how many scholarships you can get. Loans can get spendy

I would tell the parents to encourage their kids to go and check out the campus and talk with the professors of their intended major before making any decisions. To the kids, I would tell them not to worry about going to college with your friends from high school because you make so many other lifelong friends in college. I would also tell them to be themselves no matter what and not give into peer pressure because you are respected more for standing up for yourself than you are for giving in.

My advice about finding the right college would be to go out and find a college somewhere that you have always wanted to go just to get experience in life. My advice on making the most out of a college experience would be to just go out and find things to do whether it be joining a fraternity and getting involved that way, or join a few clubs. Anything that this person finds enjoyable they should be doing in college, because thats what this time of life is for, enjoying, learning, and getting ready for the rest of your life.

Find the best college that suites your needs in the major you're thinking of taking.