Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Top Questions

Class Size!!!!!!!!!!!! After attending a very large college and a smaller college, I realized how much better my education really was. Large colleges in cities gives the students alot more to think about than school. In a smaller school you mind set is more acedemic than the larger school and you feel more of a need to attend classes, exspecially since they are so personable and the professor can actually know all their students. Acedemic support is also much greater in a smaller school. Students also tend to know alot more people at a smaller school and tend to see them alot more often than at a large school. Smaller school sometimes also tend to be a little less pricey as well which is a great thing when you graduate! Small classes, closer friends, more acedemic support, better price you just cant beat it.

Make sure you visit the college before you go.

I advise parents to listen to the children 's opinions because the parents are not the ones that have to endure 4 or more years there. To the students all I can say is follow your heart, never do what people think you are good at. It's your life, others do not have to deal with your decisions, you do.

I would really take the time their senior year of high school and visit the schools that peak their interest. I really think that if the student/parents get a head start into finding out what they're looking for early on then the search for their perfect matched school will be only application letters away. I have found that most schools have department heads available for questions on showcase/visitation days. So getting some time to meet with them is really helpful, it gives you insight on what the professors are like and what kind of majors suit your personal interest. As for students getting the most out of their college career, its more about how the student is and what they expect from college. I think finding friends that will stick with you through thick and thin are always important, especially in college. However, I also think that college is the transition period between being a child and going to school and becoming an adult and moving out into the 'real world' to find a career. Therefore, take the opportunity to try different things, get involved and you'll end up with an awesome resume for the future.

Follow your gut. Take other peoples advice, and ask about their experiences, but at the end of the road, this is your choice, and you are the one that will be attending the school, so make sure you get a "home" -like feeling and feel comfortable wherever you choose.

Make sure the college you choose has a variety of majors that you may be interested in because most students switch their major at least once. Be sure to look into the campus life and the activities that go on on campus. Make sure the school is located somewhere where you can enjoy living for example if you don't like snow, don't go up north, if you don't like humidity go out west. Personally, I would recommend a school where your professors know you and are able to help you. At big schools it is hard to meet/ talk with a professor. At smaller schools you have the ability to meet one on one for help or advice.

I feel that the students personal interests need to be in mind while looking for a school. Not only academics need to be taken into account but also social life. This is where you son or daughter will be spending the next four years of their lives and its a time where they will truly be shaped into an adult. You want to make sure that they are in a place where they have the resources to achieve what they want in life with out stuggling. Alot will change in this time for you son or daughter but in good ways. College is not only about learning in the classroom but also learning real life challenges on your own.

Definetely visit the campus so you can get a feel for it and see how the students there interact. But most of all talk to people who attend the school. And talk to more than one because everyone has a different experience at college.

In most cases, students entering college really don't have the best idea of what they would like to do with the rest of their lives. In the case that you do, you should encourage yourself and others to attend a school with an environment that will suffice and keep you happy. Lets be real, every college has good and bad professors. What I'm trying to say is that if you don't know what you want to do, at least make sure you are in a place that will keep you happy when other things don't. Being homesick can get hard when things aren't going well. Make sure the college you choose turns into a home away from home. Visit that school a few times before you decide to go there and when/if you ever decide to transfer... make sure you REALLY want to leave before you do. College is expensive and you lose a lot of hard work if you transfer. Choose a location that will make you wake up in the morning and smile because you're there. Seriously.

Basically, if you are a parent, take your son or daughter to various colleges that your son or daughter are interested in. Don't try to persuade him or her, but let him or her make the desicion based on what works for them. College is the first major step for students to decide on their future, so let them decide and support their desicsion. If you are a student, don't choose a school that your great grandfather went to, a school where all of your friends are going, or a school where your girldfriend or boyfriend is going. Choose the school that is right for you. Visit many different schools until you find the one that fits you best. When you find the college that best fits, you will know. College is a life changing, hopefully positive experience. Choose what is best for you. To make the most out of college you need to remember three things. One, have a social life. Without friends or someone to talk to, it is easy to feel miserable. Two, want to learn. Be excited that you have the opportunity learn new information from experts! Lastly and obviously, make good decisions.

Don't chose to go to a college based on what your parents/ friends want, go for you!

College is all about balance. You need to balance your schoolwork, social life, and in some cases jobs. Making sure to stay organized and prepared will help with the college experience. It is very easy to become overwhelmed and stressed but keeping a balance between the important things in your life really helps a lot.

I think my advice would be to stay open. Do not choose the first college you visit simply because you like the way it looks. Get active in the process and ask questions, visit a dormitory, ask to see the eating establishments. Remember students you will be investing years of your life in this school! Parents, let your children be the explorers, and you be the capitain. Give your student advise, but let them make their own discoveries! To both: talk it out, your likes, your dislikes. Eventually you will find the right choice!

Even though times are tough in this economic crisis but your childs education needs to come first.

The best advice when choosing a University is to follow your heart. A lot of influence comes from a lot of sources when choosing a University. Your parents and friends will influence where you go and so will the location of the University but if you know the school isn't for you, don't go there. Also, don't be influenced to choose a school just because your friends from high school are going there. I came up to Slippery Rock with my best friend from high school and we dormed together Freshman year and it wasn't that great of an experience. Honestly, it's better to room with a new person so that you can get new experiences and make a new friend. Overall, just make sure that you study hard for all your classes because it is nothing like high school. If you fail one test, you may only have one other test left for the rest of the semester, it is very demanding. Just do your best and follow your heart and you will succeed.

Visit the campus and check out a course schedule to make sure it would be a good school for your major. Also, ask people who attend(ed) the school what they think about it.

I honestly would tell them to start as early as possible because you want to pick the school that is right for you as a parent and child. Some schools are just party schools and others are completely dull. Truthfully, the school should be a little of both because the most important thing is your education but its also good to release some steam and do other activites once the weekend comes. When I first came to Slippery Rock I didn't know anybody and was really scared but after awhile it grows on you and you meet tons of friends and you become apart of the university and don't feel like an outsider. Most kids quit when they face adversity but if you stare it down and keep working hard and trying your best it all works out in the end.

To the parents I would have to say, trust your child. They are making their first real life decision. Once they have made their decistion talk to them and fully make sure this is where they want to go. Help them look at many scgools close to home and even, the dreaded, out of state! Look over all the brosures and of course the financial information, understand it completely. Go over pros and cons about each school, just so your student knows exactly what is going on. If they seem like they don't care because this is where they want to go, they'll appreciate it in the long run. Some information for the student...go with your heart! If you're thinking about going with a friend, make sure that friend is in it for the long run. Also, make sure you talk to any prof. or advisor you can before you make your choice. Communication is the most important life line that you have. Think of all the great things that you like about the school, but also calculate the not-so-good-stuff that you find out about the school. Even try some peer reveiws.

I think you need to really take into consideration the student's wants and needs. If they want to look at a school farther than you expected them to look at, then let them. College is a great experience and I think everyone should look as many places as possible to find the right location for them.

Really do the research and don't be afraid to ask questions. People enjoying helpping and answering questions about there school, so just don't be afraid. Sit in the classrooms, to get a feel for the learnig style, you spend most of the time in the classrooms, so sitting in there and finding out how comfortable you are, is really important. Talk to students currently attending, because they know most about the school and the enviroment.

Look for a place that you feel the most comfortable and most at home. By finding a place that reminds you of home, it will help you adjust to being in a different place and not feel like you have to go home whenever possible. Also, don't just look for a place that doesn't offer a second major that you're interested in, because most people will change majors at least once and you don't want to have to find another school that offers what you want. Another important thing is to look for clubs/organizations at the school that you would be interested in, because it helps you adjust and form good friendships with people who are intnerested in the same things as you.

There are a lot of factors that go into choosing the right school. The main thing to remember is that everyone?s different. I suggest carefully selecting a school that meets all of your needs. Definitely avoid transferring which could lead to delays and setbacks in your college career. Some of the things to consider include school size and location (rural vs. city), class size, majors offered, and services provided. A big factor for me was distance from my home. I wanted to be far enough away that I could be independent but also close enough if I needed my family I know they would only be two hours away. To make the absolute best experience, I highly advise students to get involved! Being involved has opens more doors than I could've ever imagined. I?ve had numerous travel opportunities, built an amazing r?sum?, learned much more than what any classroom or textbook could teach me, gained several credible references and even made a few lifelong friends. And the list goes on! Again, everyone is different and it really depends on what you want. I truly believe that I've received the best experience possible.

When I was looking into college, I did everything myself. Although I wanted to attend a bigger school then I chose, I am very happy with my decision. If parents are involved in the decision I believe that they need to give their child the benefit of the doubt when picking their school, because ultimately it is up to the future college student. Picking the right college? That's hard. I think the best way to make that decision is to apply to all the schools that you are interested in (after visiting their campuses). When you get your acceptance letters back, look at the school websites, and facebook someone from that school. Make a pros and cons list of each school. Your decision will be made for you, and really you won't even realize that is what you're doing. The school you choose will decide almost everything for thre rest of your life, and although a pros and con list seems easy. When you get down to it, it is way harder to do, and it helps you figure out alot that you may not normally think about when making a decision.

I would advise anyone choosing to attend college to first visit the university to make sure it feels right. Try to stay away from choosing a school because a friend is going, this is an individual choice and will be more rewarding if made alone.

Visit the school and surrounding town/area before enrolling. Make sure you take into account the number of students at the college and the ability of the town/city to cover all of your needs during the school year. If you aren't going to be off campus too much then make sure the on campus facilities are to your liking. Plus it never hurts to talk to current students to find out what they think.

Students: College is all about defining yourself. Its a fresh start, a clean slate. It's the perfect time to continue down the path you've set before yourself or change your direction if you've veered off course a little in the past. Take the time to do the extra curricular ativities that take you out of your comfort zone, only then do you grow as a person. Meet new people. Find out what makes you tick, what your passions are. And don't ever take for granted the opportunity before you, because not all are fortunate enough to have the chance at a college education. Parents: Students will be going through many changes and transformations. Take them in stride. Support them even if it's not EXACTLY what you wanted. If they want to change their major, discuss it. If they want to switch roommates, talk about it. We're not little kids anymore, we're adults. Try not to tell us what to do but offer us your opinion so we can make an informed decision. Believe it or not, we are listening.

I would advise students to attend college as far away from home as they can reasonably do. Getting away from your comfort zones will force you to reevaluate yourself and grow as an individual. If you are constantly around the same people and ideas your own ideas and opinions will never be challenged and you will never grow as a person. College is about challenging yourself and who you think you are. You cannot do that if you stick with the same people and places you grew up with. I would also advise students to live in school dormitories their first year. It it difficult to make friends at first in a place as big as a university and having a roommate is a great way to start. It makes a world of difference if there's someone in the room when you get back from classes. Finally, don't be afraid to tell someone if you're depressed or confused. These feelings are normal but spiral out of control quickly. I myself was reduce to scratching cuts in my arm before I finally spoke to a friend about it. Friends are there to listen so talk to them.

Take a campus tour, walk around and get a feel of the environment before signing up for anything.

The experience you have in college is really important. I would tell students that they need to balance their work and play. I understand greatly that students have to work to make money, but I worked way to much during college. It didnt affect my grades, but it could have. One thing it majorly did affect is the time I had to socialize and make the most out of the college experience. I would also tell them that joining a club or athletic team is great, but there are also some downsides to it as well. Depending on the school, being a varsity athlete will take up so much time. I ran track at a division 2 school and the amount of time that I spent with the team was insane. There are so many positives to it as well, such as the amazing places you will get to go and the great friendships you will make, but I just wish that someone would have told me how much time it was going to take before I did it. Picking the right college and enjoying college is very beneficial to your overall experience ag college.

just make sure that all teachers are willing to help students wtih learning disabitlies

Many parents find it hard letting their children go off to school all by themselves, sometimes hundreds of miles away. I think my parents and I mapped out college life for me perfectly. I knew I didn't want to be too far from home because I love my family very much and would miss them immensely. I'm the perfect distance away, which is about an hour. I can still go home every weekend if I wanted, but I'm still on my own when I need to be. I'd say my advice would be don't go far from home. Going to college in California may sound like a good idea, but it won't be too nice Thanksgiving day when you can't afford a plane ticket home to eat dinner with your family. Also, apply for scholarships or anything that will help you pay the bills. Schooling is very expensive. I'm fortunate enough that my parents are paying for my education, but I still like to help them out with anything I can get, even if it's just $100 that helps me pay for books.

Do not, under any circumstances, allow your beloved offspring, or lack there of, to attend this travesty of an institution and tax dollars by the PA state citizens. I hate Ed Rendell, and you can blame him for cutting the edjumacation budget.

My advice to parents and students is to take their time and decide what school is best for your education based on academics. It is important to consider all finances along with academics when choosing a college. Don't choose a university because your friends or family have attended or will be attending there. College is the beginning of a life long career and it is crucial for a student to be in the proper surroundings. Also, I would suggest to a student to meet with the staff and faculty and become a familiar face in the classroom. If ever the time should arise when you need advice or assistance from a professor, it would be beneficial if they already know your face. Enjoy your college career for what it is and you will get more than an education in book smarts.

The strongest advice I could give to a student/parent, is to visit the college, get to know some of the staff and be sure to take note of the interactions of the students on campus. Pay attention to your own feeling of the campus and whether you feel you would fit in, or feel comfortable at the college. Make sure you assess the intrested course programs available, to determine whether you feel like the educations experience will be worthwhile. The other aspects, like sports, involvement, food, getting to class, ecetra will fall into place. Focus on the desireable degree available first, then how you will feel at the college. Remember, you could spend around four years at this college, if you don't like it when you look at it, you probably won't like it later.