University of the Pacific Top Questions

Think about the environment that the setting, including people, creates. Being comfortable and feeling like a part of your school community will enrich the college experience and even help with academic motivation.

To those students who are trying to find the right college, my advice to you is to make sure you research your prospective colleges/universities. I also suggest that you visit all of the campuses so that you get a feel for the atmosphere on the school that you plan to attend for the next few years. To those students who are trying to get the most of their college experiences, I advise that you get out of your room and socialize! I can not stress that enough. I know that my freshman year, I always stayed in my room and only had a few close friends, and it was a very emotional year for me. But this year, I got out more, joined a recreational softball team, and joined a sorority, where I met the best group of girls! They made me feel so welcome and at home and now I can't wait for the rest of the time that I will get to spend with them! I know that I will have some life long friends from these instances that I opened myself up to.

I would visit schools with the program your are intersted in on a day the school is in session. Attend an orientation session. Try to get a feel of the campus. Talk to people in the department - students and faculty. Eat a meal at the school and ask the students how the food is. Once you decide on your school attend a family weekend or orientaion program. Get involved - join a club, play a sport (team, club or intra-mural), excercise and be active (beware the freshman weight-gain syndrome), make friends, go outside, go to campus events (plays, musical performances, sporting events), keep in touch with old friends and your family, get help when you need it (ask questions, talk to your professor or teaching assistant, get a tutor), relax, take a nap, have quiet times, and enjoy your college years while you are there - you only have them once!

College can be some of the best years of your life, but to gain the full experience there are a few helpful keys I've learned. I would suggest parents and their child visit the campus prior to enrollment. Signing up for tours and having a chance to explore the city as a whole, are great ways for the family to feel more comfortable about taking the next step in their student's life. After he or she has found the right college, the most common concern is the social life factor. Making new friends is a scary thought, and meeting new people can come at various times for different people. A way to help this process is to join clubs you are interested in right off the bat. Being an athlete, I know that it has helped me tremendously having a group I had so much in common with. Going to sporting events is also a way to meet new people, as well as showing school spirit and having fun doing it. The hardest part is stepping out of your comfort-zone. Together, I think these factors are helpful steps towards a great college experience.

My first piece of advice is to not worry about the cost. Some students do not apply to certain colleges due to the fact that their tution and cost of living seems impossible to pay for even though they qualify for enrollment. There is plenty of money available through student loans, financial aid, scholarships and grants that any student should be able to attend any university pending enrollment. My second piece of advice would be to thoroughly research the universities you plan on applying to. Things to look for when researching include: majors, school size, class size in regards to majors, professors, athletics, student life, housing, surrounding area and tution. The universities website or Princeton Review is a good place to start. My third piece of advice is to know who you are and what you want to get out of your college experience. You dont have to know what major you want before you attend college. However, you should have a good idea of who you are, your likes /dislikes and have a few majors in mind. You can always change. Finally, have as much fun as possible. This is the best time of your life!

Diversify your choices and go to college for the right reasons. That is the single most important thing to do. With the state of the economy and the way student loans tend to go, the best bet is to do your homework, research financial aid, and actually visit the University you want to attend. I was a tour guide and I cannot stress enough the necessity of going to the University and not only taking a tour but visiting the town where the college is located to gauge whether you will be comfotable or not. I remember when I was picking a college it did not consider to me to take junior college courses first to save money. If you are strapped for cash, this is the best way to go. Not only can you knock out general education courses, but you will be able to build a network before college that can help you get into a better school. In summary, it takes hard work, research, and dedication but make sure to choose what is right for you. Ultimately, you, as the student, are the one taking courses and spending four hard years of work in one place.

Think about what major you want to have and go to the school that offers a good program because that will help you stay interested in the program. Don't choose a school just based on where your friends or boyfriend/girlfriend is going because you'll have more fun exploring college and making new friends if you don't come with a security blanket of friends. Check out the clubs/extracurricular activities on campus, and Greek life even if you didn't think you would ever go greek. It might be a decision to change your life for the better, and it might make your college experience more enjoyable.

Make sure to visit every school that intrests you and ask students how they feel about the school. Also find out what drew them to the campus and if they have enjoyed their experience. Make sure that the campus is not only somewhere that you could see yourself spending four years, but that you could find yourself calling home. Once you find the school for you, get involved, find people with similar intrests, join a club, or a team even if its intermural. Make sure to never lose focus on your school work, but that you also know how to relax and have fun. Find a healthy balance between the two and make sure you always have time for yourself. Most of all, get to know the people around you, find your passion and enjoy yourself!

Ask EVERY question, even the ones you think you know the answers to. Talk with professors to find out how accomodating they are, and talk with students to verify what you find. Ask the students what they feel about the school and the program that you are considering.

visit it, go on campus tours, visit the classrooms in action, considered the area around it

This University is expensive. Period. But if you work hard in high school and get a good GPA, then there are plenty of scholarships that you can apply for to help a lot with the cost of tuition. So the general idea is, you can get in to UOP if you have the money, but if you don't, you really have to work at it. The staff and faculty at the University of Pacific are wonderful people, and they really do look out for every student to make sure they get everything they can out of the rarefied education we are receiving.

Find out what you want before college. Universities are expensive you dont want to waist your money switching majors. Also apply to any school you want to get into, you'll be suprised how many long shots let you in.

My advice would be to not just look at college as another school. Look at it as a life experience. That being said, pick a college that has what you're interested in studying of course, but also look at what else it has to offer. What kind of clubs are there? What kind of things to do on the weekends are there? Why are the students that are there studying at that particular school? College is one of those experiences that will be with you for the rest of your life. You want to pick a place that feels like home to you.

Research Research Research

Always visit the campus ahead of time and get involved with the school.

Look at class sizes, professor communication with students, financial aid and campus location.

Just make sure your student is happy where they are going to school

Help your child make the decision, do not make it for them. Examine all possibilities as no single aspect is important enough to make a decision alone.

You should look at what the school offers for the student and parents finacially and academically. Such as the quality of the learning environment and how involved the campus is in conservationalism. The general health and safety facities avbailable on campus as well as off campus. What programs are offered that help the students. The condition of the housing buildings and classrooms.

I would tell them to pick the school that feels most like home to you, otherwise you'll be miserable the entire year.

Visit the school before you choose which one to attend, and take the location of the school into account, and not just the school. Once you get to college, experience everything you can. Get involoved with clubs or greek life, or anything that interests you because it will make the experience so much more fun, and you'll get more out of it.