Washburn University Top Questions

Find a place you like to live then go to school there. The town and people are what makes your college experience. Stay away from Washburn!

Go to this college you can not go wrong!

Don't pick a school based on athletics or whether or not it is where you're friends are going. Choose a school based on whether it is right for you.

Make sure that the student is interested in attending the university and knows what they want to do. It's always better to compromise and pick something that is good for both the student and the parent, not one either way.

Make sure you visit the schools your interested in. The most important aspect is to make sure your comfortable with the atmosphere and everyday life at the college. Talk to students you see walking by and ask how they feel about the school. They usually are not afraid to tell it how it really is at the school, compared to the campus tour guide. Live in dorms the first year, its the best decision one can make. Its where you meet others who are in your same position and know what you're going through. These people win probably be the ones you choose to live with off-campus the next years. You will hopefully bond and become life friends with the people you meet your first year, through joining clubs and living on campus.

I would reccomend that you go and experience all aspects of not just the college that you're thinking of attending but also look into the town that you'll be living in for potentially 4 years of your life

Look at what your student wants and what school is most able and excited about providing those wants.

Class is most important but never forget that a healthy social enviroment is very important and the only real way to survive the stress. Going away, you will probably rarely see friends from home, which is good for adapting into the new environment. I have yet to see a happy college friend who keeps around friends that do not attend the college. One cannot live in the past when working towards the future.

The advice that I will give to parents of a child trying to find the right college for them is to let their child make the choice that they believe is right for them and the person that they are. Let them determine what they want by rounding out categories in a list and being involved in the search for the college just so that parents are aware of how much it will cost to put their child through college. Do research on the school to see if it provides the right education that the child needs and that it offers the right saftey precautions for the child on campus. For a child going to college the advice I will give them is to look for a school that reflects them as a person and fufill their education needs for the career chosen and if it hasn't been chosen yet, pick a school that has many choices and opportunity to find one. Also pick a place that you will feel at home and involved. Choose a place that will let you be yourself and have fun on and off campus.

The advice I would give is don't follow your friends to the college they are all going to. Go where you are going to feel comfortable and where you are going to pursue your career. For instance, don't go to an agricultural college when you are wanting to do nursing. Also, if you don't think you are ready to leave home, choose a college close to home even if it is a community college. You are going to feel more comfortable and have more confidence b/c of the smaller class sizes, and easier chances to make friends.

You have to visit the college and sit in on a class. Talk to actual students there and not just the ambassador's because that is what will give you the best picture of the college you're looking at attending. Also remember that the amount you pay does not always reflect the education that you will recieve. Try to find out the job placement rating of the school before you decide where you're going.

Visit the school and go check out the classes.

For parents I would make sure the campus security is great to help when leaving your child at college. Also, to allow your child to grow up, and make big grown decisions for later on in life. For students, be careful when starting college, to not get caught up in everything else going on outside of school. You are there to live, learn, laugh, and grow up. Know where the library is!

View several different schools. Look at ones that are different sizes and different kinds of area (in the city, rural areas, etc...) it allows you to experience different types of areas and get a feel for what you really want. Try and get involved with the school; you meet alot more people that way. I recommend staying in a dorm the first year because that is how I met most of my friends today.

I would tell the student to think about how they learn. If they learn better in a smaller classroom in which they get to have open discussions and do group work, they should look at smaller colleges. Another thing they should think about is whether or not they can balance their social life and their classes. If they are constantly giving in to the temptation of partying when they need to be studying, they should choose a college that has less of those temptations.

Make the visits. You can't choose a college out of a brochure; after all, those shiny pieces of paper are really on public relations tactics trying to draw you in. But when you are on campus, you can talk to real students and teachers. You will see what you will be around all the time and get a feel of the atmosphere. Also, use your gut. Your instincts are usually a pretty good indicator of what school is right for you. Don't be scared to leave home. Dream big, spread your wings, and fly!!! To make the most of your college experience, you should be involved. Don't overstretch yourself, but pick two or three organizations that you are interested in and be ACTIVE. Don't just pay your dues and get the tshirt. Make sure that you don't put off studying. That is the whole reason you are there!!! Make friends, form study groups, use available campus resources like the library and study cubbies to make the most of your study time. Finally, don't forget to have fun. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people. Live it up, but study hard.

Make sure that you not only take the college sponsored tours, but that you talk and interact with students who are not being paid to make their school look better. Spend time on campus without a guide. Check out their website to see what they emphasize. Subscribe to their newsletter to see what kind of awards they get, and how they spend their money. Once in college, get active. Find something you like, and go with it. Don't be afraid you won't fit in, eventually someone else will be the new kid on campus. Everyone's been there. Don't feel obligated to do everything. Do what you like and stick with it.

Smaller schools are better learning enviroments.