Western Washington University Top Questions

Don't put your kid in the dorm unless you really love paying nearly twice as much money a month to sustain them in bellingham. Its an expensive place outside the campus. On the cheapest meal plan and dorm...without expenses expect that you will be paying around 900/month or so. Not including books. The worst grocery store up here is price like a QFC down south and the gas up here is about 30 cents more a gallon. Clothes cost more too

The one thing that every parent and student needs to keep in mind above all other things is being realistic. Everyone gets caught up in the glossy colorful pages of college brochures, which highlight all the good parts of the school, which make you feel excited and giddy about the prospects of going there. Traveling too far away from home is the number one mistake of college freshman. Everyone thinks an out of state school is so cool and hip, untill you realize it would be nice to go home once in a while. 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my friends went out of state for school, and about 80{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} came back. They are all high achievers who chose the east coast, and being from the west coast it just didnt work out. My main point is please carefully consider in state schools, it is in your best interest and can save you time and money with the college application process. I really want people to learn from the mistakes of my friends and the people I graduated with so in turn they can have a more successful freshman year.

I would suggest taking a tour of any campus you are interested in before you even apply. It's even better to do it when school is in session. This gives you a feel for campus life. If you are looking for a large school with a lot of school spirit, then you should look at Division 1 schools. That's not what i was interested in. You should also consider the city that the school is located in. City size is important, too. You should also do research into what you think you might want to study and see what that school offers. Obviously, it is hard to know what you want to do when you enter college, but knowing what a school offers before you attend it can help narrow down your options. As far as making your experience meaningful, don't be afraid to branch out beyond what you normally would do. Try new things and try to put your biases aside. I like my school because it is a good size and I have found a lot of likeminded people. It was easy to make friends and I never really felt that lost.

Make a random list of colleges. I'd say about forty or so. Include the colleges you already have interest in going to, but also pick several you haven't thought about. Then make another list of areas in which these colleges are strong, be that academically or otherwise. Make sure not to include the name of the college on this list. Now go down this second list and cross out all the schools that don't have many things that interest you. Try to narrow it down to about 10-15 schools or so. Look into these schools further, find out if they're out of your budget, or not in places you want to live. Take the remaining schools, and visit them. There is no substitute for visiting a campus, preferably during the school year. Take the tour, meet with an advisor. On your way home, visit a few random schools. Who knows? The right school might not have been on your list. Never pass up an opportunity to go check out a campus. When you find the right school, you'll know.

Never let others make a decision that is yours to make. Trust your gut, and go with what feels right. It isn't about the reputation or the cost. Just because not everyone has heard of your college doesn't mean it is worth any less than the top schools out there. If you go to a school that feels right, then everything else will fall into place; your friends, your grades, your new life! If you go to a school just for the name brand or just because it is your parent's alumnus...that doesn't mean it will fit YOU. Once you get to that school, keep trusting your gut and never back down. You have an opportunity to make the friends that you'll have for life, and learn the things that will cement your future. If you stick to your principles and do what you love, then you will be successful and happy. College is what you make of it. It can be hell, or it can be the best years of your life. It all depends on what YOU decide, not what others pressure you into. Whatever you do, throw your heart into it.

The first thing to decide is what is most important to you, whether that be location, academics, sports, social life, money or anything else. Once you know that, look for schools based on the things that are at the top of your list. Don't settle for just any school, the right one for you is out there. Visit as many campuses as you possibly can to get a feel for what you think you like. The more time and research you put into deciding your school, the happier you'll be with your choice. The same goes for your college experience once you are there. You get back what you put into it. Even if a campus is too far away to visit, you can still get a feel for it by reading about it. I chose my school without ever visiting it and I'm very happy with my choice. Most importantly do what feels right to you. Make your decision based on what you think is best, this is the start of your indepent life and self discovery. Although your parents are great for advice, ultimately the decision should be your own beacause the experience will be.

It is all about finding the campus that is right for you. Some colleges are more into leadership development, others are enviromentally involved and that reflects into both the classes and the campus life. You must also find the campus that fits you size wise. If you function well on a large campus then go for one, but if you need the small campus life to feel comfortable and at home then there are plenty of those around as well. A lost of people look for a college based on areas of study at the school and if you know you want to do something then make sure you go to a school that offers it, but if you are not sure then don't let that sway your decision. For example I am studying nothing close to what I started at, and now am studying for a degree that didn't even exsist when I first started college. You never know what will interest you until you've tried a few new things, and talked to professors and students alike.

When it comes to looking for the right college you need to make sure it fits who you are adn who you want to become. Not just because friends are going or you heard they had great parties. Really getting a chance to talk to students or other people in the community is important. You can also make sure the surrounding area is what you want. Going to visit and staying over with a friend that goes to the school or with a program the school has. That way you can really see what its like. When you come to visit dont go out to eat, eat on campus (you will be eating this food all next year so its good to try it). Sitting in on class is a good way to get first had experience is useful. Lastly give every school a chance, listen to you parents on this (parents listen to the student as well). You never know what you will fall is love with.

I would advise parents/students to realistically consider what is important to them- considering class size, town size, major options and other activities. Realize that the "college experience" is different than the standard story and be sure to make it your own. Enjoy the time, experiment and push yourself to try new things- you never get this time back in your life, live it to its fullest potential and enjoy the ride.

College is about all sorts of learning: factual information, ways of thinking, getting along with different people, even learning about yourself. It's such a key time in your life, and getting the right school for you is the most important thing. You need to feel comfortable enough where you choose to go that you can take full advantage of your education, in all its forms. If that means Ivy League isn't the right place for you, that's okay, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Remember, it's *your* school

I think parents should stay out of their child's college choice as much as possible. It is the younger's decision about where he or she wishes to get educated, not yours. It isn't fair to with-hold money or make any threats if your child doesn't wish to follow the path you force upon them. That aside, anyone who wishes to find the right college is recommended to base their decision not only on where they feel they will get the best education for the field they wish to go in, but also attend a college that is in an environment where you will feel comfortable. If you like warm weather, don't attend a college in Alaska- there's a good chance you'll be miserable! If you happen to be uncomfortable with large lecture halls and the sorority/frat scene, attend a smaller university or college for a more intimate learning environment. Being as comfortable as you can while attending a higher learning institution is a great way to stay focused on what you' are doing there in the first place- GETTING THE EDUCATION YOU WANT!

For all incoming students to any school. I would suggest to the student and their parents that they visit the school a few times and make sure that the town and school feel right. If the academics are the only reason you are going to a school, you probably won't be as happy. Make sure you love everything about the school and city it's in.

No matter what anybody says, the student going to college is responsible for choosing the right school for themself. Having that responsibility to choose exactly where to attend college is the first step in independence. The student's happiness depends on what that student wants to study, so let them choose the college of their choice. If the student is responsible and efficient, he or she will ask you (the parent) for advice and their choices. The student will take the parent's choices and advice into consideration because they know that their parents care about them. Let them choose, and be supportive. That is the best thing you can do for your college bound student. they will maek the right choice if the parents let them.

Make sure to know what kind of atmosphere you're looking at.

If you have a good history of making good decisions, experience something new and make a bad one.

To the student, make a list of your goals for what you want to achieve in school in every field that you feel will shape you into the person you want to become once college is over. Consider fieds such as: financial (can I afford this?, how accessible is financial aid here?), Career (does this college offer learning programs to move me towards my dream career?), Academic (Does this college offer the competitve, respectable programs that will make me a force to be reckoned with in the job market after I graduate?), Geographic (Do I want to live nearer, or farther away from home, will my parents still send me money if I move to the other end of the country?), Social (Does this school offer the organizations that cater to my favorite: hobbies, recreation, religion?). The best advice I recieved from a counselor was to actually go to the colleges you are considering and honestly ask yourself, "do I feel comfortable here? Do I feel like I could get a lot from this place? And listen to whatever your gut tells you. If you don't feel comfortable or hopeful, it will be difficult to go to school there.

Finding the right college is a balance between choosing an institution that will allow you to pursue a multitude of academic areas and that has a strong variety of both extracurricular and off-campus activities available. In order to find out what disciplines really interest you it is necessary to pick a college that will allow you to explore and discover what you want to do with your life while still having the facilities and resources that will support your further studies once you have decided on your academic focus. A visit can often give you the feel of the college and you can walk around and talk with both the students and professors about the school in general. Visiting in person like this is usually the best way to determine whether or not you wish to go there, but doing your homework and researching your choices on your own through other means, such as the internet or magazines, is highly advisable. That being said, your student life is not wholly made up of schoolwork so you need to find a school that has fun things to do, be they extracurricular clubs or not related to the campus at all.

Students should be more worried about finding the school that will fufill their needs and their goals. One can learn about math or science at any school that teaches those subjects.; although, it is the different experience that sets the schools apart. Students should make a list of the top five things they want from college. Creating the list is hard and requires a bit of soul searching to find what you are really looking for in life. With this list of five things, then you should begin to search for the schools that will offer those things to you in the best manner. Going to college is an experience and it would be a shame to waste that experience at a school that can't meet your needs. When you find that college of your dreams, take every measure to ensure that you leave that college with no regrets. Parents on the other hand, help your students realize what lies ahead and what it means. Just the thought of going to college will make your student start thinking about the end of college. Take one step at a time to help them get to the school that they want

If you want to find the "right" college, just go to many different places and try to get a feel for each one. Then just pick the place where you feel most at home, where you can be yourself, learn, and enjoy your college experience.

To find the right college, you should find a place that supports you. Make sure it's a place that you will feel comfortable and know that you will be accepted for who you are and what you love in life. And although it's important to pursue the things you love and know, to make the most of your college experience you should EXPERIENCE. Get out and do something different, that's what college is about, learning and growing. The best way to do that is by doing. So enjoy those things that you love, but find new things that you love too.

Choose a college that has an environment you feel most comfortable in, because you will be spending most of your time there. People who chose the same environment probably have a lot of other same interests or at ideals as you, which makes making friends easier. Don't stress about making friends or fitting in, the first year of college everyone is excited to break out of high school norms and experiment with really being themselves, not afraid of judgement or approval anymore.

First I would tell them to find out what they like and are intersted in studying. That way they narrow down the the many colleges that out to ones that are good at what you are intersted in. Sceondly I would tell to make a list and rate what is most important to them and norrow the colleges that way. Then when you get to college don't take all the same classes with your firnds. This is one good way to make new friends. You might be suprise who you can become friends with. Also do extra cirrular actives. This is another good way to make friends and broden your horrizen. Over all having good firend in college and good professiors can make the colege experience less stressful ad more enjoyable. Especial with some of your friends are upper classmen. So parents this is a good time to let you kids have more freedom an expresee them selves. I say if they hare happy and not getting in big trouble you should be happy and support them in what ever they choose to do.

VIsit the school!!! WWU was my last choice of school, and that all changed when I set foot on the campus. There are a lot of reasons to select a school , just make sure you explore them. It is not all about prestige and programs, but about location, recreation, academic involvement, and campus community. If you are going to leave home for college, make sure it is somewhere where you feel comfprtable and at ease.

As a current college student, the following bits of information are what I consider to be the most important things to remember in order to select the right school, and get the most out of your experience. Don't allow your friends or parents to choose your school; pick which school YOU want to attend. Try to visit the campus before you commit to attend. Unless you are absolutely sure you want to live with your friend, I don't reccomend it, as it causes a lot of undue stress during the school year. Get involved with clubs, groups, sports, or intramurals as soon as possible, but remember to maintain a balance of activities and academics. Try to experiece the local culture; you will be part of it. Maintain your grades so you don't wind up on academic warning/probation; it's a bad situation to be in. College is the time and place to forge new friendships that will last a lifetime and to discover more about yourself and others, so get out there and introduce yourself and make connections. Be yourself. If you don't want to do that, re-invent yourself, create a new persona.

When visiting the school you'll get a good idea wether or not you should go there. If things just dont fell right that usually means its not the school for you. To get the most out of college make sure to get involved with the school and the other students you really feel like your apart of the school. Just make sure to focus on you classes too.

I didn't realize how important the size of the campus and location would be to my decision. I prefer trees to large cities and a smaller campus. I advise parents and most importantly students to visit the campus of any school in which they may be intersted. You don't want the campus to be too confusing, and you want to feel safe. Also search online or talk to local police about crime. Universities don't have to share such informtion, but it's very important to know how safe the campus and surrounding area are. Another thing the students should do is look through the school's list of classes. If the student isn't excited about their prospective classes, don't go to that school. The week or so before classes actually start, when everyone's moved in, is one of the most important times in your freshman year. That is the prime time to make friends. No matter what, everyone should take part in some kind of extracurricular activity - I've had great experiences working with an anti-genocide club and on school plays. Always remember: all-nighters only work if you take afternoon classes.