Westminster College-Salt Lake City Top Questions

I would tell myself not go get sucked into the craziness of the first semester. A lot of people want to party every weekend, even on school nights, and this leads to them skipping class the next day. Going to class, doing your homework, and still managing to have safe fun are really the most important factors to focus on in college. Even the first couple of weeks is just a big blur because everyone wants to make new friends, test their new freedom, and party all the time. Unfortunately if you get caught up in this party attitude, you won't think school is such a big deal. In reality, its a huge deal! If you screw up for one semester, you might not be able to make it up for the remaining four years you'll be here, which can affect your future.

My advice is to pick a path that resonates with you and travel on it. However, don?t become so narrow minded that you close your eyes off to other paths. As you walk through your journey, be aware of how your opinions, goals and dreams evolve. You will encounter pressure to choose a career and stride toward it. However, life is not a race, it is a journey. The most important part of your education is to discover what you love so that you will enjoy your career and positively influence the community. If you find yourself on a path that is no longer the one you wish to be on, do not be afraid to take a step backwards to step on a different path. The end result will be worth it.

Take all the AP and college prep courses offered in High School. Read your text books, even when you don't need it, its a great habit to get into for college. Study and study often, even when no homework is due the next day. Learn the material, don't just memorize it. Be a good friend, your high school firends will still be there for you when your having a hard time in college. Don't skip class because you don't feel like going, its a bad habit to get into. Take a fun class to keep stress down with big loads. Do your best. Do everything you have the tiniest bit of want to do. Go to the school that will make you the happiest. If you love a sport and think you might want to play in college, do it, or you'll regret not trying. Ask tons of questions from the colleges you are considering.

Dear high school Leah: As much as I would like to say that I have no regrets at this early point in our life, that simply is not the case. You are doing well in your classes and extra-curricular activities, but I am here to tell you that you HAVE to be more proactive if you want to further your education. Look for scholarships NOW! Search for grants relentlessly! Do not procrastinate and never count on student loans to cover the cost of college. Otherwise, you will find yourself drowning in many thousands of dollars worth of debt without even an associate's degree to show for it! I know you think that your passion for art and your eye for design is all you need to be successful, but the fact is, you can not be very successful without a good education, and you can not get that education without a way to pay for it. Get off of MySpace and look for some money! Oh, and save the parties for after college, young lady! Study! Love, your future Self.

If I could go back in time and tell the senior me about what I need to do before I go to college I would say to look for more scholarships, apply to more schools, take harder classes in highschool, and figure our what I want to do with my life.

College is a great experience. You learn to grow up, you have responsibilities , but you are still learning and have fun. While you get to party and stay up late with friends, you need to remember to study, and work hard for your degree. You can make so many friends that will be there for a lifetime. when picking your college, choose ones that appeal to you, respect your values, affordable, safe, and has a good education system, proffessors, counselors etc. Pick one you will be comfortable in, and remember to have fun, but work hard too.!

Visit the campus. I knew from the very frist time I stepped on Westminster's campus that I would love attending this school, even three years prior to graduation while visiting for my older brother. Looking around and seeing how perfect the campus seemed on top of being in such a young, residential college community, but close enough to downtown Salt Lake was perfect. It was like a paradise nestled away in a city. Once you choose your school, definitely live on campus. During move in day/orientation, meet as many new people as you can. Everyone is just as eager to make new friends as you are, and are open to friedliness. I was remembered as the super friendly girl from orientation, and that made an impression on many people. After graduating high school, it seems everyone grows up a little bit and everyone settles into being more "themselves," so don't be so worried about fitting in with the correct clique or impressing certain people. You will find friends that will be similar to you no matter what school you choose.

Advice I would give students ebtering college would be to take all your generals the first two years. Don't go right into what you think you want to major in because even though you think it will help put you on the fast track, most students change their majors and if you do, then you are behind on everything. So just take generals and get them out of the way the first two years and really make sure that your intended major is really what you want to get in to. Also i would suggest getting invloved in a variety of different clubs and organizations. This will help you meet new people and also it will look good on resumes for the future. Finally, just pick a college that you feel comfortable at. One where you wont be afraid to walk across campus at night or talk to other students in your classes. Make sure that you can be you at the college that you choose.

All colleges have thier advantages and disadventages. Choose carefully to find what works best for you.

Make sure where ever you choose to go makes you happy.

Location and learning environment are the most important factors in choosing a college that is the right fit for you. It is important that the area that you will be attending college at has things that interest you around it, whether that be the ocean, large cities, or mountains. Fun outdoors excercise is important to a healthy body and clear mind, and it is essential that you are able to participate in these activites that are fun, social, and benefitial to your health all at the same time. It is imporant that you can find a refuge in nature to escape the stresses of schooling at some point. It is also imporant to be learning together with somewhat like-minded people in an environment where your ideas are respected and listened too. For me a smaller school was benefitial because I have been able to establish stronger relationships with my professors encouraging me to want to do better as well as making it easier and less intimidating to seek assistance.

Have the student visit the college and if possible stay overnight with some of the students (most colleges have this option) because the social life is a big part of college and the student is able to talk to current students who can help by giving a first hand account of how student life is.

I would make sure that you are going to school for the right reasons and that you go with your own instincts.

Pick a college that you really feel comfortable with, not what others tell you should feel about them.

One of the most important decisions I had to make was whether I was the type of person who would succeed at a large University or would I feel more comfortable and would be more successful at smaller college.

Know what school you are attending. Understand that Westminster is a liberal arts college. The education at Westminster is very good, and the class sizes are small. But this isn't like high school at all, they do not expect the same things, and students are very different. Maybe diversity is to thank for that.

The most important thing to do is start your college search early in order to visit campuses. When you go, make sure to take your own tour without a tourguide; they are full of B.S. just like most of those pamphlets you get in the mail. Your goal when visiting colleges is to get a vibe for what your life will be like in the next four years. What are the students like, are the profs approachable, does everyone seem miserable, is the food tasty? Make sure you talk to at least a few upperclassmen, since they have the experience to know what is truly great about the school, and what are its worst points. Going to colleges period is the most important advice I can give. If you do this early then you will be better equipped to wade through the B.S., but if you've done a good job of that then just visiting your top 3 or so choices will help you finalize your decision. You ultimatley have to decide what aspects are important to you, and you will only know that once you know what exactly you want out of college.

As a high school senior, I was unfortunate in receiving a guidance counselor that did not help me with the college process. As a result, I was forced to do a lot of the searching and discovering myself. To start, I would recommend finding as many colleges as you can. You can do this by attending college fairs, looking at their websites, and talking to people you know who attend these colleges. The next step would be deciding what you want out of your college. What do you want to study? Do you want large or small classes? A great way to answer these questions is by asking people at those college fairs. Finally, your last step would be to visit the college. I made the mistake of not visiting my college before deciding I would enroll. I got lucky and ended up liking my college, but it was very different that I had imagined. You can't always trust websites and pictures. Visiting a college is the absolute best way to determine if it is the place you want to spend the next four years of your life. Once accepted, have fun. The hard part?s over. :)

Choosing a college that is right for you isn't about the money, the status or reputation it might have, but rather how it will help you and how comfortable you'll feel at that college. You might be worried that its too far, too close, too big or small, but its about what you will get out of that specific college you choose that will get you through the future. Yale, Harvard, UCLA, all great school, but not all great for all of us. Do your research, look up all the colleges that stand out to you and narrow them down by what you want from a college. I chose Westminster because it has a great learning atmoshpere for me and its close and far enough from home. Its all up to you where you'll enjoy your education.

Make sure you love the campus because you will spend a lot of time there.

make sure to do the research about what field of study he/she would like to enter into and look into future to make sure it's possabel to make it thourh the 4 years finacualy. Going the the college and sitting in on some of the classes is a great way to get a feel for the school, also wheal your there ask random people around campus.

Selecting the right college is really important! To be honest when you go on a college visit it is difficult to know exactly how you will fit into the environment and if it's going to be that perfect place for you. I began college in Tacoma, Washington; by christmas I knew that I wasn't at the right school. I want to let you know that transfering schools is way easier than applying for college right out of highschool and, it's always an option! I transfered to Westminster and after about three months here I knew it was the school for me. In order to find the perfect college be that person that spends a night in the dorm, go to a class during your visit, get a campus tour, and always eat in the cafeteria. Be familiar with all the things that are important to you in a school or living environment. And once you are there, participate in orientation and campus activities to meet friends. Also walk around off campus, get to know the city you're in. All of these things will make you feel more comfortable about the school you choose.

It is important to allow the student to decide what is the most important to him or her, without feeling any pressure from parents, friends, etc. They are the people who will be working and studying at college and if they are unhappy because they felt like they "had" to go somewhere, they will not do as well compared with a student who has a chance to go to their "dream" college. Look at what is most important to you in college. Is it class size so you can get the individual attention you need? Is it the amount and quality of extra curriculars? Are you interested in a certain program? Does the college have the resources to get you where you want to go? If you don't know, that's okay too. Visit as many or as few campuses as you want. Get a feel for what it would be like to go there. Take advice from others, but remember they aren't you! Form your own opinons. College should be the best time of your life and it will be--as long as you make the decision.

College is about more than just getting a degree. It's an experience that will last a lifetime. Not every college is right for every person. It's important not to get too caught up in how prestigious a university sounds. Life is about more than paper certificates--the people you meet, and how you spend your time, will contribute more to your college experience than the school on your diploma. Probably the most important criteria in choosing a college is finding a school with people like you. People you enjoy spending time with, and people you can learn, grow and develop with. And making that experience truly great requires a commitment. A commitment not to hide in a dorm room, or study alone, but to reach out and embrace that community. Everyone is intimidated at first--but that's no reason to miss out on making the best of your college experience.

Most colleges are going to be good ones, it is mainly on how the student reacts and how much they get involved on how much they will enjoy their college experience. I just made a decision that was not the right one for me, but it has been the right decision for many other people so just find a college that you enjoy everything about it, the costs, size, location, pretty much everything about it. There are thousands of colleges out there so it is something you can be picky about. I would say start looking early, earlier than you would think. Start in your jr. year of highschool this gives you plenty of time to explore all of your choices. Try and talk to some of the students that go there, not just the recruiters or the tour guides they are there to sell you on attending that college, get the inside scoop. Over all though no matter where you pick im sure you will have a great time.

You should start off by gathering as much information as you can about as many colleges as you can through college fairs, websites, etc. Then you should take the time to sit down and review all of them. Figure out what you like and dislike about each of them. (It's even better if you already know what you want out of a college.) It may take a while, but you want to make sure that you don't miss out on that one college that's perfect for you.