Many factors go into selecting a college or university, and the process can be very confusing as a result. It is no wonder that many students are left wanting to know how to survive college. Most savvy students invest a good amount of time into researching important topics such as financial aid for college tuition and private loans for college, but there are, of course, other factors to consider. You need to keep in mind that like no other time before colleges and universities are businesses, and that is exactly how many institutions see themselves. They want your money and they want as many people as possible to be dying to go to their respective institutions. Your job is to decide what is important to you.
The purpose of attending a college or university is to receive a great education that will teach you more than a skill. but will also teach you how to think in a critical and logical fashion. That should be the number one goal of any educational institution. However, increasingly many universities and colleges are becoming obsessed with what “perks” they can offer to entice a student to sign up and attend their university.
What you should be looking for out of a university or college isn’t who has the best waterslide or rock climbing wall, but who has the best reputation, who puts the most focus on education and who has the best job support and other services for its students. Other considerations such as a “world class gym” or other such amenities should not be high on your list. If they are, you might be attending college for the wrong reasons.
This does not mean that you shouldn’t be concerned about what a given university or college offers you in other regards. The quality of your life while attending a university or college is, of course, important. The purpose of this article is to simply highlight the fact that you shouldn’t be swayed by amenities that you don’t need or would not use. Further, every dollar that is spent on amenities could have potentially been applied toward providing better education for students and programs for assisting graduates. You and your parents should take these factors into consideration and you will likely make a better choice in the end.
When you are visiting different colleges if all the tour guides want to talk about is amenities, you should strongly consider other colleges or universities. A college or university should be obsessed with proving to you that they will provide you with a great education and future opportunities, not non-stop, fun, fun, fun! If all you hear is how much fun a university is to attend, that is a big red flag.
Much goes into having a great college experience. Getting stuck with a bad college roommate is something that you want to avoid. College dorm life can, of course, be tricky, and you might not have too much say over what kind of roommate that you might have. However, if you are living off campus, then you may need to find a college roommate. There is another question you need to ask first and that is, “Do I definitely need a roommate or even want a roommate?” Whether or not you have a roommate during college is largely a matter of finances for most people. Of course, if you are a freshmen living in the dorms, most schools will automatically assign a roommate to you. In this case, you will most likely be living with someone you have never met before.
Gaining weight during your freshman year is simply unavoidable, right? The answer is of course not. Don’t believe people that tell you that you will gain fifteen pounds or more no matter what you do. The truth is that there are steps that you can take to keep from gaining all that weight, and these steps might be easier than you think. The first step, however, is to simply not listen to people who are treating your weight gain as a foregone conclusion. Remember whether or not you gain weight is up to you! Now, let’s look at a few of the ways that you can keep that dreaded “Freshman Fifteen” off your back.
Going to a college football game is just one of the many experiences associated with going to college. If your only football experience is the typical high school football match-ups, you should realize that the college football experience isn’t exactly the same. Sure, the basic concept of supporting your home team doesn’t change, but there is more to a college football game than cheering after every touchdown, pass or interception. Bring your enthusiasm and college team gear and get ready for a day of fun and team spirit.
