What should college be like

Later on, you might be looking at two different schools. One offers all the majors on your list, the other doesn't.

Having criteria like this can make your eventual decision much easier. Ideally, if you already have a major selected you can search for a college based on that. You can investigate academic departments more thoroughly and carefully select a school that's a perfect fit for you. But that's in an ideal world. Most students only declare a major during their sophomore year and don't have that information when choosing a college.

That's okay. If you've been considering all the factors listed above and have a general idea of what you want to study, you shouldn't have too many surprises. This may be a little different if you're applying to a very small school with a limited academic focus. In that case you probably want to have a specific major in mind when you enroll.

If you end up deciding on a completely different discipline-a common occurrence-then you may find yourself stuck with few alternatives.

In the end, choosing a major is the part of the process that gets down to the nitty-gritty specifics. You'll want to do plenty of research and weigh all the factors described above before devoting too much time to this topic. As stated above, you want to have some sort of plan for your academic career. That includes giving some thought to what you want to do after graduation.

You don't have to decide anything, just start thinking about it. This will help you judge whether or not a college will help you meet your goals in life. Some colleges invest heavily in career counseling services, others do not.

If possible, get some statistics on career placement from the school. A college that is active in this field will have this information readily available. Career counseling can be invaluable in helping you find internships and employment. Some colleges and universities have an active alumni network.

Think of this as career counseling on steroids. Especially with Ivy League and other prestigious universities, an alumni network keeps the school plugged into various industries and provides graduates with direct access to employers and career opportunities.

Not to frighten you, but this is a major decision in your life, possibly the biggest decision you've made so far. You don't want to make it alone. Bring other people into the process, including parents, other family members, teachers, friends, college officials and college graduates.

The more input you have, the more informed your decision will be. Chances are your parents are going to have opinions and priorities of their own. It is vital that you maintain clear and honest communication with your parents throughout the process.

Some parents are overbearing and practically make the decision for their child. Others simply have their own concerns, especially when it comes to finances, but have difficulty being a constructive part of the process. Selecting the best college is the student's decision, and it's important that he or she sits in the driver's seat. Many high school students don't realize they have so many people to turn to for help.

Take a step back and look at the adults in your life. If they are successful and happy, ask them about their college experience. Most will probably tell you that it didn't matter so much where they went to school, but what they did with the opportunity. Even those who didn't go to college will have some perspective on why and how that affected their life. Choosing a college is a massive undertaking with lots of different factors to consider.

Many students don't give the process enough time or thoughtful consideration. This can make the selection process much more stressful and your eventual choice much more miserable. But if you carefully weigh all of these factors, as well as some of your own, you will eventually navigate your way through the process. Take it step by step. Start general and, as you learn more about yourself and your range of options, get more and more specific. In the end, what started out as hundreds of options will be narrowed down to just a few, and you will find a great college for you.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a College or University by Becton Loveless You have probably heard it over and over again: choosing a college is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life.

Accreditation Before you spend any time investigating a college, first make sure it is accredited. Type of School The real question is, what type of education do you want? Geographic Location Most students have an idea as to whether they would like to stay close to home or not.

Size of School There are thousands of quality schools out there and they come in practically all sizes. You want a wide variety of clubs, sports, and activities to choose from on a daily basis. You want everyone to recognize the name of your school when you tell them where you go. You love sports and want to cheer on your team at big games.

You want to have a large alumni network when you graduate. You get energized and exhilarated by large groups of people. You don't want to see people you recognize everywhere you go. You want research to be a major part of your education. This can be helpful in getting admitted to graduate school. You have trouble recognizing when you need help, and rely on your teachers to step in when you need them.

Although there will still be plenty at almost all schools, you will just find a larger variety, as well as more specialized options at larger schools You want your professors and classmates to know who you are, and you want to interact with them in a small class setting.

You are certain smaller schools offer your major. You want less competition for opportunities scholarships, work study positions, etc. This could even mean there are actually more opportunities available to you because there is much less competition than there would be at a large school.

You actually want to know the alumni of your school so networking is more meaningful. You quickly get overwhelmed and stressed around large groups of people. You want your professors to be the ones actually doing all of the teaching. You want the whole school to feel like a community.

You enjoy seeing familiar faces and running into acquaintances everywhere you go. You want all of your classes and other campus facilities to be very close to your dorm or apartment. Overall Cost Other factors may be more important to you personally, but in the end, cost may trump them all. Academic Quality Academic quality is further down on this list, but not because it is less important. Faculty Academic quality and faculty go hand in hand.

Campus Environment The environment on campus is another crucial aspect of your college experience. Academic Majors One of the worst situations you can get yourself into is enrolling in a college and discovering something you'd love to study, only to find out it is not offered as a major. Career Opportunities As stated above, you want to have some sort of plan for your academic career. Similar to cold emailing, college students have a tremendous built-in advantage here.

Make use of all these resources while you can. One summer during college, Wessel had a marketing internship in Tokyo and it made her realize that she wanted to work abroad sometime after graduation.

Thanks to the experience, she eventually led a brand team in India for Google. Do you like being out of your comfort zone? Or do you like being in it?

What do you enjoy doing? She is also a writer and comedian based in NYC. Thinking critically about your thesis or contributing to the Great Conversation will make smaller tasks at work or home easier to accomplish.

Group projects and spontaneous tasks will not be as intimidating if you have spent the past four years conditioning yourself to handle them! You will have fun! While the purpose at college is to learn, living in a dorm and connecting with like-minded peers is filled with adventures! From college sports to club meetings to study parties to dining hall conversations, you will have plenty of moments to fondly remember and cherish. College will help you think.

A good Christian College shows you how to approach situations with an open mind that is firmly rooted in the foundation of Scripture. College quickly shows you that you are not perfect — and that includes your faulty reasoning.

What better place is there to develop your thinking skills than with trusted professors who will guide you well? You will see the world. Travelling to a college far away from home provides hours of exploration and entertainment.