Making the Most of Your College Visit - Page 3© ML Arthur
Page 3
Dec 18, 2000
Make the most of this opportunity by talking to as many different people as possible. Don't hand out just with your host - talk to neighbors, random people on the hall, the people you sit with at dinner, others you pass in the bathroom. Ask good questions of these people - unlike your host, they have not been trained to put the best face forward.
Pay attention to how much work the people you meet have, what social activities they are planning, how the rooms look, how clean the bathrooms are, and what's for dinner. Ask if the meal is typical, or if they are usually better or worse. Try to see that week's dining hall menu. Also ask to be taken to other dorms so you can see different types of rooms. Questions to Ask
Your visits are useless unless you ask good questions. Before you go, write down all of the things you want to know about the school, and make sure to ask all the questions you have. Some questions to consider:
- What is the normal workload? How much is reading? Writing? Exams?
- What is there to do for fun on weeknights? Weekends?
- How are club activities?
- What is the surrounding area like?
- How safe is the campus? Do I have to be afraid to walk alone at night?
- What is the roommate situation like? How much room choice do I have, and can I get a single?
- How is the Internet access? Fast or slow? Does everyone have the same kind? Are their special fees if I have a different type of computer than that which is 'recommended'?
- How much do you normally spend on books each semester?
- What kinds of jobs are available on and off campus?
- How is the health center? Is mental health counseling available?
- What if I need extra help on an assignment? Is their a writing center? Can I get a tutor? What about languages, speaking, or math skills?
- Do professors teach classes or are they teaching assistants? Are these assistants undergraduates or graduate students?
- Are the requirements hard to fulfill? How close is the curriculum to what's in the catalogue?
- How about study away for a semester or a year? Can I do it? Where? How?
Supplement these with any questions of you own. Above all, have fun on these visits. They are your first real taste of college life.
Go To Page:
1
2
3
The copyright of the article Making the Most of Your College Visit - Page 3 in Higher Education is owned by . Permission to republish Making the Most of Your College Visit - Page 3 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
