SchoolisHard

Just because you have scheduled a big day at the university you want to attend does not mean you are going to get the most of your time. To make sure you do, you need to do the following:

Bring a parent/guardian

Unless you are completely on your own, your parents or somebody in your family is going to be helping you. For their peace of mind you need to bring them with you. Knowing where you will be and who may be teaching you will make them feel much better about sending you off to college. Though sometimes it is hard to admit, parents often have some good questions to ask. Do your best to benefit from their insight!

Bring a list of questions

At most campuses it is hard enough to find a place to park, let alone the building where you need to go. With all the hustle and bustle you will be hard-pressed to keep a steady train of thought. Visit your university’s website before you visit and take a look at the curriculum section of your intended major. Write down anything which confuses you. Also, be sure to write down questions concerning registration and move-in dates. If you do not receive this information or a calendar during your visit be sure to ask about it.

If a meeting isn’t going to help you, go do something else

Try to find alternate arrangements which would benefit you more. There is no reason to sit through a 2 hour presentation about the engineering department if you are going to be an art major. Make sure you take care of these arrangements beforehand, though. It is considered quite rude to leave a presentation that’s not finished. Some ideas are visiting the dorms, taking a look at the cafeteria facility, or meeting with somebody in your department. (These three things are important. You need to do these at some point even if you don’t skip out on a meeting. )

Look at the Dorms

Go look at the dorms at some point. I cannot stress this enough. You are going to be living, sleeping, and often eating here. I like to call college dorms “cells” because they are usually very small and not well-ventilated. Your best bet is to make sure that you have an idea what the buildings look like on the inside BEFORE you make your campus housing prepayment. It is hard for freshmen to get a good room, but if you go the extra mile with your research you increase your chances.

Meet With Somebody in the Department of Your Intended Major

Professors are usually much more busy than people think. You should send an e-mail or make a call several weeks in advance to request a meeting. Try to get in touch with a secretary of the department if possible. Some professors tend to take their time with responding to e-mails. Contacting a secretary by phone is the safest bet. State your name, intended major, and what you would like to discuss. (Make sure you are 10-15 minutes early for the meeting! This professor may be teaching one of your classes and first impressions definitely count.)

If you have a student guiding you around, take advantage of it!

This kid knows the university by heart. If you eventually need to find the <<insert obscure old man’s name here>> building, ask them to take you there after they give you the general tour. Simply trying to memorize its location during the tour is probably a bit too much. The students who conduct these tours are generally among the most kind and studious anyway, so they most likely will be happy to help.

Wear tennis shoes

Most campuses are HUGE and you will be doing a lot of walking during your visit. If you do not wear comfortable shoes you will be in so much pain you won’t even pay attention.