Tips on Visiting Colleges
If you're fortunate enough to visit a college, you'll probably want to maximize the time you spend there. Here are tips on how to make the most of such a visit.
1. Have a clear plan about what you're going to do there.
You're investing already quite a lot of time visiting. Most likely you're not the only one visiting (as in you're probably accompanied by your parents), so take some time (I'm not even suggesting you spend a whole day) to learn things about the college you're visiting. For example, if you're aiming for a specific field of interest, have questions ready about the field of study you're interested in when you visit. The worst thing you could do during a college visit is not engage with the people that you encounter during a visit, so don't be afraid to ask questions.
2. Have some sort of record of your visit.
I'm not saying you have to write a journal, but you probably shouldn't depend on your brain to remember everything for you. You can be as simple as taking a few photos of the campus or type in some notes in your phone. When I visited the University of Pittsburgh, they gave information booklets to everyone that also had a section where you could write notes, and that proved to be really helpful for me to refer back to when I was approaching my senior year.
3. Don't pack it all in.
Plan college visits during your vacations. Trust me on this. When you're in a vacation mindset, you're more at ease and won't feel too stressed out during a college visit. Spacing out college visits will give your brain time to process (it's not just you: those colleges throw you so much information in such a short period of time). If you're road tripping, have a rest stop at a campus. If you have some downtime during a vacation, go attend an information session.
4. Dig deeper.
Try to do more, if you can. You'll have to do some research, but some colleges allow visitors to sit in on classes, arrange meetings with certain professors and/or department heads, eat in the dining hall, and even stay overnight to get a real collegiate experience. It's important that you remain proactive in this situation, as colleges will always try to accommodate your interest to the best that they can. Be the one to take the first step.
5. Have a positive attitude.
If you're visiting more than one college, it can get a bit redundant listening to the countless variations of the same presentation. Think on the bright side: the path to college is becoming more concrete for you, and I always found a tiny bit of motivation to do better in school after visiting a college.
1. Have a clear plan about what you're going to do there.
You're investing already quite a lot of time visiting. Most likely you're not the only one visiting (as in you're probably accompanied by your parents), so take some time (I'm not even suggesting you spend a whole day) to learn things about the college you're visiting. For example, if you're aiming for a specific field of interest, have questions ready about the field of study you're interested in when you visit. The worst thing you could do during a college visit is not engage with the people that you encounter during a visit, so don't be afraid to ask questions.
2. Have some sort of record of your visit.
I'm not saying you have to write a journal, but you probably shouldn't depend on your brain to remember everything for you. You can be as simple as taking a few photos of the campus or type in some notes in your phone. When I visited the University of Pittsburgh, they gave information booklets to everyone that also had a section where you could write notes, and that proved to be really helpful for me to refer back to when I was approaching my senior year.
3. Don't pack it all in.
Plan college visits during your vacations. Trust me on this. When you're in a vacation mindset, you're more at ease and won't feel too stressed out during a college visit. Spacing out college visits will give your brain time to process (it's not just you: those colleges throw you so much information in such a short period of time). If you're road tripping, have a rest stop at a campus. If you have some downtime during a vacation, go attend an information session.
4. Dig deeper.
Try to do more, if you can. You'll have to do some research, but some colleges allow visitors to sit in on classes, arrange meetings with certain professors and/or department heads, eat in the dining hall, and even stay overnight to get a real collegiate experience. It's important that you remain proactive in this situation, as colleges will always try to accommodate your interest to the best that they can. Be the one to take the first step.
5. Have a positive attitude.
If you're visiting more than one college, it can get a bit redundant listening to the countless variations of the same presentation. Think on the bright side: the path to college is becoming more concrete for you, and I always found a tiny bit of motivation to do better in school after visiting a college.
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