Words Of Wisdom: The University for You

"What's the best university?" That's a question I frequently get asked by students and parents. Quite frankly, I could compare that question to "What's the best pizza?" Could you answer that and have everyone agree with you? The best college or university for you is not necessarily the best one for many of your classmates. So instead of relying solely on the opinions of others, answer the following:

• Where can you afford to go to school? Do you have the money to go across the country or do you need to choose something local?
• What's your learning style and what kind of teaching is offered at the different campuses? For example, if you learn best in a hands-on setting, will that school teach you in the way you need to learn?
• Do you like a big campus or do you prefer something smaller? What's the student population of the schools you're considering? What's the average class size?
• What do you want as part of your school experience? Are sports, recreational activities or clubs important to you?
• If living away from home, what are the residences like or what off-campus housing is available?
• What assistance is there from the post-secondary institution for finding employment after graduation?

Take the time to go to open houses or participate in student-for-a-day events. You may discover that what you thought would be "the best" is not, in fact, your best.