Thursday, April 25, 2019

Getting the Feel of College Campuses

Summer is upon us and many people have vacations planned. Maybe you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity to go somewhere unforgettable, like Paris. However, what would be the point in that? Surely you’ve seen pictures of the Eiffel Tower before, right? What else could you possibly gain from going all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. Well, probably a whole lot. Seeing the sights and sounds, eating at the cafes, being immersed in the French culture--that’s a very different experience than just looking at a picture of the Eiffel Tower. So it goes with touring college campuses.


Unfortunately, not touring campuses is one of the biggest mistakes I see families make as they make their decisions about college. They assume that because they’ve been to the city the college is in, or been to the college the day of a big football game, or your friend who
graduated last year goes there, or they looked at a brochure, that they know what the on-campus experience is all about. Those things can’t replicate what it feels like on a college campus on a day-to-day basis though any more than eating a baguette from your local grocery store while listening to Claude Debussy and looking at pictures of the Arc de Triomphe on your phone can replicate a trip to Paris.


My operative word here is vibe, or you might say feel. Being on a college campus, on a more or less regular day is going to present a vibe that students need to inhale before they make the biggest decision of their young lives. You have to be there in person.


Actually, what I get most from students is this; “I’m going to such and such university. Well, I’m going to tour it next weekend, but then I’m going to go there.” So, I think most students do take tours but really only after they’ve fully made the decision to go to a given school. Hey, I’ve bought a shirt before, taken it home, and then tried it on. The difference is that it’s a whole lot easier to return a shirt than it is to transfer colleges.


TAKE COLLEGE TOURS, and do it before senior year. I think sophomore and junior year might be the best years for this, but if you’re driving past a school that might be on the radar in the 6th grade that you’re not going to drive past frequently, take the exit and go see it. That’s not too early.


All colleges and universities offer tours. Usually, you can find this information on the school’s website. Tours conducted by a trained individual (often a student) are best, but if the availability of those don’t fit with your plans, spending 20 minutes walking around campus and eating a meal at the student union is better than nothing. Whatever the case, make the effort to give your student the feel and vibe of the college they want to attend before they make this massive decision. And have fun on your trip this summer. Bon voyage!

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