Choosing the right college for you is a tough one. There’s over 4,000 in the U.S. alone and that’s not including the colleges that are online-based. Just thinking about the number of colleges can be stress-inducing. The questions that can run through your mind could be “which college is best for me?”, “do they have the degree I want?”, “how much will it cost?” etc. The right college for you to attend shouldn’t solely be on the academics, but other factors as well. In this article, we will look into these four aspects and how they should determine which college is the best fit for you.
Cost
Let’s be honest, tuition fees and loans to attend college is just too expensive. College costs have risen so high that students will leave college with a massive amount of debt. Also, tuition isn’t the only expensive part, there’s food, housing, books, and transportation. With College being a huge investment of money, students should make sure the college they’re choosing is affordable and where they want to go. Specifically, students should look into CollegeCalc.org to figure out the cost of tuition for the colleges you are interested in.
Area of Study
With prices being so high today, you want to make sure the college you are attending has the degree and concentration you want. With the advancement of technology and the ability to have so many colleges to choose from: this can be hard. However, you can use a great site such as College Board to help give an idea of what your passions could translate to for the right college and job after. Going to college and getting a degree is an extraordinary venture. You don’t want to go to a college for the name brand or if it’s your parents’ preferred choice. College is an important time in your life, you want to find the perfect college for you. What you get your degree in matters because you want a degree that will help you in your first job out of college.
Size
Speaking of first job, the size of the school of your choice will determine whether you want to have an active social life or are more focused on your academics. The average classroom sizes of a college will determine whether you will have to work hard to know your professor and/or Teacher’s Assistant (TA). In a study from Public University Honors, private schools will have less classroom sizes while public schools have over 50+ students in one classroom! The college you choose should be determined by the classroom size. Do you want to have more time to talk to your professors or are you more interested in getting to know your classmates? The classroom size of your college choice should be something that you value.
Culture
The environment you are in for the years attending a college will determine how you handle life after college. Do you want to attend a college in a big city or rural area? Do you want a college that is widely diversified? Are you looking to build your social contacts? All these questions will come into play for you when choosing a college. College isn’t just about learning academics, there’s mental and emotional growth that occurs when we put ourselves in environments that will make us have to change. Look into the activities and facilities that are available to you as a student at the college. Make sure the college reflects the values you value. Also, the college you choose should help you when you transition to your first job. For example, meeting people from different backgrounds at your college will help at your first job because you’ll learn how to relate and work well with others. The culture of a college will affect how well you enjoy your time there.
Conclusion
The college that best fits you will require more than just learning and growing in knowledge. College is a place where people go from being teenagers to young adults. College is where you either become successful or just survive. We want to highly encourage you to take your time in choosing a college that best fits your needs now and in the future.
