Choosing a college is a big decision. By taking a tour of prospective colleges, you can get a better idea of the quality of life offered by any particular school. By interacting with students and staff, you can get a feel for how you will be treated while attending school and what activities will be available to you. In general, if you do not feel comfortable during your visit, you will probably not feel comfortable spending 4 or more years there. Likewise, if you are treated well and students and staff are friendly and show a genuine concern for you, chances are your experience attending the school will be similar.

• Step 1
  Make appointments in advance to visit with college advisors and to take a tour of the college campus. Ideally a tour would take place in the fall or spring when school is in full swing. Summer visits are OK if you are not able to make it in the spring or fall, but the activities and enrolled students will be limited. Tours of on- and off-campus housing may be more feasible in the summer, as there are many vacancies during this time.


• Step 2
  Arrive at your appointments early. This will allow some extra time before the appointment to wander around campus and browse through any books and brochures available in the administration offices. Take this time to observe how the staff and students interact. If it seems like an unfriendly environment, this should be a good clue that you won't be treated any differently when you attend school. Likewise, if it is a friendly environment, you can expect the same when attending.


• Step 3
  Ask plenty of questions. Find out about class sizes. Ask if classes are taught primarily by professors or teaching assistants. Is the campus diverse? How is the social scene? What activities are there to do on and around campus? Find out if having a car is necessary or if you can get by without one. How's the food and the meal plans? Ask every possible question that you can think of. If you are not satisfied with an answer, ask someone else such as a student or employee at the college.


• Step 4
  Pick up as much information as you can: financial aid forms, course catalog's and any brochures that you can get your hands on.


• Step 5
  Look at campus billboards and calendars. Read the campus newspaper. These items will give you a good idea about the everyday activities on campus, and will also give insight to the extras like concerts, parties and other events.


• Step 6
  Inquire about campus jobs. If you will work while attending school, get a good feel for the types of employment available on campus. If nothing looks promising on campus, check out the town. If you are depending on income from a job, you need to be sure that employment can be secured.
   
• Step 7
Check out extracurricular programs such as intramural sports, clubs, Greek life and dance teams. Arrange to attend a practice, game or competition so that you can get a good feel for the program. If you get a chance, question the team members and other participants about their experience with the school's programs.

 

• Step 1 - Select appropriate clothing for the climate: winter coats and long underwear for colder climates, shorts and lightweight sweaters for warmer climates. Remember rain and cold-weather garments.
• Step 2 - Anticipate involvement in athletic activities and choose relevant athletic wear.
• Step 3 - Select comfortable clothes, like sweats and T-shirts. You'll long for comfort during long hours of studying.
• Step 4 - Select clothes that are wrinkle-free and easy to wash. You won't want to spend money at the dry cleaners or time in the laundromat.
• Step 5 - Pack plenty of extra underwear and socks. You'll go through these items quickly.
• Step 6 - Take hats for cold weather or bad hair days.
• Step 7- Select comfortable shoes appropriate to the climate; you will be doing more walking than you think.
• Step 8 - Buy at least one nice outfit including shoes, hose/socks, belts/purses and other accessories for dating, important social occasions and interviews.