How do you know you picked the right college for you?
It’s about that time of year. Picking which college you should go to if you are a high school senior, or if you are a college freshman you are deciding if you really loved your school. Is it just not what you expected? Do you want to transfer? Or do you really love your school? These are all things we need think about. The scariest thing about being a high school senior is deciding what exactly you are going to do with your life in the fall. The worst part is if you applied to schools that are very different from each other, but ones that you love in different ways. This makes it more difficult to know if you picked the right school for you. Here’s what you should focus on when you second guess yourself.
You feel socially engaged at your school.
If you like your roommate, are making friends, and are actively participating in various on campus activities, it seems like your school is where you should be. By being an active student and getting out of your dorm, you are more likely to enjoy your surroundings. Go to the library, or to the gym, maybe even a walk around campus, just to realize what exactly your school has to offer.
You call your school your home.
If you really love your school, you are dreading the word “summer.” Going home means leaving all of the fun people you met, going out on the weekends and just being free. College should give you a sense of freedom and when you find yourself calling college home, you know you’ve made the right decision.
You can see the friends you’ve made there be in your wedding.
One way to know you really love your school is by the friends you make. If you can walk by 15 people and say hi to at least seven of them, it is safe to say that you have branched out. Maybe you don’t even like your school a crazy amount, but you can’t imagine leaving it because the friends you have made have become family, and you plan on having them at your wedding.
You feel challenged, but not so much that you are failing.
As for classes, they can be pretty hard. Getting into a prestigious and well known school can mean a tougher class load. As long as you feel challenged, but not too challenged, then it’s the place for you. You get that feeling that you want to work hard and excel at what you are doing.
You’re okay with going to the school, no matter how much debt you’re in when you graduate.
If it is truly the right school for you, any amount of money you have to pay to go there seems so minuscule. When money doesn’t become the biggest factor in deciding it becomes clear that it is the right fit. Focus on a school that will get you the job you want paying the highest starting salary so you can pay off that debt in no time.
You’ve found a club(s) that you truly enjoy.
Finding a club, intramural, or job that you really enjoy on campus can be key to loving your school. It’s all about what is the right fit for yourself. If you love soccer but don’t want to play on the school’s team, do intramural soccer. Or, if you want to try something completely new, try out for the play. Finding things you enjoy will make the college experience ten times better.
It just feels right.
This is key. If it gives you a special feeling and you just know you’re supposed to be here, clearly you have picked the right college for you!