So you're visiting colleges over break... Part 2

Yesterday, I discussed some preparatory work students can do to prepare for their college visit. Hopefully, before you visit your college, you will have established your priorities, made a list of questions, and set up some meetings with students/professors/graduates to get a better feel of the school. Now the big day his here, and I have some suggestions for you during your visit.

• Observe everything
• Take notes
• Hold off on your decision

Observe everything

• College life consists of the basics (food, shelter, protection) plus the academics (facilities, course offerings, majors, professors) plus everything else that makes college a unique experience (extracurriculars, friendships, weekend activities, sports, etc.). You’ll want to observe how the college satisfies these different aspects. Consider the following questions:
• Food: Does the cafeteria food look abundant or insipid?
• Shelter: Do the dorms look restful or prison-like?
• Protection: Would I feel safe walking back to my dorm from class at 9pm?
• Facilities: Do the classrooms have the latest technology?
• Course offerings: Is the college’s course catalogue brimming with potential or lacking significant classes?
• Majors: What majors offered here would I be interested in pursuing?
• Professors: What kinds of office hours do professors usually hold?
• Extracurriculars: What options are there for fun around here?

Take notes

• You’ll want to write down your observations. It will be an intense day, and you’ll most likely be exhausted by the end. Tired brains do not remember things well. You will want to make sure you can recall important information when you sit down, evaluate that school, and compare it with others.
• Write down answers to questions that admissions officers/tour guides provide. Record what your senses pick up (sight, smell, hearing, etc.). Pick out helpful adjectives (from your SAT vocab!) to describe aspects of your visit (e.g. dilapidated, clandestine, homogeneous, specious).

Hold off on your decision

• One phenomenon that often occurs with college visits is the self-fulfilling prophecy. If we decide beforehand that an experience will be positive or negative, it usually happens that way.
• Sample negative experience: You hear music blaring from a dorm room window. This happens everywhere, by the way. You may think, “I’m not going to be able to sleep a wink here. I can’t go to this school.” From then on, every experience is interpreted in the light of trying to persuade yourself against this school.
• Sample positive experience: You see a freshman couple walking hand –in-hand, all lovey-dovey. You think “Wow, I could meet my future spouse here. I really want to go to this school!” You then make everything else you experience fit the mold of your decision to go to that school.
• Don't let this phenomenon happen during your visit. If something happens to give you a negative feel about the school, definitely take note of it, but don’t immediately cross that school out. Conversely, if there’s something you like about the school, write it down, but don’t then-and-there commit to this school because of that positive experience.
• Instead, wait several days to make your preliminary decision. Then, with a cool head, you can take out your “need, want, like” list and your observation sheet and compare the college with your ideal school. You'll also be in a better place to share your concerns or interests with others and ask for their feedback.

On college visit day, if you make sure to observe everything, take copious notes, and wait for emotions to settle before making your decision, you will make the most of this experience. Go out there and have a great time! Tomorrow, I'll give some suggestions for what to do after your visit.

We'd love to know what you found helpful on your college visit. Leave a comment and share your thoughts!