It always happens when you're nervous. You're given numerous opportunities to ask every question in the world, but the only intelligent question you can come up with is, "Did I remember to put my pants on this morning?" Assuming the answer is yes, you really need to be prepared to ask a number of really good questions. Here's a tip: write down your questions and take them with you. No one will even think twice about you taking notes and you'll appear really organized and prepared for your interview. So what kind of questions should you ask? Most of the students we interviewed came up with at least one question they wished they had asked during their campus visits. A few students would have chosen to attend different colleges had they asked more personal questions based upon residence hall rules, work load expectations, classroom interaction and the overall culture of the campus. Some students suggest you ask about a college's registration process so you'll have a good idea about how responsible the school expects you to be for charting your own academic course.
 |
 |
If you are planning on attending a liberal arts school with a small campus, one student recommends that you be aware of the responsibility that you have as a member of a community where, "Everyone knows what everyone else is doing."
|
This is when you need to start thinking BIG. You need to think about what you really want to get from your college experience. Be realistic: if you're merely expecting to go to parties 24/7 then you need to question whether or not you should really be spending thousands of dollars just to party all the time. Hopefully you're more concerned about the school's resources and how it's going to better you as person. You need to find out if the school will indeed make you a better citizen, a better communicator, and an-all-around-better you. You want to choose a school that expects you to find your own voice, while challenging you to understand and even empathize with people who are completely different from yourself. You want a school that can empower you with the ability to make wise decisions and determine if the wealth of knowledge out there is useable or just full of it. Your school needs to encourage you to be responsible for yourself and for your fellow students as you work together in groups to problem solve. Your school should require you to take risks, to introduce your own view of things and to go against the grain -- and all of this should happen if your college of choice offers a supportive and nurturing environment that allows you to become a better you.
As all of these pieces of the puzzle fit together you will learn to communicate your ideas with clarity, work together with and understand other people who may have differing or even opposing ideas, and to be responsible for what you say and how you act. You will, no doubt, have many jobs after college and you need to be well-equipped with adaptability, intelligence, tolerance, and well-roundedness to meet the needs of your future employers. These are important abilities and they are not easily learned, but they are invaluable to you as you graduate into a world of infinite choice.
 |
|
"I would recommend talking more to current students…ask why they like it or don't like it and find out the positives and negatives of each school that you look at."
|
Need more inspiration? Check out the Center of Inquiry's article:
"If It's Hard to Get In, It Must Be Good" for some more ideas about asking the right questions. Additionally, the
National Survey for Student Engagement (NSSE) has created a checklist that includes a number of questions you should ask about the overall culture of a campus. NSSE's questions urge you to think about how often students interact with their professors and each other, how challenging the classes are, how much reading is required for classes and how often students just read for the sake of reading. Be sure to ask about the school's overall mission and then compare your own goals with those of the school.
| "Talk to an academic advisor before choosing your classes." |
|
 |
Oh, one more thing: don't forget to take your questions with you to the interview!
Professors Are People Too
