Many students are now receiving acceptance letters for attending college or university next term. Choosing the school to attend in a timely manner can be an overwhelming, complex decision. How does a student decide on just one school?
Places4Students.com always encourages students to attend an Open House at each school they might potentially accept offers to, either in person or virtually. Even if the college or university isn't chosen, at the end of the day, it's still an adventure and a new experience for the books.
Open Houses can offer a student a variety of opportunities and benefits. Students can find out more about school clubs and organizations, take a campus tour, meet professors, visit classes and other essential locations, as well as receive information about housing, student services, financial aid, social gathering locations and extra-curricular activities available.
Some standard advice in attending these Open Houses are to visit ALL of the booths. Why not? Schools carefully plan what services to display and what external service providers may attend. These booths are run by educated professionals in their field or department, and they often give out free things! There are usually draws, competitions and fun events throughout the day offering the chance for further opportunities and prizes.
After seeing all that an Open House has to offer, the day doesn't have to end there! When attending in person, students are already in the area, so why not check out what the community has to offer? Taking a little stroll or cruise around the campus and community can give an idea of the local transportation systems, grocery stores, pharmacies, post office, exercise facilities and more! Figure out whether public transit goes directly from campus to any essential services or popular student housing neighbourhoods. These are important factors to consider when choosing a college or university.
While in the area, it's always recommended to take a peak at off-campus housing options. Where are the highly populated student rentals, what areas appear safe and what are the local neighbourhoods like? It's always helpful to view the school's student housing service's rental listings beforehand to potentially schedule some viewings as well.
In conclusion, make a full day of visiting the college or university to check out the campus and community! Many schools offer informative virtual tours as well. There is so much to learn, which can make for a fun adventure! It will also give students peace of mind when moving to a new place, and reduced stress by having some familiarity of the campus and local offerings.
The Places4Students.com Team