Choosing which college to attend can be a difficult process. There are many things to consider, like academic reputation, tuition costs, distance from home, or religious denomination. Trying to compare different schools can be overwhelming, as there are any number of factors that you can compare. One of the best ways to judge a school is by conducting a campus visit and actually going to check out the school itself.

By visiting the campus, you can get a much better feel for the school than by reading about it in brochures or talking to admissions counselors. You can see what the day-to-day routine on campus looks like and make a better judgment about whether or not the school is a good fit for you. The first thing to try to get a feel for is the overall attitude on campus. Some schools seem stuck-up, some are more laid back; some are very artsy, while others seem focused on sports. By walking around the campus, watching students, and catching bits of conversations, you can try to construct a picture of what the campus attitude is like.

Another important thing to look at while you’re conducting campus visits is the facilities that you may be using in your degree program. While you’re probably not fully decided on your major yet, you may have an idea—look at the classrooms and labs that you might be using and see if they contain up-to-date, functioning equipment. Pictures of lab equipment and classrooms can be slightly deceiving, so going to check them out yourself will give you a better idea of where you’ll be spending your time. If you’re an athlete, or just enjoy a pick-up game of basketball or racquetball, take a look at the athletic facilities as well.

Many campuses offer you the chance to sit in on a class so that you can observe the interactions between students and professors. This is an invaluable opportunity to take a look at what a typical class period will be like. Students have different preferences on how they like to be taught, and while one professor certainly can’t speak for an entire faculty, it’s good to check out a class or two as examples of how you might be learning in the near future.

One of the best resources that you can take advantage of is the students on the campus that you’re visiting. Most students will be more than happy to answer a few questions about their experiences at the school, and can provide you with very good information that can only be obtained through experience. This is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get a great deal of information about life at a school; don’t pass up the opportunity! Most campuses also offer tours led by student guides; these tour guides are also great resources and will answer any question that you have about the school.

You may not have the time or the money to visit every school that peaks your interests.  You can use StuVu.com to research schools so that you can narrow down your choices to a few that you can afford to visit.

The most important thing to remember about campus visits is to simply keep your eyes and ears open. You can learn a lot about a campus just through what you see and hear while you’re there!

As always, if you have any questions, comments or funny stories you'd like me to share about college or the blog, email me at stu@stuvu.com