Imagine you were blindfolded and were told pick an outfit as you entered into a store. How confident would you be wearing that same outfit tomorrow to school? The same can be said for universities; we often choose the university we go to without actually visiting the campus.

In AVID, students are often told that they should always be scouting out colleges and thinking about their possible majors. What they aren’t told is to visit, if possible, colleges they are interested in. This past Saturday, I was fortunate to attend a California State University Fullerton’s orientation and a guided tour and find out new information about universities. The tour was full of information as well as interesting landmarks. Ergo, I believe that visiting colleges or college fairs can prove beneficial for anyone who’s willing to spend their time. 

Visiting colleges has a plethora of advantages, such as getting answers to the burning questions about the university. A visit also gives you the chance to talk to students, faculty, and financial aid and admission officer, who can offer you some advice. Some questions to ask might be, “What is the average class size and the student-to-faculty ratio?” and “What are the meal plans if there are any?” Through my visit, I discovered something quite interesting from an admission officer. The fact was, that you shouldn’t ask how much the university will cost you, because you won’t ever know until you get your financial aid packet. Therefore, the cost of tuition shouldn’t infringe upon your decision to apply.  

Moreover, visiting a university will allow you to have a firsthand view of the campus. There’s an old saying that states, “Reading a textbook is nothing compared to a firsthand experience.” Some campuses feel like a perfect fit for some people and they might not know that. Remember that the university’s campus is something that you will see almost everyday. In addition, you might want to know where are the ideal places to study or where to relax. You never know if you will prefer an urban, suburban, or rural campus.

I know that sometimes economics might be a factor when visiting universities. Fortunately, there’s a solution for that too. You can attend a college fair, or even visit the university online. Here at Middle College High School, we are very fortunate that our AVID teachers have college speakers. Even better, we have the advantage of Santa Ana College’s mini college fairs as well. However, some people might argue that these are only a few universities, and maybe the university of your dreams isn’t there. There is the yearly National College Fair happening in Anaheim Convention Center on April 22, 2018. In fact, there is a planned field trip to attend this college fair hosted by Mrs.Espinosa. If you are interested in attending, inform her as soon as possible. For a list of all the universities that will be there click here. Moreover, if you can’t attend this year, this even happens yearly, so aim for next year. I personally have gone two years, and I am planning on going this year as well.

Even if you feel that visiting a university is a waste time, it never is. Even when you feel like you wasted your time, you gain experience. Plus, worst case scenario, you learn that the university you wanted to attend isn’t the right fit for you. So get out there and explore possible universities.