How to choose a college that is right for you?

 

Introduction

 

Hello, all, in this segment of Learning for All, I will be discussing how to properly choose a college that can lead to success.

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In each blog post, I will introduce the topic, explain what the topic is, then share my experience with the particular topic. My sources of information will be hyperlinks throughout the blog. 

 

This topic is very broad, however, I am going to simplify it into a few categories. 

 

I will go over what to look for in a college, and how properly look at the accommodations in a college. 

 

The difference between a university and a college is, a university offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs, while a college offers only undergraduate degree programs. 

 

College can also refer to as community colleges or technical schools. 

 

 What to look for in a college

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First, you have to decide whether college is ‘right’ for you.

 

Many times people think college is the only life path to a successful future. This is not the case and in fact completely false. Life does not have a road map, so you are not pigged holed into anything that you do not want to do.  

 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when figuring out where to further your education. 

 

Does the college or university have accessible accommodations and resources for me to succeed? 

 

Can I learn in a classroom of 100 people or 20 people?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Think about the distance from your home, how far do you want to live away from your family? Do you want to live in an area far away or somewhere close? 

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How much does the college or university cost? Do you need to stay in-state where the cost of college is less expensive, or are you going to apply for scholarships? 

 

Do I like campus life, such as the clubs and organizations on campus or the town the school is nearby? 

 

What colleges/universities have accommodations?

 

First, you have to make sure that you have the proper qualifications for the desired college or university that you are looking at.

 

As a person with a learning difference, you should strive to go to a place that has a ‘good’ accommodation faculty on campus.

 

The names of the resources may be different, however, what you should look for is how well the college or university supports people with learning differences. 

 

Look at the websites of your desired college or university and think about if those services match your need or not.

 

Always ask your guidance counselor or teacher to help you with your college search.

 

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Make sure you feel comfortable with the college or university resources and if you can, please tour the facility.

 

College or university tours are super important, this allows you to walk the campus and see what they have to offer.

 

Talk with the person in charge of the facility and ask as many questions as possible, that what the person is there for. 

 

Personal Experience 

 

I have always wanted to go to college ever since I could remember, college was my goal. 

 

I remember going on college tours with my two older siblings and falling in love with the idea.

 

My mom at the time was a college guidance counselor, and I was exposed to all the conventions she had with her students.

 

 I even went on additional college tours with her students. It was so much fun!

 

Once I was a junior in high school, I knew I needed to start looking for places that would be realistic and meet my academic needs.

 

I wanted a lot of different things from a university, I wanted to be near my parents(3 hours or less), I needed a place that had great academic support for people who have learning differences, I needed a school that had enough majors that I could change if needed, and finally, I need a place that made me feel happy.

 

This seemed nearly impossible, however, I did my research along with my mom, and high school guidance counselor. 

 

I looked at over 25 different colleges in my high school career, I toured 5 and applied to 3.

 

I was fortunate to get accepted to Longwood University and made one of the best decisions of my life. 

 

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