During your campus visit, get answers to these 10 questions:
1. What kind of extracurricular activities are there? Find out about clubs, sports and volunteer service opportunities. These non-academic activities will be important to your overall college experience.
2. What do students do for fun on weekends? What activities are offered on campus? What kind of stuff is there to do in the community? Do most students stick around on weekends, or do a lot head somewhere else?
3. What are the dorms like? Can you get a light bulb when you need one? Are the bathrooms well-stocked with supplies? Are there study areas in the dorms? How are the laundry facilities?
4. How's the food? Find out what options are available (salad bars, sandwich stuff, a snack shop) that will give variety to your meal plan.
5. How much time do students spend studying? This is a good indicator of how much free time you can expect. The answer will be different for everyone, but you can at least get an idea of how busy you'll be.
6. Will the profs help me outside of class? It's one thing to say a school has a low student/professor ratio. It's another to say that faculty members make themselves available to students. Find out if profs are willing to go that extra mile.
7. How safe is the campus? Do students feel safe walking alone at night? Are the dorms locked after a certain hour? Are walkways well-lit? Is there on-campus security?
8. Where can I go for privacy? There will be times when you want to be alone—to study, read your Bible, or just think. Ask where you can go when you need some time to yourself.
9. Where do students go to church? Ask students about the churches they attend and how they went about choosing those churches.
10. What opportunities are there for spiritual growth? It's easy for your spiritual life to suffer when you've got tons to do. Finding a fellowship group or Bible study could be a great way to stay on track.
By Holly Vicente Robaina
