Leaving the only home you’ve ever known can sound like a really scary thing to do, especially at this age. As the end of the year is approaching quickly, seniors are making some of the biggest decisions of their lives such as choosing the college that they will live at for the next four years. Although it may seem a little overwhelming, there is one specific aspect one should consider before officially clicking the accept button: visiting the campus itself. The process of choosing the best college for you will be made much easier with this important step on the road to college.

Many students tend to fall in love with colleges that they have never even visited before. Many of these students don’t take into consideration that they will be roaming around during their free time, meeting new friends, and most importantly, living at this campus! Choosing the wrong college due to unfamiliarity can cause discomfort, stress, and overall a bad college experience. Take some of your free time to visit campuses and the cities they are in. The city may give off a vibe that you may like or dislike, causing uneasiness. Thus, it is important to schedule appointments at various colleges to get a sense of what life is like on a day to day basis at those colleges.

Not to mention, applicants are able to get their questions answered first hand by professionals who work at the campus rather than receiving false information from others or the Internet. Scheduling to view the campus with a tour guide may be the best idea, as they are able to take you to the most important and well known areas of the campus; such as the library, dining area, admissions office, etc. Knowing the layout of the campus is also crucial to your preference in choosing the college for you and weather you like big or small campuses.

“I think it is super important to visit college campuses so that you’re not completely clueless when walking in.” said junior Tyler Lasky. “When visiting, you can see if there are any job opportunities around and just assure that the college has the perfect environment suited for you.”

Senior Samantha Hanti mentioned, “Without visiting the colleges that you’re interested in, you won’t really know if it’s the perfect setting for you. I would rather take the time now to make sure that everything goes smoothly through the next four years, rather than feel uncomfortable and have to stay.”

Overall, this one small step can have a very significant outcome in which college you end up choosing!