Visiting Vibes Walking Around A Campus And Talking With The Students Can Help You Narrow Down Your College Choices

What’s your biggest college fear?

I’m always afraid I’ll get sick of cafeteria food and, heaven forbid, actually look forward to eating at home again. I’m also scared I’ll get the one professor everyone warns me against.

Fortunately, there is a way to overcome these fears. With spring break just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to check out colleges first hand.

Now, I know you’re thinking, “Why would I want to waste my vacation visiting a school?” But consider this: spring break may be the one chance you get to visit a college while class is still in session.

There are lots of advantages - professors are readily available to talk, students are around and willing to give you the real scoop. Most of all, you get a feel for what it would be like to spend the next four years at the school.

Here are some of the things I learned on my visits.

Skip the Tours

Of the seven college campuses I have visited, only once have I taken the campus tour. Personally, I found the tour boring and uninformative.

At the University of Colorado in Boulder, the tour lasted about two hours! Finally, my mom and I just broke away and investigated on our own. We ventured into buildings and spoke with a few professors and then we talked to the Dean of Students about dorm life and housing.

I decided that it is much better just to walk around the campus and town, meet people and draw my own conclusions.

Allen Campbell, a sophomore at Eastern Washington University, agrees.

“Talking to the students is a great way to learn more about the school,” he said. “You can also tell what the student thinks of the school by the way they describe it, and the expression on their face. Try to sit in on a class - that’s about the best way to get a feel for (the programs).”

By going out of your way and approaching people, you get a good idea of what campus life is really like. Sam Peterson, also a student at Eastern, wishes he had known it is a mostly a computer campus.

“On the weekends, this place can get pretty dull because everybody either goes home or into Spokane,” he said. “I recommend checking out the college surroundings to see if they fit your lifestyle.”

Don’t be shy

At Western Washington University, I stood in the center plaza and talked with the students as they walked by. I called the Department of Journalism and got to speak to one of the head professors who told me all I needed to know about the program. He showed me the writing lab, the newsroom and introduced me to some Western reporters who were doing internships at the Bellingham Herald.

This gave me the chance to ask more personal questions to see how I would fit into all of this.

Inspect the dorms

It is a big change going from having your own quiet room in your house to suddenly sharing an 8-by-10-foot dorm room with another person for sleeping, eating and studying. Megan Olson, a freshman finishing up her second quarter at Eastern, says it’s smart to know what you are getting into. “There isn’t very much privacy in the dorms,” she said.

At the University of Washington, I went upstairs and looked in the “cubicle” rooms with very small windows and walk-in closets. I found this a very strange arrangement of space.

Also, someone was playing the piano quite forcefully in the lobby and this added to the uneasy feeling I got from the very large, very crowded campus.

But don’t get me wrong; just because I found the school a bit overwhelming for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. I went to a small high school and, after a semester in the Running Start program, I am used to Eastern with its small classes and professors knowing my name.

At Western, I wanted to see the dorms both for knowledge and to compare them to my friends’ dorms at Eastern.

As my mom and I ascended the stairs of one dorm, we met Jen. We struck up a conversation with her and she willingly showed us her room. Like all the schools I visited, Western’s dorms are coed, but unlike others, they’re divided by floor according to gender.

Jen’s room had a huge window overlooking Bellingham Bay. She pointed out the community bathrooms (“Be sure and bring shower shoes,” she warned) and the kitchen (“It’s easier to order out, but you often get hungry for something home-cooked, even if it’s just macaroni and cheese.”).

Another tip Jen passed on was when filling out roommate applications be sure and pick “neat freak” unless you’re a total slob. If you pick one of the in-between categories, you will be placed in the slob category.

Jen, who seemed like the typical college student (half partygoer, half student), said to try the substance-free dorms. They’re quieter and you can study whenever you want. Also, if you don’t smoke, you won’t be put with someone who does.

Consider the climate

There are two things to thinkabout concerning climate - the weather and the atmosphere of the town where you’ll be living.

First, the weather. I visited the west side during an unusually sunny week. Everyone told me to keep in mind that it was not always like this; there are a lot of gray, cloudy days. Consider the climate in the town of your college choices as well; if you’re used to Spokane weather, some areas of the country can come as a big change.

When I visited Wake Forest University, Duke University and the University of North Carolina a few years ago, it was so hot I couldn’t even breathe. My shirt was always stuck to my back. But they have the greatest Southern food there.

That brings me to town atmosphere. Consider what it would be like to live in a certain town. Do you want quiet-rural or crazy-urban?

Boulder is nice, with four distinct seasons, lots of shopping and Phish-heads. It’s your typical college town.

Western is interesting, with the bay and all of the old book stores and coffee mills. The University of Washington reflects the Seattle area and its urban lifestyle. The campus there is extraordinary beautiful, with views of the water and that lush greenery from all the rain they receive, but if you plan on attending any school on Washington’s west side, buy your rain gear in mass quantities.

Talk to your parents

Whether you want to hear them or not, parents usually have an opinion. This is a good time to listen.

Michael McCarthy, a pediatric allergist, said, “I told (my son) that the cost didn’t matter, that where ever he chose was fine, but he knew I wasn’t telling the whole truth.

“I hoped he wouldn’t want to go too far away because then it would be hard to get to him if there was a problem,” he admitted.

Remember, you may be spending four-plus years at the school you choose, and you may even end up living in the area after you graduate. Obviously, academics are very important, but climate, lifestyle, surroundings, access to cities and outdoor activities can be just as big of an influence. Choosing a school that will fit your needs and lifestyle will make your learning experience that much more enjoyable.