How to choose the right college for yourself

College is an important step in anyone's life. Whether it would be to impress their parents or to have a sure way to attain a great future for yourself, college is important and you should feel blessed to even be able to go. You made the first step in deciding you want to go to college now the next step is to choose. So what are some factors that should be addressed when picking the right college for me?

1. Distance. Do you want to be as far from your family as possible, close, or in between (close and far)? Distance is good to consider when choosing a college that way you can narrow colleges down.

2. Paid parking. How much does parking cost if you are going to be driving to and from campus? For me I chose a college where parking was free. But I didn't even have a car or needed one on campus so it was kinda pointless but for you it may be something to consider.

3. Graduation rates. You would like to see if your college has a high success rate so you know that the staff is dedicated to helping you become successful.

4. Job out of college success rates. What percentage of college students at your desired college got a job out of graduation. This helps to know that the staff is not only dedicated for you to get out of their school but also to help prepare you for the real world by assisting you in finding a great job.

5. Programs. How are the programs at the school? If you want to be an engineer what programs do they have to set you up for success in your field? What hands on and classroom work experience do they provide and are they any good? This is the mistake I made when choosing a college. Given I did not know what I wanted to do going into college but when I decided it was too late and I was stuck with a decent program. Even though everyone who majored in my engineering field says that that college is horrible and that the professors are not committed to helping you, either way I still chose it and it has been ok so far.

6. Money. The amount of scholarships the college is willing to offer you plays a huge factor in you going to college because you do not want to end up with a lot of college debt. That was the for sure factor of me choosing my college. I choose a college with free housing and gave me a lot of extra money in scholarships. I choose the college strictly on that.

7. Amount of free help provided. This is college! For someone with a learning disability I am going to need all the help I can get. So I chose a college that excited me and gave me a lot of free tutoring centers and free tutor nights.

8. Lastly, how is the overall feel of the campus? Going on campus tours will help you decide if you want to go to that college. If it makes you feel excited and vibrant about your new life and you can really see yourself there then you know that it is the college for you. I did that with my college I went to. I knew it was the right one for me because I saw myself being here and it got me excited.

I hope this helps you understand what you need to consider when looking at colleges.