{"id":14604,"date":"2022-08-11T17:06:12","date_gmt":"2022-08-11T21:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/?p=14604"},"modified":"2022-08-19T13:04:45","modified_gmt":"2022-08-19T17:04:45","slug":"the-real-first-step-in-choosing-a-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/blog\/the-real-first-step-in-choosing-a-college\/","title":{"rendered":"The real first step in choosing a college"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Close your eyes for a moment and picture yourself out of high school \u2014 no more lockers, home room or cool-kid cafeteria cliques. You’ve graduated, moved on and are about to begin a brand new chapter of your life in an entirely new world. What kind of college do you envision yourself at? <\/span><\/p>\n At which type of school can you see yourself flourishing academically, socially, mentally and perhaps even spiritually?<\/a> Is it a small private school, a community college, a religious school, a big technology institute, online college or a public university close to home? Oftentimes, it seems as if the best place to start your college search is by brainstorming a list of names of a bunch of schools that might pique your interest \u2014 perhaps because of their majors<\/a>, athletic programs<\/a> or social scenes. But, in reality, it’s really important to consider the type of school you’ll best thrive in before you worry about specific school names and programs. <\/span><\/p>\n Here are five questions to consider as you investigate the type of school that will be best for you.<\/span><\/p>\n It’s important to reflect on what your strengths and weaknesses over your high school years have been. Chances are that throughout high school, you’ve been involved in a myriad of activities \u2014 some you loved, others not so much. During these activities, whether they were the arts, sports, social activist groups, or other areas, what did you learn about yourself? In what areas did you not only excel and thrive in, but actually love? What parts of high school did you dread most or struggle in? Give yourself a minute or two to jot down a few of your strengths and weaknesses.<\/span><\/p>\n Pondering on your past inspirations, interests and temperaments in particular situations can provide you with some insight on which type of college environment is complementary to your personality. This is really important to keep in mind when choosing a college! If you are a city person and you feed energy off of living in an active area<\/a>, then chances are that a college in the middle of a ghost town would not be your smartest choice.<\/span><\/p>\n1. What are your strengths and weaknesses?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
2. What inspires you to do more, to do better?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
3. What do you want to do while in college?<\/strong><\/h2>\n