Questions on a college visit

JaysonFour

I'm heading off on a visit to the four-year school I really want to finish my degree at. I've got a few days until then, so I was hoping you guys could help me come up with a few questions/topics I should be sure to ask about. I already plan to ask about security (last year a couple guys broke in to some off-campus housing and held four co-eds hostage at gunpoint for twelve hours), what students are allowed to bring (gonna have to buy a 20GB 360 for my sister when I take my Elite model with me, and a lot of DVDs...), drugs (had some moron in an off-campus apartment trying to extract a compound from South American tree bark by soaking it in a pan of rubbing alcohol on a gas burner stove, surprised he didn't burn the place down)... some questions on dorms, some on classes... and that's about it. Some suggestions would be appreciated.

ZeroCow

Are you going to be a transfer student or freshman?

JaysonFour

A transfer student. Going in as a sophomore from a community college, hoping to start this fall.

see317

I'm curious as to what questions you're planning on asking about drugs. Seems to me that asking anything about illegal substances may put you on a "People to watch" list.

You might want to ask how they select room mates (sounds like you're planning on living on-campus?).
Maybe ask about alcohol policies, since it's not illegal (assuming you're of age)

kaliyama

Everyone's going to say that drugs are effectively policed, and that security is tight enough that no one takes hostages...I doubt your old school is going to disseminate information about the anecdotes you described to its tour guides, either.

Unless you're going to a military or mental institution, there's no restriction on what you can bring. The closest problem would be that many schools don't offer on-campus parking for cars for freshmen.

Iceman.USAF

You know what you CAN ask though, is how their campus security is run. At MY school, they employ like 14 people working on normal schedules with great equipment, and they have actual legal jurisdiction on our campus blocks. They are just as "legit" as the city PD, which is important as we have an 'open' campus.

That being said, police can't stop anything. People will still be stupid (drugs) and angry (hurt people).

Ask about the student government, and if you could talk to someone involved in that. I suggest the student govt because they're most likely to give a shit and actually answer you. That way you can ask if they feel safe walking around campus, etc.

More to follow as I think of it.

kaliyama

Iceman.USAF wrote: »

You know what you CAN ask though, is how their campus security is run. At MY school, they employ like 14 people working on normal schedules with great equipment, and they have actual legal jurisdiction on our campus blocks. They are just as "legit" as the city PD, which is important as we have an 'open' campus.

That being said, police can't stop anything. People will still be stupid (drugs) and angry (hurt people).

Ask about the student government, and if you could talk to someone involved in that. I suggest the student govt because they're most likely to give a shit and actually answer you. That way you can ask if they feel safe walking around campus, etc.

More to follow as I think of it.

This is very good advice - sorry for not being as specific as Iceman. Maybe phrase it like "is campus safety good? how many people do they employ? are there police too?" Though, to be honest, I wouldn't worry too much about this - stuff will get stolen at any school if you leave windows open or doors unlocked, and nobody can credibly -prevent- a hostage-taking from taking place.

chromdom

Ask how impacted your major is.
How long is it taking people to graduate?
What kind of access do you have to professors/instructors?
How crowded are the classes?
...I had thought of more, but forgot them as I was getting my coffee. This is what I get for trying to help in the morning.

yourspaceholiday

Most schools generally offer crime reports online (maybe all? It might be required), so you can search around the school website. It's not entirely accurate, though, because stuff can happen off campus that they don't have to report. It kind of gives you a good idea, though. For example here's my school's, and UCSD's. No doubt you'll be able to find one for your school

mts

the proper term for class size is what the teacher to student ratio is
ask about

cars:permit price
rough percentage of people who leave campus on weekend
what teh common student hangouts are?
places to eat/drink
wifi?
typical time to finish degree

MichaelLC

Are there any majors you're interested in?

I'd set up a meeting with the college dean or department head(s).

Laptop policy/program - rent/buy?

Fourth Stooge

Ask about job placement or graduate school admissions.

Your #1 goal as an undergraduate is either an internship (with potential for hire) or positioning for graduate school (get a position as a research assistant, free or paid).

I learned the hard way that a 20-hour-a-week JOB does not count as much as a 4-hour-a-week bullshit internship. I busted my ass going to school full-time and working 20 hours. I knew people who showed up for Friday afternoon internships that received better job interviews, despite lower grades, etc.

Make sure you don't leave without financial aid information AND the necessary forms. That money dries up the longer you wait.

JaysonFour

Thanks for all the replies, heh.

To clarify, I don't drink heavily/smoke/do drugs. (Yeah, that's me, the life of the party.) I just wanted to make sure that my roommate/neighbors if I can swing a single aren't going to be stupid enough to start up a meth lab or something crazy like the guy soaking the tree bark in alcohol right there in the residence hall. I like living. So I decided to ask about that.

Yeah, the security is a major concern for me- I'll go look for the crime report after I'm done with the upcoming class. But from what I've read in the handouts/student newspaper, the residence halls are pretty secure- as in, gotta have a student ID to get in to residence floors and even in the door past 9 p.m., and the only real crime that's happened is someone broke in to an in-hall food service area for a pita stand and stole three hundred bucks worth of pitas and supplies. But I'll still ask.

I wanted to know about security because I might bring my 360/Wii/DVDs with me (TV and DVD player are definite take-alongs), and I was thinking of just bringing my favorites along instead of lugging my collection of anime with me, just in case. But I'll take your ideas into consideration. Thanks, guys.

Hypatia

Ask about what health care for students is like. Usually they have on-campus facilities but you might want to find out how long the wait typically is if you do need something or if you want to schedule an appointment. You could ask if you're expected to pay for something to get an appointment, what circumstances they'd take you off campus to a hospital for, etc.

Some places have provisions for getting you back from the hospital if you get taken to one which is nice, but some don't and you're SOL if you get taken in an ambulance.

Ask about what clubs there are and if there are any that relate to your interests and how big those are.

Also, if you're going to live on campus ask if there are any construction plans that are coming up/taking place during the time you're going to be going there for. It's good to know if your entire time there is going to be next to a bunch of construction noise or if something seems convenient but when you get there it's going to be blocked by a bunch of fence and heavy equipment.