It's hard for me to believe that just a year ago, I was finalizing my decision to attend Hastings College the fall following my senior year of high school. I feel like I have been here longer than seven months; it feels more like a decade since I first moved into my dorm. So, while I might not actually be the most qualified person to give advice like this, I will anyways, because I feel like I am. Here's some advice for you high school seniors out there who are just about ready to commit to a college. Hold on just one second before you decide, there is something you haven't quite thought about yet.

Just a year ago, I was going through the same thing you are right now, and let me tell you it is so easy to get trapped in the statistics. Colleges like to advertise numbers, they like to flaunt their acceptance rates, the number of graduates who got a job within their first year. They like to illustrate their opportunities, how many frats and sororities they have, how likely it is for you to get an on-campus job. But there is no true way to understand what the right college is like unless you are there.

Like I said in previous articles, my mom and I went on a college tour through Nebraska and into Iowa in October of last year. We looked at five colleges, and out of the five, Hastings was the first. We arrived in Hastings sometime in the mid-afternoon of the day preceding our formal tour, and instead of waiting for a student to show us around, my mom and I took it upon ourselves to just explore the campus. I remember what it felt like. The sun was setting, the sky was orange, and it was still warm enough for coats not to be needed. We walked through campus and gawked at the dignified brick buildings and looming trees. There was a calmness that overtook me, a strong sense of belonging that still excites me to this day. We just walked, as we walked I knew that I was exactly where I wanted to be.

I fell in love with Hastings before I fell in love with their statistics, before I met any professors, interrogated any students. I fell in love with the side walks, with the random statues, with the way the church bells rings a little late every time. I fell in love with the park just across the way, and the way the grass felt on my bare feet. I fell in love with the birds that sung there, with the gentle breeze, with the smell and knowing that Hastings was somewhere better.

That feeling that I had that afternoon engulfed my brain during the rest of our trip. After each and every other tour, I thought of Hastings. Sure, some of those other schools were great. I remember almost attending a school in Iowa, but even when we were there, I thought of Hastings. Neither my mom or I truly understood. We looked at some dignified schools, some that well outranked Hastings on many platforms. One of them made Loren Pope's, Colleges that Change Lives, but no other campus had the feel that Hastings had, and in the back of my mind I knew that I wouldn't be happier anywhere other than there. After every tour my mom would ask, "What do you think?" And I'd say, "It was nice, but do you remember Hastings?"

Now, I'm not saying that academics are not important, because they most certainly are, but passion is equally as important. You cannot succeed academically if you lack in passion. You have to be passionate about your college, you have to want to see yourself succeed there, you have to see yourself walking down those sidewalks, books in hand. You can't just go to a college because it fits your impassive needs; part of the college experience is feeling that excitement of just being on campus. I didn't feel that anywhere other than Hastings, and there is a school out there that will feel the same way for you.

So my advice to you is to visit your college before you decide to go there. I know that money is hard, and some colleges are far away, but trust me, if you don't do anything else, just walk on campus. They say you'll know if its the one, and it's true. Don't just let the statistics rule your choice, let your heart have some say too. You'll know if it's right, I promise, because I knew.