February is coming to a close and that means it’s almost time for high school seniors to make decisions on what college they want to attend in the fall. Last year, I found the period of time while I was choosing between schools almost, if not more, stressful than the application process. From the outside looking in, the decision may not appear that difficult. However, speaking from personal experience, as the person who’s about to plan the next half decade of their life, it is no easy feat. There are so many factors that affect your selection and some weigh more heavily on your mind than others. Here are some words of advice to the class of 2016 as all those acceptance letters roll on in.

Make a list:

It may sound trivial but putting a pen to paper and writing down the characteristics
that you value the most in a college or university can seriously help organize
your thoughts. You may realize that, although the University of Vermont may
have a beautiful campus and was originally in your top 2, you would much rather
be in a city. This list does not have to be concrete by any means. You can
rearrange and alter it all you want but knowing what you want from your college
experience is essential to making the best decision for you.

Visit and walk around on your own:

Don’t get me wrong, a tour of a college campus can be very informative and helpful. However, I think that taking the time to explore a little on your own, without a guide that gets paid to tell you how great their school is, can be very beneficial. Every campus has its own vibe and it’s hard to get a true sense of the atmosphere there if you are being herded around like sheep with 10 other families and that one Mom who just won’t shut up and stop asking questions (sorry if this is your Mom). Break off from the crowd and see the campus from a different perspective.

Don’t let your friend’s choices affect you:

Maybe your best friend since kindergarten is going across the country to attend their dream school. This doesn’t mean that you need to, or should, follow them. I’m not going to lie, come August, when everyone goes their separate ways, it is definitely tough to say goodbye but at one point or another you have to learn to grow on your own. Also, just because Judy thinks that a big school would be, “the coolest thing ever,” and that she could never go to a college that is any less than 8 hours away from home, doesn’t mean that your desire to go to a small school that is basically in your backyard is wrong. You and your friends will return home over winter break and have so many stories to share and it will feel like you never left.

Don’t be afraid to try something new:

I’m from a small beach town in Connecticut and chose to attend college in Boston. The landscape and pace of the city is so much different than what I had become used to during the first 18 years of my life. Going to college is an opportunity to broaden your horizons and to step out of your comfort-zone. It’s normal to be a little tentative to jump into a totally new environment but there is something to be said for a change of scenery that offers countless opportunities.

It doesn’t have to be permanent.

If you make a decision and after the first semester you realize you would be happier somewhere else, that’s OK. College is supposed to be the best time of your life and there is no use in wasting it at a school where you aren’t enjoying yourself just because you are too stubborn to consider transferring. Plenty of people that I know are at a school that they love and they arrived there because they found that the first place they chose wasn’t the right fit. There is no shame in changing your mind, especially after you’ve given it the old, “college try.”