Anyone who is thinking of which college to attend knows the dreaded questions: “Where are you going to school?” or “What major will you declare?” These questions can make a carefree high schooler into an anxiety ridden one in .2 seconds. Picking which college to go to is one of the most important choices a teenager must make. With such a huge decision usually comes a lot of pressure and nerves. There are a few details a student should consider to narrow the search a bit more.

1. Academic Options

Number one is making sure the selected college has the major of interest. While this seems like an obvious detail, students do not always know what degree they will end up with in the end. If going in undeclared, a student should at least check to see if there are some options that he or she may be interested in at some point in the future.

2. Location

Location, location, location is one of the most important decisions in choosing a school. Going away or staying local is a huge factor in how well a student will perform. Almost everyone knows someone who went away and ended up coming home because they could not handle the freedom. Either way, students must make the decision based on themselves and no one else around them.

He or she may be interested in making sure that the school has more students living on campus than commuting. Believe it or not, some schools are completely dead on the weekends because everyone goes home. Someone who is hours away from home probably wants a lively campus during the week as well as weekends. While researching a school, it is smart to talk to representatives or look online for the statistics of students on campus and commuting. If a school has a large amount of on-campus living then it’s more likely to have a lot of students who stay at school on the weekends.

3. Student Life

Another point of interest would be to consider whether the school has activities of interest. Some schools as a whole are big in sports and have many athletes, while others have a major calling for the arts. Looking on the college website and Facebook pages for the activities that the school has to offer is important. If the college has what a student is looking for, it will help a student be more involved in the school, to make friends and love their experience.