This is a guest post by Julie Manhan

Author Julie Manhan is an independent college counselor and blogger for myUsearch.com, the Honest College Matchmaker, a site dedicated to helping students make the right college choice.

Making the right college choice is potentially one of the biggest decisions a person will ever make. Contrary to popular belief, the importance of the decision has little to do with a college’s name or prestige, but rather because it is the place that will likely shape your perspectives and relationships for years to come. For those reasons alone, you need to look carefully at more than just the info you can find on a website.

A campus visit is essential before enrolling. Only by experiencing the campus firsthand can you tell if you will feel comfortable there. It’s also probably the best way to get a sense of what kind of students choose to go to school there, as well as experiencing what student-faculty interaction is like. Make sure you visit every department you may be interested in to see what’s going on both inside and outside of the classroom. These are the things that you really need to pay the closest attention to because they will end up affecting everything in your college experience.

Keeping that in mind, here are a few important questions you should ask yourself before you begin your college search or make your final college choice:

1. What qualities do I look for in my friends? Finding classmates you can relate to and who share your values is an important factor in feeling comfortable and being successful at a school.
2. Who are the best teachers I have had? What made them different? The relationships you form with your college professors can make a huge difference in your future plans.
3. What subjects would I like to know more about? Identifying what sparks your interest right now can help you find a school where you can explore all those interests.
4. Where do I feel most comfortable? Are you a city kid or a country kid or do you just need a change? Never underestimate the impact your surroundings can have on your overall learning experience and sense of wellbeing.
5. How do I learn best? Figuring out why you have done better in some classes than others may provide a valuable insight for you when considering schools that use some teaching styles more than others (i.e. lecture vs. cooperative learning).

Of course, there are other factors that need to be considered when making your college choice, such as cost and availability of any special services you may happen to need. However, the answers you give to the questions above should figure prominently in your list of qualities a college must have in order for it to be a good fit.

By Corey Bobco, University of Texas

You’ve been on the college scene for a few weeks, having the time of your life and wondering what all the university hype is about. So far, all you’ve had to do for your grades’ sake is skim some course readings and listen to a few professors babble in the lecture hall. But then … BAM! After an enlightening series of classes one fine Monday, you realize you’ve got a biology exam and two 1,000-word essays on Homer and Joyce due — all by the end of the week.

Uh-huh. This scenario is all too common, even among seasoned students.
Sure, you can survive it, even if it means pulling a few all-nighters. But if you always let everything pile up until crunch time, your grades will eventually suffer. And so will you.

So how can you avoid epic battles with tests and deadlines so you don’t become a scholastic casualty? Stop stressing. Now. You can tackle time management and stay organized so your course work doesn’t get the better of you. Here’s how:

•    Stay on top of things! May sound like a no-brainer, but no kidding: If you don’t want schoolwork to pile up, you need to actively be aware of when it’s due. Pick up a portable planner — or if you’re computer-oriented, try an app like Google Calendar, which also conveniently syncs with your Gmail account — and copy the entire semester’s worth of assignments, exams and due dates into it from each class’s syllabus. And while we’re on the subject, be sure to carefully read all your syllabi. You may find sneaky stuff hidden in there, like “one full letter-grade drop for every unexcused absence” (true story). It’s better to know sooner rather than later.

•    Got notes? When you’re trying to figure out what’s crucial to know for a test or how to arrange course content into a viable essay, having good notes can be a real lifesaver, so pick up a few loose-leaf notebooks for jotting down info. We don’t recommend taking notes on your laptop — you risk getting distracted by the Internet and missing most of what’s said. Besides, paper provides a much more harmless way of keeping you entertained during idle moments (i.e., doodling).

•    Beating writer’s block When it comes to writing essays, getting those first couple of sentences down — or even just making an outline — can be a challenge, especially if it’s your first assignment. David Uskovich, a writing consultant at the University of Texas-Austin’s writing center stresses the importance of research: “It can put you in conversation with the material you’re trying to cover, which will help you make some connections so you’ll have something to start from when you actually sit down to write the paper.”

Freelance writer Lauren Brown, whose first young-adult novel is due out in the fall of 2010, offers this useful tip: “When I was in college at University of South Florida and had a paper due, there was nothing worse than staring at a blank computer screen and feeling like I had no thoughts in my head. The secret is to slowly condition your brain to start flowing by simply taking a few minutes to write via stream of consciousness. Just write down anything that comes to mind, even if you literally keep writing over and over, ‘Nothing is coming to mind.’ Eventually, your brain will warm up and more fluid sentences will emerge. After maybe 15 minutes or so of doing this, try again to start your paper. You’ll notice that you feel a bit more focused, way more relaxed, a little more creative and a lot less overwhelmed. Anytime you get stuck, just take a break and repeat this exercise.”

•    Outwit exams College tests come in many shapes and sizes, but as a general rule, liberal arts classes usually stick to short-answer and essay-oriented exams, while math and sciences often lean toward a multiple-choice format. For essay exams, it helps to find out beforehand from your professor or T.A. what the test will cover. It never hurts to ask them point-blank a couple of days before the test.

Third-year UT-Austin biology major Ben Cox points out that you can sometimes find many multiple-choice test questions from homework of previous years: “Math and science professors often take the basic idea of homework questions, even optional homework, and tweak only a few figures, leaving the concepts tested by the question intact.”

If you can get your hands on exams from previous semesters, these can also be helpful. Just ask around to find out who’s taken the class before you, or find out if your professor posts old exams on the course Web site. (Note: As long as you’re not memorizing answers, we don’t count this as cheating, but check out your school’s policy to avoid things like, duh, expulsion.)

“While the questions and even content might vary some from year to year, knowing the way your professors format their tests will do wonders for your preparedness,” says Cox.

So there you have it. Just by being organized and putting forth the effort to adequately prep for tests and assignments, you’ll be able to get more z’s … and more A’s — which is sure to put you on good terms with the parentals. And that always comes in handy, of course, whenever you want an “extra something.”

This post was copied from realcollegeguide.com

Being a new college student is one of the scariest yet most exciting times of a person’s life; going off to a new school, a place where you will be treated like an adult, where you will get to meet and exchange thoughts with like minded students/professors… For many students this is the first time in their lives when they will live away from home, be responsible for their own budget etc…
Given such an immense undertaking it is understandable that many new students will make avoidable mistakes (picking the wrong meal plan, or making academic decisions based on a false sense of security…) and all things being equal I am certain that most of us, given the chance would want to go back in time and advise our younger selves against…
Well, this is your chance! The question I am asking here is simple, what is the one piece of advice that you would give to a college freshman?
Please leave your comments below and I will be sure to get them posted ASAP!

When I was an undergraduate buying textbooks, or any books for that matter, was straightforward, I went to the bookstore and bought the book, or I went online and bought it on Amazon. If I could not afford the book I got a student loan to pay for textbooks (close to $12000 of student loans over 7 years of education went to textbooks). Sometimes I even got a textbook scholarship, but this was rare. All and all I did not have to concern myself with worrying, and had a complete disregard for how I would pay back my student loans. Moreover, the financial aid department at my school often encouraged me to think this way.

Today things are different. Sure you can still act as I once did, and many students do just that, but the reality is that student loans are harder to come by, and the job market being what it is, everyone is struggling and will likely continue to struggle after graduation. This is why I want to share what little wisdom I have acquired during my years as a student.

It has been brought to my attention that I do not make any money from the maintenance of this blog, this is totally true. This blog exists, and We Compare Books itself was founded because I want to help students. I feel an affinity with students, and I do not want them to repeat my mistakes. On that note I would urge you to read this blog, if you are a student, and please take the advice to heart. If you are a professor who cares about your students, you can share this blog’s URL with them. If you are a parent, or know anyone who could benefit from the information here, I would urge you to spread this news. The world has changed, and we cannot afford to keep living as though it has not.

All this to say: compare prices. It is imperative that you check prices, all over the Internet and at your local bookstore. This is the only way you can be sure to get the best prices for all your books.