Planning a trip to campus? You won’t want to miss the opportunity to attend an Academic Visit Day. Here are 7 reasons why:
1. Avoid basing college course decisions on high school classes.
If your high school physics class consists of worksheets packed with equations, you might not expect college physics to include firing off a potato cannon. College courses may be more challenging than high school classes, but they also tend to be more fun.
2. Meet your future professors.
You can connect with the students and take a thousand snapshots of the campus, but you won’t really know where you want to go to college until you’ve met the professors. At a small liberal arts college, you’ll likely take multiple courses with each professor in your department; it’s critical that you like their teaching style.
3. Scope out a potential mentor.
At Chatham, many teaching faculty members also serve as academic advisors and tutorial advisors. Meeting professors early helps you to identify potential mentors and determine who shares your research interests.
4. Figure out how to prepare for college-level coursework.
Sitting in on a college class gives you a good sense of your strengths and weaknesses. Does the bio lesson seem way over your head? Pay extra attention during Bio II in high school. Calculus making you sweat? Sign up for a tutor to strengthen your skills over the summer. It’s far better to discover areas for improvement during your senior year of high school than halfway through your freshman year.
5. Get a feel for the classroom vibe.
Every college has a different feel. At a major university, you might be in a lecture hall with hundreds of other students. At Chatham, the majority of your classes will likely include fewer than 25 students. Professors expect participation, discussions go in-depth, and hands-on activities are often integrated into every session. Attending a class at each university you visit gives you the ability to see which school fits your learning style.
6. Experience the facilities.
You’ll be spending a lot of time in the academic buildings over four years; figure out if they feel right! After you sit in on a class, take time to walk around several of the buildings: Buhl Hall Science Complex is sleek and modern, Braun/Falk/Coolidge is big on natural light, and Laughlin Music Hall has a classic mansion aesthetic. They’re so different that you’ll want to check out all of them.
7. Meet current students who share your interests.
When you sit in on a class, you’re sure to meet students who love what they’re studying! Ask them why they chose their major, what they love about it, and what they think could be improved. You’ll get a much better feel for the department if you have the opportunity to talk one-on-one with a few students in your major.
Bonus: Talk to a few non-majors. Students often feel differently about classes outside their main field of study.
Ready to take a class? Chatham offers Academic Visit Days on October 23, November 17 and February 16. Register here.