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When you visit a campus you should plan to do all of the following except

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This is if your on a tour. I got it off my pan-flit from Cameron University


Turn off electronic devices and pay attention to the speaker. It's common courtesy. Don't take phone calls, text, or anything else that distracts others around you.

Of course you want to take photos, but respect others' desire to do the same or not; don't shove people aside to get your shot and keep up with the tour. Especially don't use an iPad to do that, since it effectively blocks the view of anyone behind you. And for God's sake, no selfie sticks!

Don't film the whole thing; you should be in the moment, not in the future. You'll just annoy people and you'll never watch it again anyway. Be selective and photograph unusual campus sites or those of particular interest to you for later comparison. Taking notes on paper is a refreshingly retro way to record data.

By your second tour you will have heard just about the entire repertoire of tour guide jokes, including the one about walking backwards, the dining hall food, and so on. You will also witness the tour guide saying hello to a student walking nearby in an effort to demonstrate how friendly the campus is. Please give each guide a courtesy laugh anyway.

Some schools train tour guides extensively, others don't. The former tend to be robotic but knowledgeable, the latter sometimes too free-form. Tour guides are guaranteed to love their school, but don't base your opinion of the institution entirely on the tour guide's presentation or how hot (or not) he or she is. (I've spoken with students who remember their guides more than the college.) They may occasionally reveal something the admission office would prefer you not know, like the strength of the party scene, the ease of cutting classes, and so on, but you should take these revelations with a grain of salt.

Be considerate of your guide and fellow travelers as you walk around campus. Avoid side conversations, lagging behind, or commentary about how things have gone downhill since you were there.

Don't put the guide on the spot. He or she may have closed down a huge kegger the night before, but you don't need to ask pointed questions about alcohol and drug consumption on campus or wring admissions about hooking up, coed dorms and cheating on the tour. If the school has been in the news recently, keep questions about that confined to, "How is the school taking it?" Don't turn the tour into a news conference.

User Firedrawndagger
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What should I make sure to do and see on a college visit aside from the tour?

You should sample the food in the cafeteria and listen in on what students are talking about and how they are interacting. Stop random students and ask questions about campus life on the weekends, what are the best dorms and what they like and don't like about their college experience.Grab a student newspaper which can often be very revealing about the campus culture. Try to explore the surrounding area around the college which can be a deal-breaker. If you can arrange in advance of your visit to meet with a faculty member from the department in which you are interested, that can be time well spent. Also, try to arrange to sit in on a class. If you are fortunate enough to personally meet with a faculty representative from your desired department, make sure to get her contact information so that you can send a thank you note or e-mail for her time.

User Jorjani
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