Many high school students struggle with anxiety over choosing a college. When I was a junior in high school, college visits completely overwhelmed me. I wasn’t sure what to do or how to act.
But despite my stress, my visit to Cedarville played a major part in my decision to attend this university. What I did at Cedarville that day made a big difference.
There are several things you should include in your own visit to campus to get the best picture of what your life as a Cedarville student would look like!
Interact With Current Students
First, spending time with current students is a great way to get a preview of campus life. If you’re anything like me, the thought of talking to a bunch of people you don’t know might be intimidating.
That’s okay! Even if you don’t feel up to talking to a single stranger, stay engaged when you listen to students.
You will meet many students who lead tours, work in food service, and sit next to you in chapel. Most of them will be more than willing to talk to you!
Pay attention to what they have to say about Cedarville and college life, because you never know if they’ll mention something you wouldn’t have learned about any other way.
Even right now, you’re reading the words of current students on the Student Life Blog as you explore what choosing Cedarville might look like.
A genuine student perspective is one of the best ways to know if Cedarville is right for you!
Explore Buildings That Interest You
Another opportunity to maximize your Cedarville campus visit is by visiting locations around campus that interest you. Yes, you will have the opportunity to go on a campus tour and visit multiple buildings, but you will also likely have some extra time to explore.
Be intentional with this time.
If you’re interested in the medical field, explore the Health Sciences Center. If you want to major in business or marketing, take a look around the Scharnberg Business and Communication Center. Aside from general education classes, most of your time as a student will be spent in these department-specific buildings.
Outside of academic buildings, make sure you visit where you envision yourself spending time outside of class. The Stevens Student Center is a must-see, but there are other options, too. For example, lots of visitors enjoy seeing the Callan Athletic Center, where the gym is located. Personally, being the bookworm that I am, I used my extra time to visit the Centennial Library.
Attend Chapel
Something that I think every visit day to Cedarville should include is chapel. Chapel has been called the “heartbeat of campus,” and it’s one of students’ favorite Cedarville experiences. Cedarville strives to center everything it does around Christ, and chapel serves as a daily reminder of that priority.
The wonder of so many people in one place worshiping God is so tangible in the Cedarville chapel hour. Visiting chapel showed me how serious Cedarville is about building students’ relationships with the Lord and with each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
This may seem like an obvious item to include in this list, but my visit to chapel truly became a deciding factor in my choice to attend Cedarville. I think it might play a big part in your decision too.
Visit a Class and Talk to a Professor
The final thing that I would encourage you to do on your campus visit is to attend a class in the department that you are interested in. As a potential professional writing and information design (aka PWID) student, I chose to visit the Professional Editing class taught by Dr. Nick Carrington.
As I sat in on the class, I found that I could see myself pursuing this specific major. The material aligned with what I wanted to learn, and the students in the class were friendly and welcoming.
After the class, I talked to Dr. Carrington, who would eventually become one of my primary professors and my academic advisor. He explained what the professional writing major was and how I could combine it with minors I was interested in.
The kindness and intentionality he showed me that day allowed me to see how much professors at Cedarville cared about their students.
It’s Okay To be Nervous!
Despite all the “right” choices I made during my time on Cedarville’s campus, I was still unsure of many things. That’s perfectly normal! In fact, I didn’t even recognize some of these factors until a long time after my campus visit.
There will be feelings of nervousness and anxiety. However, the Lord is sovereign in everything, and He has good plans for your life! Push through your worries, make your visit to Cedarville a wonderful time to remember, and know that His steadfast love never ceases.
Class: 2029
Hometown: Decatur, Illinois
Major: Professional Writing and Information Design
Favorite book of the Bible: Isaiah
Go-to coffee shop drink: Hot vanilla or chai latte
Favorite vacation spot: The mountains
Favorite thing about Cedarville: My favorite thing about being at Cedarville is the opportunity to live everyday life alongside of some the most Christlike people I have ever met!
Posted in: Campus Experience, College Life, Practical Tips