What I Learned From Visiting 80 Colleges In Four Years

Why Did I Visit 80 Colleges In Four Years?

I should explain myself first. I was not visiting colleges to see what college I should attend. That would be weird. In my work as a college and career counselor, I would take high school students on trips to see a variety of colleges so they could get an idea of what they wanted. I would also see colleges on my own to educate myself and see what schools to recommend to my students. Some colleges would even fly me and other counselors in for a 2-3 day visit and wine and dine us in hopes that we would recommend the school to our students.

In total, I have been to well over 100 colleges for official visits spanning across the country. And what did I learn? 

• Every college is different
• Every college is the same
• You have more power to influence your college experience (and life) than you realize

Every College Is Different

Every college has its unique flavor based on its culture, geography, architecture, dining options, academic rigor, and traditions. This may seem like an obvious point, but getting a behind-the-scenes look at colleges across the country brought this truth to life. Take, for instance, dining options. 

Two Very Different Dining Options

I learned that eating lunch at King Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland looks different than my college lunch experience.  A few years ago I joined 4,500 midshipmen as they ate one of their “mando meals.” All 4,500 midshipmen file into one large room, eat, and exit the building in 25 minutes. 

Contrast this lunch experience with some of the swanky options at High Point University. This cafe was designed to feel like you were dining in first class on a plane or at an airport lounge. This cafe has real airplane seats and is one of their many cafe options in addition to their 5-star restaurant on campus. 

Two Very Different Sports Traditions

I learned firsthand that football is… different in the South. If you get a chance, go to a Midnight Yell at Texas A&M. On Friday nights, the stands are packed out so that students can practice their yells (cheers)  for the next day. 

Yes, they practice their yells. And they love it. And there are different yells based on your freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior status. And freshmen do not dare to do the senior yell. 

Sound cultish? It sure felt like it! But it was admittedly fun. At the midnight yell, you get a taste of attending the big football school in the south and the distinct traditions of A&M.

Here is another. I haven’t been able to get to this one yet, but my good friend Nate Smith attended Taylor University and told me about it. At a small private college with less than 2,000 students, they have a basketball tradition called “Silent Night.” In this pre-Christmas game, the students stay silent until their team scores the 10th point of the game. After the 10th point, the fans rush the court and erupt into a celebration like they just beat the number one ranked team in the country. After this, the game resumes as normal.

Every College Is The Same

Yet, for all the differences, the 80 colleges I visited were also very similar. In the end, every college is a bunch of 18-22-year-olds trying to learn how to navigate the transition to adulthood. There is typically some learning taking class in a classroom, and always more learning outside the classroom. 

“We Even Have a Harry Potter Club!”

On one college road trip, we stopped at three colleges in one day. When it came time to talk about student life, every college tour guide mentioned the wide variety of clubs they have and some examples of the clubs and organizations on campus. On this particular day, three tour guides and three different colleges all said, “We even have a Harry Potter club!” This was their way of explaining that anyone can start a club and it can be whatever you want it to be. 

You have more power to influence your college experience (and life) than you realize

For me, this highlighted an important aspect of college life and life in general. If they don’t have a club that you are interested in, start one! This aligns with my previous post when I highlighted the fact that where you go is not who you’ll be. Yes, every college has its own unique dining options and sports traditions. These can and should be factors to take into consideration when choosing a college. However, at the end of the day if the college does not have something you want, try to add it! Start a club.

What is true about college life is true about life in general. We all have more power to influence our lives than we realize. At work this fall, my friends decided to get creative with our lunch break. Since our work is largely stationary sitting at a computer, we started running out for a round of disc golf at a local park. We started a “club.” Let’s start more clubs.