In continuing our conversation about the college selection process (first, was identifying which questions to ask colleges), we now want to take a look at some of the key, important things to experience on in-person college visits.

College visits can look differently depending on the timing and objectives of the visit. Some students may want to check-out colleges on official visit-days (where, often, prospective students are coming in from all across the country–and maybe even beyond), or it can be a smaller, more targeted, approach where visiting students may elect to join a smaller hosting of interested college “shoppers” (students and caregivers) to get a feel for what it would be like to be a member of that school’s learning community. This is what college visits should be all about: learning important information about each institution’s campus and also envisioning if this is a place that the student may want to either apply to, or, later on, select for their college attendance.

But, first, let’s quickly look at two optional–but potentially impactful–steps to take before even going on a college visit.

Visit Your Admissions Rep at School or at a College Fair:

If at all possible, try to meet with your school’s (or region’s) admissions rep if they either visit your high school or come to a nearby college fair. These important really important individuals are your #1 point-people for each college, and it would be super valuable for students to be able to meet them in-person (and in advance of doing a college visit). Get to know your school’s admission rep if you are truly interested in a particular school (you may thank me later for that tip).

Complete a Virtual Visit Before Visiting Campus:

These days, most schools do a pretty good job of putting together virtual visits or tours. It’s a great way to save a lot of time and money, while getting to “tour” a school’s campus right from the comforts of your living room couch, or very own gaming chair, right? If you like what you are seeing, then it may raise your interest in visiting the campus, in-person. Or, the virtual visit could–just as valuably–save you a lot of time and money if you elect to not complete an in-person visit (based on if the virtual campus tour maybe leaves something to be desired for you).

The name of the game before doing college visits is to gather as much information in advance and to really do your homework on a particular school (before even committing to checking-out the school in-person).

Without further ado, let’s look at eight things that students should do (or experience) on a college visit.

1. Enjoy Lunch in the Dining Hall:

Let’s face it: Most of us like to eat and–chances are–you will be doing a lot of walking around campus. Naturally, after a couple, or few, hours, you may build up an appetite. You will want to get a sample of what students eat for each meal, and in-between meals, amidst the dining halls and other on-campus (or near-campus) food options. Many students living on-campus will elect to purchase a meal plan (as part of their room & board), so you will want to get a feel for the quality–and quantity–of the different dining options. This is especially true if you are either a selective eater or have any dietary restrictions, for instance. Not surprisingly, on official visit days, don’t be surprised to be ‘wowed’ with all the different food options! You just want to also make sure that on a typical, random day during the week, that you’ll have a similar selection of dining options to choose from (if that is important to you).

2. Talk to Faculty and Current Students:

No college visit would be complete without talking to the people who will–potentially–be around you each and every day of the week: your peers, instructors, and other key faculty members. If you are interested in a particular program of study, try to connect with someone from that department for a face-to-face initial introduction while you are already on campus. Particularly, on visit days, many colleges will also have a panel of students that you can approach, introduce yourself to, and ask any questions that might be on your mind. These students will often share a little bit about their background, such as where they came from and why they ultimately decided to choose their school–and it definitely never hurts to hear what “sold” these students on their final college decision.

3. Visit the Library; Student Center; Fitness Center; Bookstore; and Dorm (if Possible):

On your campus visit, it pays to see as many of the key campus sites that students spend a large bulk of their day at, as possible. With that in mind, you may want to consider how close–or accessible–these places are in and around campus. Also, what hours (and days of the week) can they be accessed? Do they look like great places/spaces to study; eat; workout; relax; sleep; or meet up with friends? After all, college students might only spend around fifteen hours a week or so in a room/space of classroom instruction. It’s far more likely that you may spend many more hours in places like the library or student center–either studying alone or spending time with peers. It is worth taking the time to really, really look around when visiting each of these key sites on campus.

4. Sit in a Class (or Two):

It never hurts to sample a classroom lecture experience on campus (if at all possible) and to get a representation not only of the physical space of the instructional environment, but, more importantly, to take-in how students interact with each other and their instructors; to listen for the types of questions being asked in class; and to get a sample of the things that are discussed in a typical college classroom (whether from a pace/speed of content, or breadth/depth, perspective), and to juxtapose it to your own learning in high school. Does it look similar? Was it noticeably different? Then, take a few moments to reflect on this experience.

5. Attend a Sporting Event; Live Performance; Student-Led Event; or Overnight Experience (if Possible):

Similar to sitting in a class or two, it is also worth experiencing some of the additional student-life options around (or near) campus. You don’t even have to be a sports fan or a person who likes live music or performances to still enjoy yourself being around other college students. More to the point, maybe you are a recruited athlete, for example, and you are staying overnight with the current team–that can be super valuable for getting a great feel for what a 24 hour-period might look like while living on campus. However, even if you don’t get a chance to stay overnight on campus, don’t worry: just try to take-in one additional student-life experience from each campus you visit–even if you are only able to stop-by for a short bit of time.

6. Grab a School Newspaper:

I know it might sound a bit archaic, these days, with fewer people taking-in their news from print sources, but if a school you visit puts out free copies of their school newspaper, you will definitely watch to grab a copy for yourself. Why, you ask? School newspapers often function as a  barometer–or window–into the hot-button issues on campus. Basically, what students are talking about and the goings-on of campus life. Sometimes, they shine a positive light on campus happenings and sometimes they will shine a critical light on events or things that impact students. Picking up a school newspaper is a great way to get a bit of an insider’s view–from a students’ perspective–on timely things that are important, or salient, to each school’s student body (and it’s also a free-of-charge souvenir, to boot!).

7. Take Pictures; Selfies; Videos, etc:

As human beings, we are often able to make better mental notes and remember information clearer when we can document it with pictures or videos. It’s no different for college visits. Plus, it can be fun to take some pictures or videos to share with others. Maybe it’s a picture of you with the school mascot or standing alongside a prominent campus landmark, for instance. Whatever pictures or videos you decide to take, have fun with it–but also don’t forget how something like this can factor into our last point (below).

8. Jot-Down Notes:

This final point is probably most relevant, or helpful, for those students taking multiple in-person college visits. The more campuses visited, sometimes, the harder it is to remember everything. Figure out what works best for you. Do you want to create a spreadsheet ahead of time to organize all of your visits? Maybe you would prefer to use a journal for what you learned, along with personal reflections of your own thoughts and feelings after each visit. Perhaps, you want to put together a compilation video or organize picture folders of each visit. Or, maybe you want to take a hybrid approach to organizing your learnings or findings; thoughts; feelings; and reflections after each visit. Whatever system you decide to utilize, it is usually best to complete something like this right after each visit (and while everything is still freshest in your mind).