Why You Need to Attend a College Overnight Visit (Whether You Plan to Go to College or Not)

As we reach high school, we’re asked to make a lot of decisions that can affect our lives in a lot of ways. At a young age, people ask us questions like:
 
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What is your dream job?
Do you want to go to college?
What is your dream school?
If not college, how do you plan to get your dream job?
Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 20 years?
 
When high school rolls around and we really start to think about these things, a lot of students may not have answers to all those questions. And we’re here to tell you, that’s okay! 

​When it comes to planning your future goals, the most important thing you can do is explore as many options as you can. It’s okay if you don’t know exactly what career you want to pursue, and it’s okay if you’re not sure if college is the right path for you. One thing you can do to figure that out is to attend a college overnight visit.
 
Many colleges offer high school students the opportunity to spend the night on a college campus to get a taste of the life of a college student. You can attend these college overnights whether you’re planning to attend or not. It’s a great way to learn about everything that school has to offer, from majors to extracurricular activities and student life.
 
CCF students recently attended a college overnight at Elizabethtown College, where they attended two days of student workshops that covered topics such as financial aid, student life on campus, college work/life balance, and all the different degree programs that Etown has to offer. After their workshops were done, they had the rest of the day and night to explore the campus and meet some of the college students that attend there. And our students will tell you, they had a blast!
 
By attending a college overnight, you can catch a glimpse of what it would feel like to attend college yourself. So if you’re on the fence of whether college is right path for you, getting to experience it first-hand will ultimately help you make a more informed decision. And if by the end of it you decide you want to go to college but maybe not the campus you visited, or maybe you decide college isn’t for you, that’s okay too! There are so many other paths to get to where you want to be, like attending a trade school, getting an internship or apprenticeship in a trade or company you admire, or attending student-focused college and career fairs just to get you started.
 
There are so many ways to find out what’s out there and what kinds of colleges, post-secondary programs and careers interest you. All you have to do is start trying things out to see what sticks for you. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Seeking guidance from the people around you like your parents, neighbors, guidance counselors, and teachers can help make the process even easier. So don’t worry! Just get out there and explore!