Does School Image Matter?
It may sound cliché, but you really can’t judge a book by its cover. And just as a piece of literature could be trapped in boring and bland binding, so could a fantastic college have a less than stellar looking campus.
We’ve all seen the college movies, right? The lecture halls are gigantic and the admissions office is complete with spires and a bell tower. The landscaping is lush and beautiful and students gather on the grass for informal lectures about random world topics. While this would be a fun and relaxed way to go through college, it’s simply not a reflection of reality. So don’t be surprised when you visit college campuses, their appearances are nothing to write home about.
The Role of Image in the College Selection Process
Image is very important in everything that we do in life. It’s how we select an outfit to wear and how we choose what to eat. Appearances aren’t everything, but we definitely treat them as though they were everything. So it’s only natural that a college’s appearance would come into play. Even so, you have to know that just because the campus is well landscaped does not mean the classes are going to be of any higher quality or that the professors will be more helpful.
That is not to say that you should disregard appearances altogether. However, there are certain limits to what you should pay attention to and what you should disregard. Here are a few tips.
When Image Is Important
There is the occasional time when the appearance of a college is actually very important to your decision of whether or not to go there. For instance, if the campus is barren of trees, completely concrete and the staff never makes eye contact with you, there may be a problem, especially if you’re an outgoing person. After all, you need to feel comfortable on the campus that you choose.
Another example is if there is a lot of vandalism or the buildings are falling apart. While it may be good that all of the budget is going to the classrooms for quality education, some amount of money needs to be devoted to campus upkeep as well. If shingles are consistently falling off and graffiti mars every wall, you may have a problem.
When to Let Image Go
Even though there are a few cases wherein appearances are really important, the vast majority of the time, how a campus looks couldn’t be less important. For instance, if all of the buildings look similar and there’s nothing fancy about them, don’t rule the college out. Since when do you need fancy buildings to qualify a school as worthy of attendance? And if the grass isn’t always perfectly manicured, don’t freak out. A college or university is run by human hands, just as any other business, so you can’t expect perfection in every area. Try to keep your focus on the things that go beneath the surface. For instance, what do students say about the campus and what is their general feeling toward it? Are professors helpful and courteous or do they seem as though they don’t want to be bothered?
Try to look deeper into the entire feeling of the college. Do you feel as though you fit in with the current students? Now, I don’t mean do make friends instantly. But what I do mean is whether or not you feel comfortable in the environment on campus. Being comfortable is essential to a productive learning environment. So no matter what, look inside yourself for some honest answers and know that how a college looks is no way to pick it or eliminate it from your shortlist. And why is that future college students? Image isn’t everything!