I have been on numerous college visits and campus tours. All just about the same, a very extensive tour of the campus, an informational PowerPoint about the school and to top it off you get a new t-shirt.

Campus visits are helpful but they don’t give a prospective student the full idea of a college and what it’s like. They only allow visitors to see and hear what they want to hear. I’ve been on college visits when I thought the school was great. The tour guide was outgoing and made the school sound perfect. But as we were walking around the campus afterwards I saw a group of what I assumed to be frat boys extremely intoxicated. I was confused because I had just heard all this information about how safe and mature a school it was.

However having a friend or older sibling in college can give you a much more realistic idea of what college is like. I didn’t know anything about college, or Greek life, or anything until my sister began attending the University of Arkansas this pasted fall.

Having joined a sorority (Delta Delta Delta), she gets to experience a whole different side of college with a whole lot more extracurricular activities than what you would ever see on a college tour. One of these was Dad’s Day for the sorority. I got to tag along with my dad and spend the weekend in Arkansas. That Saturday night my dad let me stay the night with my sister.

She took me around campus on her own personal tour. I got to see the inside of a lot of dorms, she took me to the TriDelt house, to Small Mart (the mini Wal-Mart on campus) and she even took me to see a frat house  She even gave me a quick glimpse at what a college party is like.

I feel as if every college visit is the same, but every college is different, so don’t be fooled. Getting to experience the college life, even on a small degree, really made the difference. If you are interested in a school go for a college visit. But I’d also advise you to stay with a friend or sibling, even if it’s for just one night. The perspective of the school changes. Not in a bad way, but it helps provide perspective on the full college life.

I feel bad for some people who don’t have the opportunity to stay on campus and see the real school. Not just the picture perfect act that can sometimes be on display. Some kids are going to be blindsided by the reality of college as there is a another life behind the closed doors of a college tour.

It’s scary when you first see and feel the vibes of a certain college. But I’d rather find out first hand than later when it’s too late. Every college is different, so it’s better to learn now and experience the real thing before you make any decisions on a school.