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For many students, stepping foot onto a college campus for a tour is the moment when they realize it’s the right place for them — it can also be the moment when they realize it’s the completely wrong place for them.

That’s why your campus tour experience is so important! It’s your first glimpse into what your future could be, and it’s the greatest opportunity you’ll have to get to know the school you’re touring. No matter where you’re thinking of visiting, we’ve got three tips to help you get the most out of your campus tour.

1. Dress comfortably

This sounds like common sense, right? But, sometimes when you’re planning that cute fit, you don’t take into account what the weather will be like or how much walking you’ll be doing.

On a campus tour, you’ll be walking a lot — comfortable shoes are a must. Check the weather for your tour day to make sure you’ll be dressed appropriately. It could be a long day, and you want to be comfortable as you explore your potential future school and its surrounding locale.

2. Make a list of questions for your tour guide

We always think we’ve got our questions stored neatly in our brains before an event like this, but then we get distracted and forget until well afterward when we suddenly remember we forgot to ask (or is it just me?). Your tour guide is there to answer any and all questions you have — make a list so you don’t forget them!

Most schools have current students serve as tour guides, which means they can provide you with all the real student life info you want to know. What’s the best place to eat around here? What are the parking options for students? Where can I find counseling resources on campus? These are all great questions you can add to your list.

Read more>>>23 Useful Question to Ask on a College Tour

3. Take pictures and notes

In a world where people are constantly using their phones, it seems like a silly tip to say “take lots of pictures!”, but we swear this is solid advice. As you start your tour, it can be easy to forget to take out your phone and snap some pics. You might be trying to stay present and look around, focus on what the tour guide is saying, or maybe you’re just embarrassed to take pictures — don’t be!

If you end up touring multiple schools, it can be hard to keep track of what you liked or didn’t like about each one. Notes and especially pictures can help you remember how things looked and refresh your memory as you sit down to go through your list of schools later on in the process. If you get to see any residence hall rooms, taking a picture just might help you down the road when you’re trying to figure out how much of your stuff to bring with you to college.

A bonus tip? You should definitely tour JWU. Planning a visit is so easy!

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