The process of choosing the right college or university is a stressful one. It is not easy to decide where you will spend the next four years of your life and there are many things to take into consideration. These are a few guidelines to keep in mind during the process:

Size matters. It can be the difference between a college career full of achievements and one of constant slacking. It can be the difference between having countless friends and feeling isolated. Granted, individuals always have the capacity to make the best out of their situation, yet you can make it easier for yourself beforehand.

Academics at large universities tend to be much less personal than in small colleges. Whereas the student-to-teacher ratio at a small liberal arts school will likely be low, providing students with regular access to their professors, larger universities have lecture classes that are often a few hundred students. A professor will not notice, nor care, if a student misses one of these classes, whereas at some small schools the professor will send an email asking where the student was. This keeps small-school students on the ball and lets large-school students slack-off.

On the flip side, larger universities often have a vibrant social scene. Since their size often allows them to mold the town or city in which they are located to their liking, these college towns often cater to the students. Pizza at 4 am? Delivered. Bars to go out on the weekends? Everywhere. Sports events? Please. Students at smaller colleges are often complain of a lack of things to do. Especially if they are located in small towns, students need to make their own fun, which is certainly possible. However, they are often left with more time to focus on studies, whereas students in large college towns can easily get lost in bars and booze.

The location can also have a large impact on a college career. Students who choose a college close to home are often tempted to visit on the weekends, shuttling back-and-forth. These students often fail to make good friends at college, since they are not around as much as others. However, it's not so bad to have mom's cooking every once in a while. Travelling far from home for college can be a great experience. Students learn about a different part of the country (or world), make nation-wide connections and learn to take responsibility for themselves. For some students, homesickness can be a problem, but it seems that the vast majority of students that go far from home for college quickly make friends, creating a new home away from home.

Location can mean a vast difference in character of the college as well. Liberal arts colleges in New England have a certain intellectual, focused character to them, along with typically very liberal ideas. On the other hand, southern schools are generally much more laid-back, yet ideologically conservative. Based on the weather alone, it is no mistake the most of the biggest party schools are located in the south. There are also other obvious aspects, such as the fact that if it is located near the beach in southern California, there will obviously be a large crowd of surfer/beach bums. A college near Washington, D.C. will likely have a lot of politically-oriented students, and a college near the Rocky Mountains in Colorado will have an outdoorsy feel.

Many, if not most, students arrive to college not sure what they want to major in. Maybe they have an idea of a preferred field, but nothing too serious. Even students who think they are sure about what they want to do beforehand end up changing majors before they finish. For this reason, it is important to choose accordingly.

Students who have no idea what they want to do should make sure that their college (presumably not university) has a wide range of courses and majors so that their freshman year can be spent taking a variety of courses until a decision is made. The best option for these students would be a liberal arts college, which typically require that students take a little of everything so that their knowledge is rounded-out. Similarly, those who know what general field they want to go in to (for example, history) should make sure that there are a variety of different options within that field (American history, ancient history, military history, etc.), which might require a university.

For those lucky students who have it figured out and know exactly what they want to do, a university is likely the best option. This way they can specialize in their field, so that upon graduation the student has a strong knowledge of the specific subject, and therefore a better change of getting a specific job (but only in that specific field).

Students clearly don't want to spend all of their time studying, so it is important that colleges have a lot of extra-curricular options. Fortunately, almost every college and university has a wide array of extra-curricular activities, ranging from student newspapers to equestrian clubs, but they vary from school to school. It often depends on the size and location of the school, as bigger schools have more clubs. Schools in Colorado often have ski clubs, whereas clearly Florida State does not.

Important extra-curriculars are sports, be them varsity, club or intramural. Larger schools usually have Division I athletics, meaning that you have to be somewhat of a super-athlete to play. Division II and III schools are not easy either, yet depending on the sport are much more doable for athletes who played high school sports. Club sports are the next step down; usually a much lower time-commitment, club sports are usually available at schools with Division I athletics for those who are not living machines. Intramurals are the lowest level, and usually every school has these, which are open to everybody and the sports are played only among those that attend the college or university. These can often be great fun, as they are more laid-back and less competitive than the others (though not always).

When all costs and benefits have been weighed, the most important deciding factor in choosing a college or university is its individual feel. When you visit, do you feel at home? Sometimes a college that looks great on paper is just not the right fit upon visiting. Likewise, a university that didn't seem that impressive in the ranking books might have a beautiful campus and friendly staff.

For this, I stress the fact that visiting all potential schools is a must. Once the list has been narrowed down to a few realistic options, the student should visit all of them, after which a first choice usually becomes apparent. Every college and university has an individual feel, and without visiting it is impossible to gauge it. Ultimately, if you are going to live somewhere for four entire years (or more), you have to feel comfortable. If not, a freshman-year transfer might be imminent.

I have intentionally left out financial costs, because there is little I can say. Clearly, once a student has their rankings of places they want to go, the only realistic options are the ones they can afford after financial aid. My one word of advice is to apply for every scholarship available. There is a lot of money out there for those who are willing to write a few essays and fill out a few applications.