The Bermuda International College Fair starts today? and all are welcome. We mean ALL are welcome!

Over the last few weeks, these articles, which until today have appeared in the Lifestyle section, have focused on giving information to parents of university-aged students, but the College Fair (and the oh-so-helpful articles) would also be of use if you personally are looking to go to college. Perhaps you never got the opportunity, or maybe you want to finish a degree, or get a second or third degree. This fair will provide a fountain of information for you too.

So, how can you ensure that you don?t just spend the fair wandering around looking dazed and confused? After all, there will be over 50 colleges represented in the Bermuda College gymnasium, and it would be easy to walk around aimlessly, picking up college brochures and pens, without asking any real questions, especially if you don?t really know what questions to ask!

Your reason for being there will pretty much dictate the sorts of questions you should ask. Parents, you?ll most likely want to know about tuition! Students may be more interested in campus life. And those of you who are a little older and looking to go back to college may be most interested in what programmes are offered. You?ll be happy to know that upon arrival at the fair, you will receive a great little booklet that not only gives you an overview of the colleges present, but also an idea of what to ask them!

Are financial aid and scholarships offered to international students? What is the average class size? Do you have a laptop programme? Do you accept the GCSE/IB/BSC/AP? What type of housing is available? What are your sports facilities like? And so on and so on. Make sure you have a pen and notebook to jot down notes about the colleges. The Bermuda International College Fair booklet will also provide space for you to write down your thoughts.

Be sure to visit with as many colleges as you can. This will give you a diverse group to choose from. Remember that there will be some colleges there that you?ve never heard of ? but that shouldn?t deter you from stopping and seeing what they have to offer. You may be pleasantly surprised.

After gathering information from the universities, you may now have a better idea of what you really want from your college experience. Perhaps you liked that one college allowed you to take a dual honours programme, but preferred another college?s urban location. Knowing what you want will take you one step closer to finding it. The College Fair will have a special ?College Search Corner? hosted by B.TEC, that will allow you to use what you?ve learned at the fair, and search for even more colleges that will fit you.

We realise that finding the college of your dreams is just one step. Financing your education is often the main obstacle to pursuing your goal of attending university. The ?Scholarship Corner? will give you information on scholarships, loans, and bursaries. There are over three million dollars in scholarships available each year for Bermudian students. Find out how you can be one of the worthy recipients.

Well, that?s that. Drop by the fair any time! This morning, the fair will be open from 9 a.m. to noon and then in the afternoon from 1.30 p.m. to 3 p.m. There will be special workshops hosted by BIBA tonight from 5.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at room N100 at the Bermuda College. After that the fair will be open from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., giving you the opportunity to bring the whole family for an evening outing. Tomorrow, you are welcome to attend between 9 a.m. and noon and then from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.

Don?t miss this chance to take a step into your future!

The International College Fair will be held today and tomorrow at the Bermuda College. All are invited to find out more about the over 50 colleges and universities that will be in attendance. For more information, including a schedule of events, contact Kristin White on 294-7230 or e-mail at kristin.whitexlgroup.com