California Baptist University Top Questions

Hello Brad, The first thing you need to know is that college life is a challenge, both socially and scholastically. Prepare for your classes by purchasing all class materials as soon as the syllabus becomes available. Seek the assistance of the guidance counselor in mapping out your entire college career. You are not much for partying, so take the opportunity to further your studies and perfect your craft as a student athlete. Create good study habits. Be attentive, stay focused, and follow instructions. Ask questions if you do not understand something. College is not rocket science, it is career and life preparation. Soak up the opportunity to learn new things from new people. Come out of your shell. Ask the hard questions. Engage conversation with those you don't seem to have anything in common with. Find yourself. Express yourself. It is ok to be you. Complete every task to the best of your ability, cutting no corners. Have fun! Dream big! Commit!

Although it is hard to live far away from your family, you really learn how to be on your own and you really grow as an adult. I've learned that this was the best option for me because I've become more independent than I could ever imagine! It's been great living far away from my family even though I hate not being able to see them like I used to.

The most advice that I would give to myself, is to actually take your academics more seriously, but to also have more fun! I didn't go into college with the best GPA. To be honest I wasn't expecting to get into any 4 year college. So to say the least your grades don't make everything so don't stress if you forgot to do that assignment. I would also tell my high school senior self that sleep is precious, do not pull an all nighter just because! Sleep! Also, coffee. Coffee is not gross so get used to it!

If I could go back in time to senior year, I would tell myself to apply for as many schools as possible. Give yourself options and variety in the schools you get to choose from. Just enjoy yourself, because after graduation nothing about high school really matters anymore. Nobody cares what you got on your SAT or what your gpa was, it is all in the past and there is a fresh start to reinvent yourself. Go into college being open minded and talk to everyone, because you need people to keep you sane and focused at the same time. Have fun, but stay on top of your school work as well, it is the most important thing at the end of the day. This is the most cliche saying that everyone says, but it is true, these are the best years of a young persons life, so enjoy them. Go out and be adventorous and do things you have never done before, because before you know it, you'll be put into the real world trying to find and job and start your life.

I would tell myself not to be afraid. Being in college is completely worth it; all the things your teachers and friends already in college are telling you is true. There will be bumps in the road; you will spend hours upon hours styuding for an exam, you will have to learn personal responsiblility through handling your own schedule and working out your own finances. It will not be easy, but one thing is certain- you have Jesus! Mathew 6: 25-27 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" Remember this! That college is an adventure that you get to experience! Don't let worry consume you and rob you of your joy- trust the Lord!

Don't ever be afraid of trying new things and following your true hearts desires. Never pursue an education based on what other people feel like is the best fit for you, pursue an education because you see yourself doing something that you passionately love. I have learned that you will fail a couple times and fall down, before you pick yourself back up and succeed. What you choose to do is the thing that you will spend the rest of your life doing, not anyone else. So, chase the dream that you are passionate about and don't ever let anyone else's negative feedback or any opinions hinder you from reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. In the end, when you love what you do as a career, you will never find yourself working a single day in your life. That is what fulfilling a dream is all about. If you see the light at the end of the tunnel, never give up. I found that age is just a number and it's never too late to achieve your goals, so I am doing just that, continuing to reach my ultimate dream.

Get out of your comfort zone! High school was by far the easiest time of my life and yet I still put myself in a bubble. I was shy, I was and still am an extreme introvert and of all things that is by far my biggest downfall. Volunteer, get involved, make yourself known, and don't hold back. The four years I spent in high school I spent a lot of time worrying about what others would think of me, or just scared as to how I would look trying something new. I wish I wouldn't have. College is supposed to be the greatest years of your life and if you can't let yourself enjoy it all, you're wasting your own time, and there is no need for that. Be creative, be fun, be yourself. Learn to live.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself two key things: stop caring so much about what people think about you and to get involved as much as you can when you get to college. Having grown up in a town of upper-middle class to wealthy people, I was very much concerned with how I talked, dressed and what car I drove. I knew who I was as a person, but was so caught up in trying to impress those around me. Now that I am in college, I would return and tell myself that those material things do not matter; just be exactly who you want to be and people will accept you for the way you are. If they do no accept you, then you do not need those people in your life. Getting involved in college is one of the best things I have ever done. It has brought me many friends and experiences that I wouldn't have outside of those activities. I would also want to tell myself how important getting involved is.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that I should be financially prepared because college will be a huge financial burden upon myself. I would also tell my high school senior self, that procrastination is the enemy. If you procrastinate in college, you will find yourself stuck in the library the night before your assignment is due cramming it in becasue you thought it wouldn't take as long to complete as you thought it would. One last thing, it is okay to change your major to figure out what it is you want to do. You may think you have it right the first time, but if you feel like you are not passionate about what you are donig, then it's okay to change the direction your life is headed in.

Don't sweat the small things. You're about to make the most life-changing decision. I know that things aren't going the way you wanted them to, but you have no idea what the next four years have in store for you. You didn't get in where you wanted to go, but trust me, CBU is not settling. You're going to make friendships and connections that will last a lifetime. Don't visit home so often, it will always be there. Get involved in campus activities; join clubs, go to events, be a part of the traditions. Visit your professors for office hours, they truly want to help you and you need them. Start researching soon, and don't wait until the last semester to take those pesky GE classes you're dreading. Communicate with your roommates, and look out for the people who are on the fringe. So many people around you are going to be struggling; try to notice the little ways you can make a difference. Soak up each and every moment, because it goes by even faster than you think.

To little Jeana, At 17, you are younger than you feel an older than you seem. You have dreamed of university all your life and worked harder than anyone to have the perfect grades and perfect self to achieve that dream. And you will have that dream. You will go to a beautiful school and be adopted by the friends you've always wanted and educated by the teachers you hope to one day be. You will meet your best friend and you will have donuts every Christmas. You will meet your favorite nurse and have a cozy apartment. But right now, you're 17, being released from the hospital. You were refusing to eat. You were refusing to feel. You were alone. Little one, do not despair, your dreams still await you and no amount of self-hatred and neglect will keep you from them. You are so strong and so worthy of the work you've done for your education. It might not be as soon as you'd like, but you know that your best takes time. You deserve the best. Love, yourself.

I would advise myself to work harder in my academics and athletics. I would go back and tell myself to not let things like being in band embarrass me and to be proud to be my unique self. I would tell myself to try and get better grades. I would like to remind myself to always be proud of who I am. Also I would let myself know that it is extremely different transitioning from high school to college and advise myself to be a little more independent and take more initiative. I would also advise myself to create a savings fund because college is extremely expensive.

Ife, be strong and believe in what you want. Stand up for what you want. Don't give up to easily. Please, don't let your circumstances distract you emotionally and academically. Please focus on your studies, please. Trust me, no situation will be too hard for you to bare. You are stronger than what you believe. You are smarter than what people have made you believe. Trust me, you can trust God. At the end God is who will stand true to you. Finish college. You can do it.

If i could go back and give myself advise about what college i would tell myself to not get so emotionally involved. i spent so much time investing in the life of my high school friends that i didnt do as much studying as i could have. Also i would have told myself to get better grades because once you get to college it pretty much all rides on how you did in highschool.

It's good to have goals to keep you focused, but don't be so tunnel-visioned that you miss the doors opening right and left along the way! You may find a different path you had never thought of taking. Yes, that time you made a hasty decision to fly off and live in Mexico for six months just because you couldn't find a way to get to China might have felt like a mistake at the time, but you ultimately learned some incredible life lessons. Yes, you casually submitted an application to a private university, got accepted and decided to attend the spring semester six weeks later and now feel like you're in a tornado of emails and phone calls and financial aid and scholarship applications and auditions and interviews and it feels like you're making one of the craziest mistakes in your entire 21 years on this earth and...it's worth it. Or it will be. Ride the wave! In a few years you'll look back and realize it wasn't all so hard as it seemed.

Ask more questions about the classes you need to take for pre-med. Don't talk to Rachel first semester- don't waste your time she ain't the one. Don't date Melissa, she ain't the one either. Study hard when you go to college, don't get a C- in calculus. PLEASE don't get a C- in calculus, it kills your GPA. Don't start smoking your summer before your sophomore year, I know life will get hard but just hang in there it gets better. Stay strong until you meet Michelle. MAKE sure you go to that wedding in October, you'll meet the most beautiful and amazing woman besides your mom. Be smarter with money, keep track of where your money is going! Apply to more scholorships. Your parents will tell you that they are finnally financially stable, but they aren't it's just a front so you don't worry. Just ask your older brother and sister about it, they'll tell you the truth. Study hard, a lot of sacrifices have been made for you to stand where you are. Don't ever give up your passion. Change the world.

If I could go back and talk to my high school senior self i would say to prepare myself for alot of new things that I was definitely was not used to. I would say to not be afraid of venturing out and trying new things because getting involved my first semester really made things alot easier and enjoyable for me. Also, I would say not to be so shy about talking to new people and to not be afraid to make new friends. The one time I overcame my shyness I ended making really good friends who I know will be my lifelong friends. I would also say to myself, do not procastinate on projects, homework, studying, ANYTHING. It can really pile up and can cause great, unwanted stress that I didn't need, so plan out your homework schedule, along with major tests and quizzes. Lastly, I would just say to enjoy it. My first semester went really fast but it was a time I'll never forget and I am glad that I had the opportunity to experience it.

One advice I would give to myself is to study hard and do the best in each class because college classes are hard and requires a lot of studying outside of the classrooms. Another advice I would give myself is to not worry about how scary college might be. Many high school seniors worry about college and are scared of the new transition happening in their lives. But I would tell myself to not worry because college might be scary the first day of school when you are trying to find your classrooms but the second day will not be scary at all. There are many friendly people that can become life-long friends, and college will be a place to help build and shape you into a successful person.

The advice that I would give myself is to make sure that I seek the help neccessary at a young age to be able to handle the transition to college life. It is very hard to be able to do it all by yourself and the reality is you do not have to. Prepare and ask for help every step of the way.

Dear Tricia, College is great and fun! But you have to make it that way. Don't worry too much about work and how you're going to pay expenses, worry about school. School is the most important thing that matters right now. Get involved with the events that go on in high school, and especially the ones that go on at the university. The connections with people that you will make at CBU will be awesome. So make as many as you can! Meet new people, get involved, and most importantly- study hard! Your GPA is the most important thing.