California Lutheran University Top Questions

If you thought high school was a breeze and you didn't need to study, that is not the same in college. Make sure to find a way that helps you study and can retain that information. If you have any issues about material in classes, don't hesitate to talk to a TA, professor, counsellor, or anyone that can help you. Know your limitations and work on them so they don't become a hinderance to your future. Studying is important, but so is friendship. Don't isolate yourself and give yourself the opportunity to have some fun and to try new things.

With the knowledge I have now of the present, I would tell myself to prepare for college as much as possible. This includes saving money, getting a job, and doing as many scholarships as possible, because this school is financially burdening. The biggest advice I would have given myself, is to overly prepare for the AP tests. Passing those tests with high enough scores can result in earning college credit. I didn't understand in high school that passing four AP tests out of the seven I took would have saved me an entire semester of college, and that much more money. The debt that I will accrue in these four years will take me a while to pay off, and preparing for this financial injury in high school would have saved a lot of pain. I had plenty of time in high school to fill out scholarship, but now I have to do it in between class, sports, and a job. College is much more time consuming than high school.

If I was a high school senior who was transitioning into college, my advice to myself would to be to keep my future goals in mind, and ask myself if what I was doing was helping me get closer to my goals? Often, the transition is greater then one realizes at the moment, but looking back, there was more then just the transition of high school to college. I was growing up and it was happening quicker then I realized. By this I mean that I did not realize how many decisions I had to make for myself. Especially, when it came to how to finance my education. In my opinion this has been the most stressful part about being a college student. As a high school senior I had all these misconceptions about college life. I thought of college as a fun time. A time to experience what I thought I could not as high school student. I thought it was about fraternity and soroity parties. I was more about my social life then my education. Now I realize the value in education. It is an ivestment in my future and my future lifestyle.

It's perfectly okay to be afraid. It's the scariest thing you've done yet, but you'll get through it. This school has offered you not only the educational experience you've always wanted, but some of the best friends you could ever ask for. You'll change and grow in so many wonderful ways, that any fear you harbor will quickly fade to a memory. You'll learn about who you are, what makes you tick, and become stronger and more independent than you thought possible. Yes, these things are scary, and rightfully so, but it's all part of growing up. You'll be ready to grow once you get here. Try not to worry. It's okay to cry, to be uncertain of the future. But trust yourself, love yourself, and hold your head confidently high. You will dazzle, you will be happy, and you will be successful. Waste no more time hating yourself and keep working hard as you always have. Don't ever let anyone else dictate your worth or what you can or cannot do. Only you have the power to decide those things. You will be fine.

If I could go back in time to my high school senior year, this is the advice I would give myself about transitioning into college: get involved on campus, don’t be scared to make new friends, and don’t expect to be best friends with your roommate. To get involved on campus, join a few clubs that interest you, go to sporting events, go to talks around campus, join an intramural team, and try to get a job on campus. For making new friends, wander the halls and the campus, hang out in your dorm’s common area, and go to activities in your dorm put on by the RAs. Going into college, I was expecting to be best friends with my roommate, but that isn’t how it turned out to be. Go into college wanting to be civil with your roommate, and if you end up being friends, that’s great! But mostly work on being able to live together. Get to know each other first before deciding on being friends. That will be difficult to do, but it will make things much easier. Doing all of these things will make your transition into college stress-free.

College is a transition. Ups and downs are sure to occur. To prepare for college, I would advise myself to get involved, care about academics, and take care of myself. Firstly, get involved in both social and school related activities to pave the way for a smoother transition. Form healthy relationships with reliable and trustworthy people. Having true friends will provide you with someone to talk to, and to empathize with on rough days. Secondly, remember that you are in college to receive an education. Take time to study everyday. If you dedicate time and energy to your studies , you will set yourself up for success. Talk to faculty. Whether to clarify an assignment, discuss a grade, or to chat. Faculty is there to support you, so take advantage of their wisdom and assistance. Lastly, make an effort to eat healthy and exercise. There are healthy options, you just need to pay attention to what your eating and not eat too many of those cookies. Find some form of exercise that you enjoy! Working out will help you maintain your weight, de- stress, and re- energize. Also, sleep, it's worth it. Just remember have fun, but study!

I would tell myself not to be afraid, and that it is ok to go out and find yourself. I would tell myself that there is so much out there in th world to see, and by going to college it can help me find out who I am, and who I am meant to be. In high school I didn't imagine that I would be able to actually pursue my dream of completing college and getting my bachelor's degree. If I could go back in time and tell my young high school self what to do, it would be to just jump and do it. I was so afraid of what college life would be like, and I feel like thats the main thing that I would tell myself. Don't be afraid and I'm a lot smarter than I think I am.

When I was a high school senior I wish I could have told myself to get in contact with my program director, Dave, instead of only listening to a general advisor while signing up for classes. I didn’t know exactly which program I should be in, but I knew what I wanted to do. Knowing Dave as I do now, I know he would have made sure I was taking my classes in the right order and kept me from taking classes I didn’t need. During my first semester of college I unnecessarily took a 5 credit hour Calculus class and a total of only 12 hours. I knew I would struggle with Calculus, but I didn’t trust my gut and I ended up in a situation where I couldn’t drop that class without losing my financial aid but the grade I was earning would seriously damage my GPA. It took hard work to get past that mistake, but I managed to earn a 3.70 and graduate from the honors program before transferring schools. Now, I tell every senior I know that it’s important to get to know your program’s faculty advisor!

Stop pretending that you don’t care, and stop feeling sorry for yourself. Community college is the perfect place for you, so there is no reason to be disappointed or prejudiced. You’re saving thousands of dollars; you’re going to meet incredible students and faculty, alike; you’re going to win an essay contest and act in some brilliant plays; you are going to learn so much. The only way to experience this, however, is to commit to this school. Do not waste your first year using unfortunate registration dates as an excuse. Fill out the paperwork, and become an actual member of the Honors Society; you will have so many more opportunities. Go to club meetings between classes. They have free food. Speak to your professors during office hours, as many of them will become your mentors and friends. Ask for help when you need it. Take literature classes. Join the theatre department. Psychology seems a more stable career path, but it isn't your passion. Finally, I know moving out sounds like a good idea, but you’re better off staying at home and saving your money. You’ll need it when you transfer to UCLA!

I would tell myself not to be so careless. In high school I had no direction and absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life and I wasn't much interested in finding that direction. Now I do. This past I year I discovered what I want my direction in life to be and I've never been so sure of myself. Becoming a funeral director is such an amazing avenue to help people and give them closure. Actually, I wouldn't tell myself to stop being careless, I'd just introduce him to the funeral industry. That would have solved a lot more problems much quicker.

The advice I would give myself as a high school senior would be to work very hard once I get to college. College is going to be very hard if you don't motivate yourself to work hard and study. Do your best to remain focused because you have no one but yourself to push to you to get your work done and go to all your classes. It is tempting to just skip class or an assignment but you gain nothing from doing that. Enjoy your college years as much as you can, and major in a topic that really pulls your interest. It will get hard at times and you might want to just call it quits, but that satisfying feeling you get when you accomplish something is worth it all. Good luck.

If I had to talk to my high school senior self, I would tell her to not be afraid to meet new people. Go and talk to people who are different from you. They will really give you a different perspective on life. I would also say that doubting who you are is normal and can be very beneficial. College is the place to find yourself and develop who you really are. You might find that you are different than what you thought you were. And that's ok! College is also when you find out what you are good at and what you want to do for the rest of your life. Once you find out what you wanna do, try to be involved in it immediately. Internships gain connections that can help in the long run. Do well academically, and don't slack off. But remember to have a good time! Get involved in clubs and activities; go to sporting events and cheer your team on. Spend time with your friends and remember that most people say that this is the best time of their lives. Cherish the good times you will have.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself not to wait. Education is very important and the longer you wait the harder it is to go back. I received my GED in 2005 when I was seventeen and here I am twenty-four just now trying to go back. Money will be tight and you will have to learn how to manage your time, but it is the best thing I could have done. I have such a great support system and if I would have known then how supportive they would have been for me, I would have started a long time ago. My advice is to work hard, manage your time, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. You will have fun and you will do great!

Transitioning to college was drastically harder than I thought. Once you step foot away from high school, it hits you like a brick wall. The pondering question then becomes: "What am I going to do with my life?". To say the least, I wish I would have put substantially more thought into this question. I ended up going to Edison State College, a community college in Fort Myers in Florida. I am a resident from Wisconsin, so this was quite the move. The best advice I would give myself is not to base my college decison on location, but rather on education itself. I finally realized that the best thing for my future is to get my education done is Wisconsin, and then live wherever I want later in life. One of the hardest decisions of my life was leaving my friends and my favorite state in order to transfer and achieve my education up in Wisconsin. The biggest lesson I learned and would advice to any senior in high school is to plan for the future, not the present. With that being said, I promise to myself that I will put forward my best effort in Wisconsin.

Adreanna, I am you in the future. I am going through college and have some advice. Get a job and start looking into some more financial aid. Tuition goes up every year and a private institution can burn a hole in your pocket. You don't want big numbers roaming over your head every semester so do some serious financial aid searches right now and the years to follow. All of the work you have done thus far will pay off. You will remain focused despite the shift in terms of the work load. It won't be as easy as high school so start working on those procrastination habits of yours. Other than that, remain the open minded individual that you are and continue to work hard.

If I were to go back in time as a high school senior, I would give myself a lot of advice. During my time at Moorpark College, I spent the first year exploring majors, rather than completing my CORE requirements and choosing my major once I transferred. I would advise myself to spend my two years at Moorpark College completing my general education requirements because now that I have switched majors multiple times I have taken courses that I did not necessarily have to take. I would also tell my high school senior self to not worry so much about college acceptances. I spent months dwelling on rejection letters rather than being proud of my accomplishments. Getting accepted into a university should be a prideful moment in any student's life and there are far too many pressures put on students to try and get into the more popular universities. During high school, I had no knowledge of California Lutheran University's existence, yet now, I am proud to say I will be a graduate of the university in just a little over a year. The transition from high school to college is one I wish I could redo.

Hello Janine, Well, here we are. The back in time question that we have been wondering about since 8th grade. Take this advice and don't forget it. Things will go a lot smoother. Make things easier for yourself! Here, I'll make a list for you: -Don't procrastinate! I know how much you love to do that especially for math. Do the work on time! -Ask when you need help! Don't be so hard-headed and ask the teacher for help. Especially for math! It helps a lot. The teachers care as long as you care. -Never quit. When things seem impossible just slap yourself in the face and tell yourself that nothing is impossible. Nothing. You got into a univeristy, see? -Don't completely rely on your friends. Believe in yourself. I know that sounds cruel but this is around the time where your friends leave or stay. Not just because of the distance of wherever their school may be but of how much they really value you as a friend. Don't get heartbroken or hurt because of some "friends" decisions. You will find more. Don't stress. You'll be okay. I promise. Janine

If I could go back in time and talk to myself when I was a senior in high school I would tell myself to apply for more scholarships and save money. I was so focused on the here and now that I did not save money for college and I did not apply for scholarships. I would also tell myself to take more advanced placement courses so I would not have to pay for the general education classes that I had to take at the community college. Another thing I would tell my high school self is to visit more colleges and get teh "college experience" sooner rather than later. I went away to college for a semester and I realized how home sick I was. If I went away earlier it probably would have made the transistion smoother.

I would tell myself to really focus on my football career, I had so much talent I couldve gone to any school in the country I know it deep in my heart. I would not go out with my freinds, I would dedicate more time in the library studying to get perfect grades so that I could have had a full scholarship to play for my dream school U.S.C Trojans. I would tell myself every day to train, lift weights, and not let my nother down. I wish I couldnt write about what I coulda done in the past, and just do it, but you giys are asking me for this response, and thats what I would do I would be more applied, more dedicated to everthing that I did in Highschool. Elliott Reyes #91 I still Play football for CAl Lutheran University I will never Lose hope of my dreams Please help me be succesfull I am 23 years old, and I am on my own Please help me I am maxed out on student Loans and Financial aid.

If I were to go back in time and advise myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to enjoy my last year as much as I possibly can because once you leave you can't go back and you will regret not doing more. I would also say to work very hard in college even if a course seems like an easy A, put in as much effort into that class so you walk out knowing as much as you can about that class. Also it is okay to ask for help! Don't be afraid to ask your teachers, friends, or fellow students for help because it will benefit you. Lastly, I would advise myself to not get stressed about school. I know it is difficult and too much at times but the feeling of accomplishment is going to be all worth it in the end. There are going to be times where you may feel like giving up but don't. As Winston Churchill said “When you are going through hell, keep on going. Never never never give up."