California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Top Questions

As a brother of two others, one of them being my sister who is currently that senior in high school I have gone through this question many times before. The main point I would focus on is you, many people rely on others opinions and thoughts of schools to impact their own decision even saying no to a school purely because their friends didnt think highly enough of it. Each school is never going to be perfect, youre expectations of what college should be based upon media is inflated to be completely honest. College is tough, youre on your own, and your comforts are diminishing but its worth it. You grow so much from the process and just because you dont find exactly what youre looking for in greek life or sports or etc. you can still have an amazing time at any school if you open yourself up to new possibilites. Explore and be flexible to the world around you.

I would say not to worry so much. Before going into college I remeber looking up graduation rates, percent of student that get a job after graduation and all of the other statistics I could find online. I would tell myself to instead of worrying so much on my grade, worry about learning the material and having fun. Throughout college I have learned college is really all about getting a firm grasp on the material while also getting out and experiencing everything the campus has to offer and making connections that will last a lifetime.

I would say if it is okay to go to community college. You don't have to go to a four-year Univeristy, but if you choose to go to a four-year University go to one that is smaller and closer to home. Find a community you love and dont try to be somone you aren't. You liked yourself in high school and you were happy. Remeber to stay happy and finish college at a pace that is comfortable to you. Dedicate yourslef to academics, but dont forget that excersise is an important part of your life. Be confident that you can do anything you want and dont limit yourslef. Also, dont stress so much about money. Just foucs on doing stuff you love. People keep telling you to go out of your comfort zone, but that doesnt mean dont you need to do stuff you hate over things you love. Dont shape your life around other people. Dont worry so much about what everyone else is doing and just focus on yourslef. If keep yourslef happy and healthy everyone around you will be happier and healthier for it. Be optomistic. Don't listen to the pessemists.

If paying for college is difficult and you are not sure what you want to study, do not go to a large university. Instead, save money by going to a community college and doing a lot of research in your spare time. You will have about two years to figure out what your post high school career will be. When and if you do decide to go to college, make sure it's a college that best suits you. Don't worry too much about the big names but visit the campuses and get a feel for the lifestyle. After deciding on a campus, become involved. Fraternities are good for connections but they are costly and too much partying can deter you from graduating. I would recommend clubs related to your major. If you chose not to join a club or fraternity, be sociable at least. Do not become a fly on the wall. Go out and make friends related to your major. You will regret not making those connections if you have career trouble.

I was very nervous about starting college. I was not confident in my ability to make the transition from high school to college. Leaving my hometown, my friends, and my family to go and be in a new environment with new people was scary. If I could go back in time to right before I left for my 1st year at Cal Poly SLO I would let myself know that I am stronger than I think. I would also tell myself that everyone is affraid of going off to college and you are not alone and that you will find people who will become your best friends during this transition period.

If I could go back in time and be able to give my high school senior self some advice it would be to not procastinate as i did as a senior, especially in the spring semester. I thought that because I had already been accepted to the university I wished to attend that I was pretty much done with school, and that way of thinking caused stress for me later as I was rushing to complete assignments that I had procrastinated. I would also try to finish completing more scholarships as my university had a lot more fees than I had originally anticipated.

I would tell myself that you must never assume that you're going to receive something. I would tell myself to apply for the full tuition scholarships because once you're a college student, there are rarely any full tuition scholarships. Nothing in life is guaranteed, so I would give myself this advice.

If there was one thing that I could say to myself as a senior in high school regarding college, it would be this: you CAN do it. I grew up in a very poor household, and I never though college was an option for me. Though I was intelligent and always did well in school, I never even considered going to college. Part of the reason for this was because no one told me that I could. I graduated from a continuation high school. When I transferred from the main high school to the continutation high school, any encouragement regarding college literally disappeared. None of the adults in my life, whether it was my parent, teachers, or counselors, ever talked about my option with me. My only goal was to graduate high school. I look back, and I wish I could shake my 17 year old self and say, "You are capable!!" I went back to school when I was 23. As a result of this, I transferred into the university at 25. While I gained a lot of life experience in this time, I also lost a lot of opportuinities. Now I tell myself that I CAN everyday.

Be the absolute best you can be. In one year when you enter college, you'll realize how blatantly your past defines you. High School is NOT the time for you to "make mistakes because you're only young once". It is the time for you to wonder, discover, and be inspired as much as possible. College will drain the youth and imagination from you. Maturity and reality will take their place instead. Here, your eyes will be open to a cut-throat world. A year from now, your parents will no longer be able to support you. A year from now, you will be working a 50 hour work week in order to pay for the next school year. A year from now, you will wonder why you are working so damn hard to be somewhere you're not even sure you want to be. "Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true." -Leo Jozef Suenens. One of your biggest regrets will be that you never had a dream. You're only young once, don't regret it.

The freedoms of a newly attained adulthood seem endless, and it is very hard to not take advantage of those freedoms when they are first offered. These freedoms include no immediate consequances for missing class, or abusing alcohol, so one must learn to be self disciplined, and responsible in order to succeed. Without the coddling of high school educators, and the relentless nagging of parents to complete assignments, my grades fell to the wayside. Because of this, my advice for myself as a graduating senior would simply be, "GO TO CLASS!". I spent many sleepless nights beyond stressed, and praying for teachers lenience , because too may days before were spent with friends ignoring my responsibilities. As a graduationg senior you are becoming an adult, and waiting a year before acting like one can really implicate ones life goals and aspirations. You and your parents are spending a large sum of money in order to prepare you for a world where it is hard excel without a proper education, and getting drunk with ones friends is not worth missing out on the opportunity that is available when one acheives their goal of higher education.

Put more effort into into finding out what the atmosphere of a school is like, and be sure to reach out to people through facebook so that you know people before actually leaving for school.

Dear Me, When you get to college, one of the most important things that you need to remember is that this is your home now, and however much you give to this new home is what you'll get out of it. First and foremost, don't hold on too tightly to the things you left behind, they'll only keep you from moving forward, and the things and people that truly matter will be there when you get back. From there, you need to branch out; meet new people in your dorm and in your classes, and get involved in something whether it be a club, a social organization, or even recreational sports. An active person is a happy person, and the transition will be so much easier. Once classes start, focus up! This is the real reason why you're in college, to get an education. Albeit, while you do want to do well so you can get a job after graduation, don't lose yourself in textbooks 24/7. Cal Poly is a wonderful place to make friends and have fun, so get out and make your own adventure! Good Luck, Robby Cabri

If given the chance to go back and speak to myself I would say to be true to yourself. Don't just say you are liberal because everyone else is and you want to fit in. Stand up for what you believe. I would also say don't get sucked into the party scene just because everyone else is. If you don't think something is a good idea then trust yourself that it isn't. By going to places you know you shouldn't go, or doing things you know you shouldn't do, you just open yourself up to be hurt.

If I could go back, I would inform the younger me about two different part of the college experience; social and academic. For the social part, I would like to tell myself to get more involved in everything that comes your way even if it doesn't sound like something that you are interested in. It is very important to get involved with your school early in the college process in order to make connections for the rest of your life. For the academic side of college, I would like to tell myself to be prepared for how much larger the homework and studying load is compared to high school. For me, it was a very large step which took atleast an entire quarter to adjust to. After I got adjusted to how much studying to do per week it was much easier to keep myself on track. The last point that I want to talk about is being able to balance your social and academic life in a healthy way. This can be a very tough subject for new students but it is very important for their emotional health.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what i know now about college I would advise myself to get all of my college prep classes in order and not fool around. I would tell myself to fight for my rights as a disabled student early and on and not let insructors take advantage of me. To stay focused on class and highering my GPA. To get a head start on general education college courses and not put them off until last minute. To get invloved and focus on gratuating early instead of procrastinating school work and gettting through credits.

I have focused hard on grades, sports and friendship. I am pretty pleased with what I have learned and accomplished today. However, I must admit, I would have asked more questions and not delayed the process. I assumed perhaps arrogantly that I would get a lot of offers or acceptance into Universities, that was not the case. Looking back, I should have prepared better for the SAT written section and I should of worked more with the councilors on each niche of schooling. Furthermore, as bright as my I am from a grade perspective, I perhaps am not that bright at looking for scholarships. I thought I would have been offered some and regretfully I have not. In looking back, perhaps this is the biggest area I would have changed. I would of looked for what it takes to get some relief towards schooling via scholarship.

My only consideration in high school was getting into top schools. I never learned how to plan a budget, manage bills, or communicate effectively to my parents. Finances have been a big struggle, but I believe I could have avoided many woes if I had written up a specific plan and holding myself and others accountable to stick with it. I would tell my high-school self to spend more money on food and less on activities that distract from studying. Academically, I may have helped myself by re-taking the first three quarters of calculus so that they were fresher in my mind. Then, I may have had an easier transition my first year easier with a less rigorous catalog. I would then say to myself to not allow myself to change my path due to the influence of others around me. My younger self had a clear, focused goal and I would tell her to keep that mindset steadfastly. Other than those things, I have to defer to one of my dearest college friends. He urges me all the time to spend an hour a few times a week developing career skills unrelated to coursework.

Thinking back to my senior year of high school, I thought college was going to be daunting and difficult. I felt that I would need to act and dress a certain way in order to fit in, and play the part of a "college kid". I also felt that college classes would be too challenging for me to get good grades. Little did I know, being in college was just the next step in life and every new freshman was in the same position as me. If I could go back in time and give advice to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself not to worry about buying new clothes and trying to fit in. I would tell myself not to worry about the classes being too hard. I would tell myself that I am a strong, smart, and capable woman and I would do just fine. Because once I regained my confidence and realized I was fully capable of making new friends and doing well in classes, just the way I am, I stopped struggling and I did just fine.

As a future college junior in Fall 2014, I remember high school senior year like if it was yesterday. It amazes me how fast time goes by— everyone tells the truth that college flies by. If I had a “do-over” I would tell myself two years ago, to take those two extra Advance Placement course I was relentless to enroll in because of “seniorities.” I would go back and teach myself budgeting— drop a grand on a 18 year old freshmen and it is overwhelming. I would have convinced myself the major I planned to go into college for was not the right one for me. I would have convinced myself that college is expensive. I should have been more involved in campus activities to start making changes then rather than now. I should have know better to pick good friends rather than bad influences. Most important of all, I should have picked my school based on a holistic view— looking at demographics, location, social life, etc.

Don't just get caught up in the activities of your major and college, but also get even more involved with the school spirit. Especially when sports teams are doing really well, you will want to go see a game so you can say you were there when they won. In addition, really learn how to take time for yourself and be able to take a step back and relax. LIfe is fast pace, but it is only up to you to slow it down so you can thoroughly enjoy every moment. Don't let two years pass before you finally learn how take in each moment. Lastly, don't let the bad moments run your life, but rather, just move on. Understand that it happened and nothing can be done to change it. Let the moments that most impacted you continue to impact you to do even greater things.