California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Top Questions

Your freshman year of college is one of the most important years because that is when you meet your friends that will stick with you for the next 4 to 5 years or even the rest of your life. These friends are important because living with a bunch of people your age, you are bound to get into a fight with someone or have your heart broken and you are going to need your friends to pick you back up. College should also be one of the places where you make your best memories. Keeping that in mind you should take your classes seriously because they are important but it is ok to fail once or twice. Failing is one of the best ways you can learn. It can teach you about yourself whether it is the fact that you need to change your study habbits or if it makes you realize you no longer like something. The degree you chose your freshman year of college may not be what you want to do for the rest of your life.

I would tell myself to rethink my original career choice to be a mechanical engineer. Although this is an interest, this was not the career choice I should have made in high school. I would also tell myself that college takes much more application and work than high school, and although you're more "free" in college to make your own choices which would make college seem much more laid back, you have to know that those choices need to be well thought out and good ones, and the point of college is your pure interest and pursuit in knowledge and advancement in a certain field. And because of this, I would tell my high school self that the work I do towards my major is much more meaningful and advancing, and to prepare and acknowledge this for when I do get to college.

Always be happy with whatever you’re doing in life, remember everything is experience and it always happens for a good reason. Socially, try to be the best person you can be to this world and society, do not change who you am, because it’s not living if you’re constantly changing for this judgmental world. There is still lot lying ahead of you, obstacles to face, issues to resolve, new lessons every day. Don’t ever let yourself down, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, no one else will. Always remember to be thankful and helping. You’re here for a reason, do good to yourself and others. “Some people wait for the special someone that changes the world……. Others make things so that they are the one that change the world”

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would likely tell myself to pick a school closer to home. Even if you want to get away from home, you will get homesick. I also recommend that you avoid freaking out about the transition, it is very scary aat first, but it gets easier when classes start and you start working on school, the time passes fast, all you will do by freaking out is slow the time down.

Hey Sabrina, are you feeling alright? Seriously calm down. You do not need to stress out the way you are right now. First of all, based on your academic record throughout high school, you are going to be admitted in at least two if not one of the colleges you will apply to. Second, brace yourself for an awkward transition into what I call, reality. Do not fret. There will be a time of relaxation before you start school and you may lose friends. It is alright to let them go. You are in control of who stays and who goes especially if you will be a better person without them. Lastly, you can go anywhere you want! Exceed your limit! Stay optimistic about your decision because in the end you are the one going to college not your parents. If you need to pull out loans just know what you want to do beforehand and go for it, but always subsidized loans. Commuting to school will make you tired, trust me. Now before I go understand this, change is good. If I were you I would start making changes now. Remember you come first! Take care and stay positive.

After completing my first year in college, the best advice I could give my past self would be to force myself to be socialable and commit to the Pep Band. In college, where I only knew my roommates on move-in day, it could only be beneficial to know more people. If I knew this beforehand, my first quarter would have gone differently, all for the better. I waited until I was forced to be social, and then it was to late. Almost everyone had a closely-knit clique. Another piece of advice would be to commit to the Pep Band. I always had a problem of procrastinating and this is where it got the best of me. I just needed to practice my trumpet to know the music, but a voice in my head told me to do it later. Later never came. Game after game I did not know all of the music which was required of me. Eventually I finally decided to “join” and practiced until I could play all of the songs flawlessly, but it was to late. The notion was already cemented in my fellow Pep Band members that I am a lazy player.

Dear high school Ginny, You are finally getting ready to start college. Since I just completed my first year, I feel like I should give you some advice. Looking back, the transition from high school was much harder than I expected. In high school, I was able to breeze through classes and barely ever study. I thought it would be the same in college, despite what Mom and Dad said. My biggest fear was that I would have a hard time putting myself out there. However, after easily making friends, I let having fun take priority over studying and homework. Consequently, my grades suffered. Saying Mom and Dad were upset would be an understatement. Heck, I was even disappointed. You have so much promise and can do whatever you set your mind to. With that in mind, here is my advice for college: work hard and never give up. There are going to be times when you want to just go and hang out with your friends or go online but try only doing those things in moderation. I know it'll suck at times but just trust me. Keep up the hard work. You got this. Sincerely, College Ginny

College is what you make of it. If you wish to succeed then you need to keep on top of your priorities. However, keep in mind to enjoy yourself & join a club, maybe a few. Never give up despite all the difficulties you encounter along the way & stand up for what is right. College is for your career, your life, so it's up to you to ensure you achieve your goals & all that you can. Learn what you love to do & go for it no matter what other people may say. Don't be afraid. It's your life, your time, your decisions. So make the most out of it & live it up while you still can. Never stop believing, especially in yourself. ;)

I would tell myself not to be so afraid. This would have been vital advice for myself, as well as for many incoming freshmen. I had always been the shy, quiet, anxious kid in high school, and I was not prepared for the new world that college was. Thusly, I was the traditional Cal Poly commuter student who came to campus, went to class, and went home without talking to anyone. I did not begin to make real connections on campus and make my great friends until my junior year (last year). My advice to myself, as well as other freshman, would be to not hold back. Get involved on campus, and don't be afraid of who you are. If you are a nerd who loved Harry Potter and Star Wars (as I am), there will be a place for you at Cal Poly Pomona. You may be surprised that by being yourself, you have a great time and make lifelong friends.

If I had the chance to go back and talk to myself as a high school senior and give myself advice about college, I would tell myself to avoid all the problems that set me back professionally. First, I would tell myself to go to junior college to save money and to earn transferable credits. Transfer to a school that is not just excellent, but a school that makes you feel comfortable and happy. Apply to housing at least the first year because it will save you money. Pick internships that are not on campus because you will have a better chance of obtaining a job after graduating. Lastly, and most important pick a career path that will be growing once graduated, so you do not have to face the hardship of trying to find a job in a bad economy. I would tell myself to focus on a career path in either technology/engineering, medicine or finance because there will always be jobs in these fields. Also, do not make the mistake of moving out of your schools local area after graduating because you will lose all networking connections, which will make finding a job even harder. Good luck!

I found out my junior year of college that the secret of succeeding in my college life lies in three words; DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. I got in the routine of doing assignments right when they were assigned and I found that I was almost always prepared for tests and final exams. Also, if I studied at least an hour a day for final exams I found that I did a lot better than if I crammed the night before. Its better to give yourself time to complete your assignments and go through the semester at a steady and calm pace than to continuously scramble and have anxiety over the millions of assignments you left at the last minute. College really sets the tone for your life and for your future, so be responsible, give your work 110{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of your effort, and treasure your friendships. Also, while you are in college, attempt to gain work experience through internship experiences. Because my internship Senior year, I was able to get a job and begin my dream career. You'll have the opportunity to form invaluable connections if you reach out to people in your intended field of work before you graduate.

High school helps student prepare for college, and college help students prepare for life in the real world. College offers students the chance to become the person person they dreamed of, but of course it comes with more responsiblities. For high school students try your best on the SAT and the ACT and you will be closer to being accpeted to any college. College is abbout being self motivated, determined and willing to make scarifices to achieve your goals. The transition from high school to college is huge difference because in high school, teachers reminded you of what is exected. Howevever, in college you must make wise decisions and think critically to determine what is expected of you. My advice to future students is to be smart, strong and determine and you will go far in college and in life. The best way to predict the future is to create it, start strong and end even stronger.

If I could go back I would remind myself to stop bulking five college classes because it is too much for me to handle. I would advise myself to join an honor society becuase it would look good on my resume and so that I could form long lasting friendships. Also, at times I could not differentiate between my personal issues and my schoolwork. I could have paid attention to college admissions representatives and taken the main college admission test such as the SAT which is the gateway to many scholarships for universities and community colleges as I was unaware.

Well it was 8 years after I left high school before I applied for college. If I could go back to my high school senior self I would tell him to try harder, dedicate himself to his studies and understand that there is a great potential within himself. I would tell him to apply to schools. Tell him to make sure that he begins his college career even if at a community college level and sticks to it. That he makes that dedication needed to get through college and come out on the other side a better educated individual that can find and work at a job that he loves.

If I had the oppurtunity to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would advise myself to try my best and to give it 200{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} and not slack off because all the wrong choices I would make in a high school would not only affect me then as a high school student but they would also affect me in college. The more focus and dedicated you are in high school the more opportunities you have as a college student. An A student in high school has alot more oppurtunities and advantages in college then an average student, interms of advancement in a placement test, the more knowledge you have the higher score one will receive which leads to taking more advance classes and allows one to graduate sooner. There is also programs that give students incentives for high GPA's, and SAT scores. Colleges also offer well performed students extra grants, and scholarships to pay for education. Remember this is important because you are paying for your education, this extra help comes in very helpful for your pocket. The bottom line is that your performance in high school dictaes your future in college.

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school senior self, I would tell her not to worry so much about social status. No one really cares about your past once you start college. Focus more on your studies and start developing a better study habit as opposed to joining all the clubs and taking part of random extra-curricular activities. Being involved and busy only pays off if your studies or sleep are not suffering. You can focus better in school if you did not stay up all night catching up on studying. Also, since you live in strongly engineer-populated town, start networking now. Making connections will pay off; the industry is a small world.

Growing up, I knew I would be the first to graduate high school in my immediate family. That drove me all through my high school years. However, because of this, along with procrastination, I didn't start looking into college until the end of my senior year. By then, all the deadlines had already passed for most universities, as well as scholarships. If I could go back and tell myself about college life, what things I could do differently, etc., I feel as though I'd need to let myself know not to procrastinate. I should have started looking into schools and scholarships prior to my senior year, but even at the beginning of my senior year would have been helpful. I would tell myself not to go into college only looking to pass, but to go above and beyond. Now, I'm struggling to raise my GPA in order to even qualify for most scholarships. Of course, the past is the past. I must go on and continue to work hard in my schooling, because I've realized just how crucial it is in order to have a brighter future.

You must learn to persevere. The whirlwind of college is going to sweep you up faster than you can blink. The tests will be overwhelming. There will be endless coffees and sleepless nights, and more often than not, you will feel like curling up into your twin sized bed in your newfound box of a dorm room to leave your problems for another day; but you can't. What will set you apart from your peers, what will determine your success, is how much you give when there is nothing left to give. You must push and strive for all the things you know you can accomplish because you owe yourself that much, and no one else is going to do it for you. Even this isn't a fool proof method, and when you do make a questionable decision, or do something you regret. Forgive yourself. You are human. You will make mistakes, but you will pick yourself back up and you will fight to be better tomorrow. As you grow into adulthood, do not forget who you are and what you stand for, and always remember to love yourself.

Knowing what I now know abou college and campus life. I'd have to tell myself that I need to learn to be less socially awkward and more accepting of others attentions. I would warn myself that in college there are so many things that you coul be out there dong jus so long as you feel comfortable to go and talk to people about it.

I would go back and tell myself to start thinking about college earlier and work on being in honnors programs starting freshmen year. You don't realize how important it is till it is too late. However, the best advice that I heard a lot but didn't take seriously is "getting involved". Everyone tells you to get involved but I never really listened. It really hurts you when you start to apply to colleges and you weren't involved in school programs. Even though I was super busy outside of school it wasn't enough. The best high school decision I ever made was joining the ROP program, and I wish I could have done other programs like it earlier.