California State University-Long Beach Top Questions

I have learned what matters most in school and how to prioritize my life. The school gave me a broad understanding of what life is and what to expect in the real world if you want to survive.

I have matured a great amount since I started at Long Beach. Unlike high school, I know who I am and what I want out of life. I'm no longer that scared girl who got nervous to give a presentation in front of her class. I'm driven and will go the distance to achieve my goals. College has taught me to be this strong person because I'm on my own without parents or my childhood friends to guide me through. Being here, I have made new friends and connections that will help me better myself. I now feel that I can do anything that I set my mind to and my college experience has taught me that.

What I have gotten out of my college experience is confidence and a renewed sense of self. I had a difficult decade in which I lost my job, my dad, my self-confidence. I struggled with health issues and a troubled marriage. My kids grew up and moved out. I felt completely adrift in my own life. Going back to college for a Master's degree gave me an anchor; it was the best thing that I ever did for myself even if I am getting in over my head with student loans. Most of the other students in my classes are much younger than me, and being amongst them has made me feel younger. I am an English major, and my ability to get all A's and praise from my instructors has bolstered my confidence and sense of self worth. The challenge of reading new material and writing papers has awakened my mind which had been dulled by years of watching reality TV. I am attending the same campus where I got my Bachelor's degree 25 years ago and because little on the campus has changed, I feel welcome there, as if I'm returning home.

College has been a big growing experience, academically and emotionally. Through the last year of college I have exerted my independence, and began to explore the world of making the decision of what I want to study. Throughout grade school and high school I receive little choice in the classes I took to meet graduation requirements, now I have a vast field of opportunities in majors, minors, and classes just to take for the fun of it. College is an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything, I like how it has helped me grow in to a more mature strong person.

Attending College has afforded me the opportunity to start a new phase in my life. My children are nearly grown and my husband works full time. While a mother never stops being a mother, her children do move forward in their lives. It is reassuring to have a goal that will provide me with a new and exciting chapter to develop and see to fruition, much as I have my children. Being new to this state, going to school has also allowed me to make new friends and contacts, easing my transition. I look forward to the day I can take my diploma and put it to good use in a career that has been a life long dream. Attending college has also been valuable to me because it is inspiring my children to do well in school and work toward attaining the goals they have set for themselves. What more value could a mother find?

I have received many valuable lessons at cal state long beach but one has stood out over the rest which is giving back to our communities. I have learned that giving back to the youth can make a huge impact on a young childs life. They are always looking for guidance and very little is given to them when its time to graduate, so i have made it my destiny to guide those who want to make a difference and those who seem to be lost and steer them in the right direction.

I am a 27 year old women who is currently in the nursing master's program at CSU, Long Beach. The experiences and everything I have done in college helped me focus in on what I ultimately want to do in my professional live. I started off getting my general education at community colleges because they were more affordable. Because they were less expensive I had more time to dedicate to student affairs such as participating in the student body at Grossmont Community College. Participating in the student body helped me develope leadership skills and teamwork which benefit me as a nurse practioner. I also had time to volunteer at a hospital, there my interest in nursing was sparked. However, I wanted to see what the arts offered and at CSU, Long Beach I joined the theater department. I got a great deal from the theater program and I learned a lot about myself. The long hours and working with the staff, crew and actors of the shows helped me realized the importance of working as a unit. Knowing I want to be a nurse, all these experience from my education will help me succeed and be a dedicated nurse.

What I have gotten out of my college experience so far is great long lasting friendships. I have also gotten great educating advice from my school counselor. These things are valuable because having long lasting friendships nd relations to people of my major and of different racial and religion differences is beacuse you learn so much from them. Also its just like being in a soroity or faternity you make connections for a lifetime. Getting advice from teachers nd counselors who are in my field of study is valuable because they can help you on what you need to do to reach your goal in that specific field of study. Going to this school period is valuabe because it opens you to a lot of new experiences. Especially staying on campus and participating in some if not all activities that are going on on the campus. Its also valuable because there are people here to help at all times with what ever it is that you need help with, writing papers, resumes, interviewing, any school subject, etc. they are here to help you.

I was able to get a lot of great things out of my college experience. I was able to meet new people from all over the world and learn about their culture and the things they do. Before college I was not a social person but now that I am in college I talk to everyone. I was able to break out of my shyness shell and meet new people. College is very valuable to attend because you will receive a great educattion and in a few years, I will have my degree in nursing and have a wonderful medical career. Also, being in college prepares you for the future. College classes help you work in groups, even if you don't want to and college helps you have an open- mind about everything.

From the bottom of my heart and in all honesty, I feel so lucky to be attending CSU Long Beach and taking from it all of the knowledge and amazing experiences that have fallen upon me in the last four years. From the first time I set foot onto the campus, I knew there was something unique and worth while. Everything I was looking for from a college, Long Beach possesed. It had the easy going and down-to-earth atmosphere. It had the perfect blending of education and extra-curriculars. It had the gorgeous nature of my native Northern California and the sunshine of the beachy Southern California. Long Beach was my home and I knew it. As the first person in my family to attend college, I did not have a very wide knowledge base of what to look for. However, I did know that the most important thing was my education. What I am so lucky to have found at Long Beach State is a widely diverse, socially developed, and educationally passionate and esteemed university, one that I gladly and proudly call my home. Go Beach!