California State University-Los Angeles Top Questions

It hasn't been valuable at all.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself in high school, I?d advice myself to utilize all the academic resources at my disposal and never give up. As a high school senior, I experienced spells of depression as a senior and much of this depression was due to the fact that I could not figure out what I wanted to do with my life. At one point I thought it did not make much sense to pursue a higher education if I didn?t have a career objective. I skipped two semesters of school and got bad grades which hurt me even more. But at long last, I met with an EOP&S academic counselor who helped me decide on a career path and I regained the motivation I once lacked, got good grades and went on to transfer to CSULA!

I would first advise the high school "Lisa" to not be overwhelmed by the amount of freedom available once I graduate from high school. Secondly, I would advise myself to network with the professors and become involved on campus. The professors and staff are great resources for jobs, internships, scholarships, and recommendations. The more you netowrk with people, the more knowledgeable you become. Lastly, I would remind myself that the decisions I make in college are going to affect my future!

I would tell myself not to rush, to figure out what it was that i wanted to do before i go to school for it. You can always do core credits but dont get a degree in something that you won't want to use after college. Try to fill out financial aid information and scholarships ahead of time so you don't have to seat waiting to see if they come through.

i would tell Myself to buckle down and make the best grades. I would also have been more attentive in class.

Dear Araceli, Senior year is crazy, college is around the corner and things are falling apart at the seams when it comes to financial aid. Don't give up! your a strong motivated young woman who knows what she wants. You can succeed your family is counting on you. Leaving the nest is going to be rough, you don't have the ability to go home often. Your cell phone will be your best friend, BOOST UP THOSE MINUTES! because when college seems to bring you down your parents will be that phone call away that you need to put a smile on your face. Be yourself, be strong and know that you can succeed, it's what you been working for all your life. Best of all, think of the smile on your parents face when you finally walk across that stage: "A college graduate, that's my daughter" your father will exclaim. Imagine that, and you will get through this. I believe in you, because I've seen you pull through before. Sincerely yours; your biggest advocate, Araceli Leon Cal State Los Angeles '13

If I had the opportunity to go back in time I would tell myself that an education is one of the most important assets a person can have, right up there with integrity. In order to succeed in the world, although the idea of college is frightening, expensive, and time consuming, the end result is acheivement of a goal. There will be challenges in life, many decisions to make, some right, some wrong. Yet, the completion of college opens new doors for new and exciting adventures. When you go to college you will meet many people and if you are lucky will end up with friendships that last a life time. When college is completed any task at hand will be small compared to what you were able to accomplish. Sure you will get tired and look for an easy way out but if you persevere and complete your studies the world is at your fingertips. You will look back at your time in college as one of awe for all the accomplishments you achieved.

Hollie try to focus more on reading instead of doing the bare minimum to do good. College requires more reading and comprehension.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would advise myself to thoroughly think about all decisions that I make pertaining to my future. I would also advise myself to take my time and live life to the fullest. I would also suggest that I participate in matters to improve my community and I would be more environmentally conscious. I would focus on developing a greater social life. I'd suggest that I devote time to the elderly and paticipate in any organization that's aimed toward ending world hunger and promoting world peace. I would be open minded and tolerant to other's views. I would explore different cultures , learn as many languages as I could, and travel to many places. I would suggest that I volunteer at a homeless shelter. I would use my time mor wisely. I would tell myself that high is just a training camp that's purpose is to prepare me for the real world. I would remind myself of the vast array of opportunities avaliable to me and reassure myself that although stepping out in the world is intimidating, there are those that care.

If I could back in time and talk to myself as a High School senior, I would tell myself to explore my options more so that I could stay on top of the classes and pre-reqs for Kinesiology because it would cause me to continue school for longer than I anticipated. I would tell myself to stay focused and be strong beacuse I will have to endure a tough time in my life during my college career. I would metion that I have to be more patient with my parents because of the diagnosis of rectal cancer for my father, a disease that he has been battling for more than 2 years. Not to mention to stay on top of my medical appointments and how important it is to visit the doctor because I too will be diagnosed with cancer later on in life. The most important thing I would say to myself is to love and live life, but also be smart about my decisions and really think about the possibilities of the future because it could be an important factor that could change my life forever.

As a Communications major student, I enjoy meeting and interacting with people of all colors and overtime, I?ve learn to be culturally sensitive to the people I happen to meet. This being the case, having an open-mind and hand are highly recommended, especially if you desire to meet other students, who may later become your study/social partners. However, some students don?t appear to be so friendly or perhaps easy to speak with, unless you join a fraternity; for example, some walk with their heads down and seem to be displeased and apathetic with school and or life. In a sense, you are looked down upon if you are not part of an identifiable clique, and others tend to ostracize you because you opt not to be hip. Another useful suggestion, and I highly stress this, is to submit all necessary financial aid documents prior to the first day of instructions. This may prevent any deferred checks from arriving in the mail so that you would have the money to purchase books and essential school supplies.

THE ADVICE I WOULD GIVE MYSELF WOULD BE NOT TO WASTE TIME. I HAVE WASTED SO MUCH TIME TAKING ONE OR TWO CLASSES PER SEMESTER. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN NOW THAT WASTING SO MUCH TIME WAS GONNA COST ME SO MUCH MONEY, BELIEVE ME I WOULD NOT HAVE DONE IT THAT WAY. IF I WOULD HAVE TAKEN A FULL LOAD SINCE I STARTED I WOULD HAVE FINISHED AND WOULD HAVE BEEN WORKING BY NOW. THAT WOULD BE MY ADVICE TO TAKE AS MANY CLASSES AS POSSIBLE WHILE I STILL HAVE THE HELP OF MY PARENTS AND FINISH WITH SCHOOL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

It is important to continue with schooling without long breaks. Being a high school student that graduated and took several years off, I can say the biggest mistake is "taking time off." It is so easy to continue with the flow of education, and so hard to get back into it once your skills are rusty. Study habits, essay writing, researching, group projects, proposals, and presentations are seemingly do-able to high school students. Only a student with the experience of re-entering education, can tell you that these tasks become distant memories , needing long nights, weekends, and too much coffee to get back into the learning groove. By entering college right after high school, your life will be so much easier and the rewards will be so much nearer.

If I could go back in time as a high school senior and talk to myself about college life and making the transition, I would give my self the most important advice that I never received which is be prepared and plan ahead. I would definitely be prepared for the SAT test by taking classes that would be helpful for me to succeed. I would also start applying to as many colleges as possible so that I would have options at the end of the day. I would look into scholarship programs for each school and do research on the resources that they have to offer. If I was unsure about obtaining any scholarships, then I would definitely do my research on being prepared to requesting financial aid to alleviate additional stress. If I already knew which college I was attending, then I would visit the college to make myself better familiar with my future surrounding so that I wouldn't waste time once I started. Lastly I would ensure that I brush up on my studying habits and be more organized because college is definitely a tremendous change form high school.

If I could go back I time to talk to my seventeen year old self ; I would start by explaing to my self that life does not have a magical solution for everything. Everyone is not going to miraculously discovery your true potential because your just a super good person. Life requires me work and hard work at that. Stop being so lazy start studing regularly. If you start now the transition from high school to university life will not be so hard. Also, remember to have fun. Go to school functions and socialize. When you finally become a college student pay close attention to Introduction to University!

I would advice to myself to be on time and not over estimate time. When students lack off in high school it doesn?t affect their academic achievement as much as it does in college.

I would advise myself to continue to believe in myself and that college isn't just a dream. Whatever money I can make now will not compare to the money I could be making in a fulfilling career that I am passionate about. Don't settle for less and never give up. Take advantage of the opportunities that are available, and I will not regret it. Time will pass faster than I imagine it. Before I know it, I will be closer to my goal!

When I was a high school senior, I had no plans to attend college. I was in foster care at the time, behind in credits and not on time to graduate. So, with the advice of my foster mom, I dropped out of high school and started working full time. It wasn't until a coworker of mine (at a pizza parlor I was working at) told me about the FAFSA and grant money that I even considered going to college. I also thought that I could not go because I never graduated high school. I took the time to fill out my FAFSA and found out that I qualified for the Pell Grant. I also learned that anyone who is 18 can enroll in community college after taking a placement test. If I had known that I could afford to go to college and could do so without my high school diploma, I would have started the next possible date after I dropped out of high school instead of almost 2 years later. Now, I have my AA in Liberal Arts under my belt and will soon have my BA in Anthropology. I just wish I had started sooner!

I was a straight "A" student in high school (class of 2000), and I was eager to be finished with my education all together. I chose Business Economics as my major, and I was determined to graduate in three years. I was so driven to speed through the college experience that I overwhelmed myself and withdrew from the university. Nine years later, after experiencing life and becoming a mother myself, I decided to attend Cal State Los Angeles for a Bachelor's Degree and Teaching Credential. I often wonder where I would have been in life had I been patient and mature enough to absorb all that was in front of me back then. The more I think about it, though, the more I realize that where I am today is precisely where I am supposed to be. For the first time in my life, I am excited about my prospects. I think about how far I have come in my own personal development, and I am happy with my progress. I may not be able to go back and change life, but I will be in a position to give this advice to my students: enjoy following your dreams.

If I could go back in time when I was a high school student and give myself words of advice they would be, to do more research on scholarships, apply for them and not to procrastinate. I only filled out the fafsa, call grant and one small scholarship. I would tell my self college is expensive and everything comes out of your own pocket. Loans help you pay for college and its easy now, but that when you graduate its your responsibility to pay them back and since you've just graduated your just starting out on a job and probably living on your own so money could be tight. It's better to get scholarship money so at the end theres not much to pay and you'll have money for school supplies and books(which are truly expensive and I didn't believe.) I would urge myself to stop procrastinating and just fill out more scholarships because they are for my own benifit and help make collge a little less stressful the first year.