California State University-Northridge Top Questions

The old saying "you get what you put in" held true in my undergraduate experience. One should recognize the fact that nobody is going to hand you anything on a silver platter. However, one should also know that the faculty and your fellow students are (or at least should be) there to guide and help you accomplish your goals. Push yourself harder than anyone else pushes you, seek your own way when one is not shown to you, and always search for a way to put a personal twist into any skills and knowledge you absorb. It is okay to be a little greedy with your school experience; you are paying for the experience, and you are entitled to use your school's resources to the greatest extent. That said, be generous with your own knowledge and experiences, especially with your fellow students. Collaboration is the way to expand yourself intelectually, creatively, spiritually, and socially. You should be serious about your work, but have a sense of humor about yourself and others. Life is misterious and funny, so enjoy it and get all out of it that you can.

For Students: As scary and overwhelming as college may initially seem, please do not allow that fear or weariness hinder you from taking that step to further your education. The best advice I can over is even if you have to sign every school application with trembling hands and walk on to campuses with an unsettling stomach...DO IT ANYWAY! Push forward and allow your ultimate aspiration and/or dream guide your steps. Lastly, college is not always "pie in the sky" but believe me when I say "It is worth your while!" And to the loving parents... The most important thing you can do for your children as they enter college and embark on their journey into the "real World," is be there! Not necessarily side by side, hand in hand in the flesh but be that support system and backbone that they will need when things get tough. However, do allow them to experience what reality is all about and provide your love and care from a distance.

Pick a place that you would enjoy and where you can meet new people. Explore, do not stay at home because it is good to learn how to "grow up" and become independent. Parents, let your children grow up and make mistakes we have to learn how to become great adults. You should trust us enough to make the right choices in our lives.

To the parents and students, the advice that I give for finding the right college is that you first deeply research all the schools that you desire to attend. Narrow down your first and second choice major and choose a school that offers programs for those majors. In case the student realizes that the major chosen is not what they would like to pursue a degree in, students should make sure the college offers the option of changing majors. Before choosing a final school, students and parents need to plan how tuition is going to be paid for, whether the school will be providing financial aid, loans, or are parents going to pay out of their account. For students to make the most of their college experience, I recommend to get involved in school as much as possible. There are all sorts of clubs and organizations to choose from. Through these extra-curricular activities, I was able to meet other college students that motivated me in my studies. Also, take advantage of the services that the school offers, such as free printing, counseling, tutoring, and many others. Help is always provided by the university for the students who need guidance.

I would give them the same advice that I wish I would have been told when I was going through the college selection process, which is to find somewhere that has your major, where a good amount of students share your interests and beliefs, and that is affordable for you. Everything else in your college experience is up to you, but those three factors cannot be changed. If you attend somewhere that doesn't have your major available, you won't end up staying there in the long run, and transferring is becoming more difficult each year. Your classmates are also important, because they are the people you will spend your next four years associating with, and where you will build lifelong friendships. Finally, is finding somewhere affordable. Money is a major stress factor in almost every student's life, and the less you have to stress about jobs and money. the more you can focus on school and enjoying the time you have at your campus.

I would simply say to make sure that you find a place that makes you or your child happy. You need to be in a peacful, happy enviroment in order for you to complelty succed in college.

MY ADVICE TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS ABOUT FINDING THE RIGHT COLLEGE IS TO DEFINITELY VISIT THE CAMPUS, SPEAK TO OTHERS WHO HAVE ATTENDED THE SCHOOL, AND TO SPEAK TO THOSE WHO ARE PRESENTLY ATTENDING THE SCHOOL. FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF CLUBS ARE ALREADY THERE AND WHAT ISN'T THERE SO THAT YOU MIGHT ONE DAY CREATE ONE OF YOUR OWN. DIVERSITY REALLY MAKES THE SCHOOL ENGAGING SO BE PREPARED FOR AN ETHNIC BOILING POT OF PEOPLE. BE PREPARED FOR READING MORE THAN YOU'VE EVER READ IN YOUR LIFE AND TO ALWAYS STAY ON TOP OF YOUR SCHOOL WORK. LEARN TO BALANCE YOUR SOCIAL LIFE AND ACADEMIC LIFE. TRY SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY AND ENJOY COLLEGE BECAUSE IT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE IN YOUR LIFE. MAKE THE MOST OUT OF COMMUTER SCHOOLS BY STAYING ON CAMPUS FOR SCHOOL ACTIVITIES. STAY FIT BY BICYCLING AND SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT AT THE SAME TIME. THE ONE THING I'VE LEARNED AT THIS SCHOOL, AFTER CHANGING MAJORS IS TO REALLY STICK TO WHAT YOU LIKE AND STUDY WHAT YOU LOVE. IF YOU HATE WHAT YOU'RE STUDYING, YOU TEND TO DO POORLY. TALK TO PROFESSORS ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR GOALS, AND LEARN ABOUT THEM TOO.

The advise I would give is weigh out your options if possibly try to find a University or College outside of the area where you grew up in. It wil help broaden your horizon and allow you to see how differently others live from one another.

Research is the most important thing! Try to narrow down what area of study you or your son/daughter would be interested in. Don't feel obligated to choose a major early (freshman or sophomore year), but make sure the school you are considering has a good program in something that interests you. In my experience, most students change their major during their freshman and sophomore years at least once. Also, research the employment statistics for alumni of the school. High placement percentages will provide insight on what to expect after graduation. A social life is important, and on campus activities can vary depending on the size of the school. For example, my school is a large commuter school with 30,000+ students. There are social events, but they are not frequent as it costs the school a considerable amount of money to accomodate everyone. Smaller schools tend to have more social events, which I participated in when I went to a small 8,000 student community college (prior to transferring to my current school). Time management is extremely important, and you need to determine how the school you are considering will fit among existing obligations (work, family, etc.).

One's college experience is one of the most important times in one's life. It provides the opportunity to learn in a variety of ways: academically, socially, and personally. This is a time for gaining insite, expanding one's worldview, making friends, and discovering whom one is and who one wants to be. For these reasons, finding the right college is accompanied by one's personal reasons (i.e. thoughts, beliefs, and desires) about what college should be. Starting one's decision-making process early and having an idea of the qualities one is looking for in one's prospective choices is the most important part of this process. By thinking about what one wants and about what one wants to attain from their education, one is capable of controlling their future academic path.