California State University-Northridge Top Questions

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school self, I would first tell her to stop panicking about the big decision she made in choosing CSUN. She will quickly find out that she made the right decision and will not regret it. Further, I would tell her that when she finally got to college to enjoy every minute, there were times in my freshman and sophomore years that I let the stress get to me and I would forget to enjoy the opportunities that were offered to me on campus; such as various ways to relieve stress or enjoy time with friends. Another big thing that I would tell my former self it to make connections both with professors and other students. I found that college was a great opportunity to make friends, but it took me a while to gain the confidence to just talk with people. The connections that you make early on in college are those that can stay with you throughout your college career and beyond. Also, it is just as important to connect with professors early and build relationships that can lead to research opportunities and references later on.

Don't sell yourself short! Know your capabilities and understand your weaknesses. Work hard to get better, and things will fall into place. Don't be afraid to be aggressive, but always be polite. Your professor now may be your advisor (or colleague!) in years to come, so always treat others with respect.

As a high school senior, I was the student who was had all the popularity and played all the sports. My head was more focused on sports, rather than school. If I had a problem with my academics, I would ignore the problem and ask for no assistance from the teacher or other classmates. If I could go back I time, I would tell my senior self that sports in not everything. It might get me a scholarship to go to school, but I still need to have good grades in order to participate on the team. I would also inform myself that the problems I have with my academics are not going to get fixed on their own. I must learn to talk to the teachers and ask for help because the teachers are not going to approach me on their own. In college, classmates can also act as a teacher, so I would tell myself that meeting people the first day of class, could help me in the long run.

If i could go back in time to give advice to my high school self I would tell myself to keep doing what im doing. Never give up and keep moving forward because in the end it will all be worth it. Every struggle, and every obstacle will only make you stronger tomorrow. Nothing in life is free, you must fight for what you want and no matter how hard it gets just remember that there is always a rainbow after the rain. Good things dont come to those who wait, good things come to those who work hard for it. I would tell myself dont give up because greatness is within eyesight. Keep succeeding academically and dont let anyone tell you that "you cant make it", because you can. College will be some of the greatest years of your life, so enjoy it. Live it up, socialize, make friends, participate and speak up, but most importantly always stay focused. Greatness can be yours, all you have to do is grab hold of it and dont let go.

I would tell myself to apply to all of the colleges that I could think of. Community college isn't the way to go. That sinking feeling of not knowing what you were going to do with your life that you felt in government, follows you everywhere because you can't get out of community college without 60 units, so you'll end up taking a bunch of pointless classes till you can get there. I would tell myself to concentrate more on my classes, and raise my GPA as much as possible. Enjoy the time with the people that you are friends with in your classes, because you barely speak to them after graduation. I would also tell myself to thank all of the teachers that made an impact on your time in high school, because not only will they appreciate it, but you will feel great about thanking them. Finally, i would tell myself that while there are a ton of people that may not like you, you'll move on, and they will never matter again, so enjoy the time you have.

Believe in youself. Do not let other people put you down and crush your dreams

If I could go back and impart knowledge on my senior-self, I would tell myself to look at more colleges than just one. I would tell myself to shop around more and look at multiple careers that interest me. I ended up switching what I wanted my major to be halfway through my senior year. I would tell myself to start applying early, work harder at my grades, and try to earn as much money as possible in order finance my education. I guess I would just tell myself over all to make everything count. You cannot go back and get a do over. You need to make the most of the time you are in to make it count for the future. College is about having a good education but it is also about finding yourself. I would tell myself to be open to opportunities that come my way.

As a 3rd year college student, I have learned a lot of things that I wish I'd known when I was still in high school. Most importantly, I would tell myself that it is extremely important to do well in high school. As a high school student, there were many resources available to help me get into any college that I wanted, but I was not focused enough on school. I would tell myself to learn and implement scheduling by whatever means necessary. Had I've been more organized when starting college, I might have gotten better grades and not had to repeat courses. I would also figure out what my learning style is, whether audio, visual, kinesthetic, etc., knowing how you learn is important in being successful in classes. I would also have communicated more with my professors. Now in my college career I need letters of recommendations and because I didn't get familiar with my professors, they have a hard time writing letters for me because they don't really know me. I feel that had I've known to do all of these things I would've had an even more successful college career.

If i could go back in time and talk to myself about making the transition from high school to college i would have advised myself to get a job during the summer. Attending college is very expensive especially since i live in the dorms. If i would have gotten a job for the summer i would have had money saved up and wouldnt have had to struggle with housing payments.

I would tell myself to work harder in high school and that I need to study more and pay attention more in my classes so that it would help with my college classes. I also would tell myself to save as much as I could because college is very expensive especially books and that college would be so much better if I was not always worried about money and about paying for books. The transition into college is not as hard as you think, the hard part is moving states away to go to college. If I would of known as a high school senior all the stuff I have learned about college life I would of prepared myself for college a little more.