California State University-Sacramento Top Questions

The most important advice i would give myself is to make sure to explore everything a four year university has to offer. There is so many things that one can take advantage of in a university such as Sac State for example, Financial Aid, ASI, on campus jobs , concerts, free shows and a dynamic social life. Make sure to be involved in your school, dont just go to class and go back home. Interact! build frienships! join clubs! The transition from high school to college for many students is difficult because you become much more independent and self-sufficient. Do not expect your proffesors or classmates to encourage you to come to class. You must be willing to have the self-discipline to go to class and not be afraid to interact with classmates. I am about to start my third year in college and the best thing i have done is to be more involved . I am in a sorority and i have built bonds with other students that have the same aspirations to succeed in life by graduating from college and earning a degree for their career.College is alot easier when sharing this common ground with others.

pick classes you like not ones for just your major

If I could go back, I would definately place more emphasis on time management and prioritizing. Attending college for almost two years now has shown me that time management is very essential to my success in school. Being able to go back in time would allow me to place more importance on making sure my assignments would be well done and on time. I would also make sure my mind and heart were open to other people of different backgrounds. Because my high school was 98 percent hispanic, I was never exposed to many types of people, so I would make it a priority to associate with people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Other than that, I feel that my High school prepared me with the essential things I needed for my success in college.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior about college life and the transition, the first thing I would tell myself is to not worry about it. College is supposed to be a great experience, and how could it be great if a person worries about every little thing? I would also tell myself that college is nothing like high school, so do not worry about your appearance at all. No one really cares what brand of jeans you're wearing, all that matters is what you accomplish and how you use it to your advantage later on in life. Getting the grade is the main goal. Although college is definitely more serious than high school, I would also emphasize to myself that it is important to go out and have some fun once in a while. Everyone needs to take a break from studies and go out. Overall, I would tell myself to just balance everything equally as best as I can. Balance school, personal life, and activities evenly so that it doesn't feel like everything piles up on itself. If there is balance, there will be less stress.

The only advice I would give myself is to try really hard to make good grades. If I had known that my grades had a HUGE ripple effect on my college life, I wouldn't have slacked off so much.

I would have chosen to attended a JC first, instead of leaving for a four year college. I would have advised I major in English, that I start writing right away. To speak up a bit more in class and bring regular books into class as they are the best way to strike up conversations with new people.

I would first like to say this to myself: Don't stress! College is thought of being the next huge step into adulthood and also being the beginning of the seriousness of a person's life. That can be true, in a way, but it is not fully true. All you have to do is attend your classes, be committed to read and study your textbooks for a good hour or two a day, allow the instructor/professor to know who you are, ask questions during instruction if you have any, and do your classwork. If you are on top of your game in that department, then you have nothing to worry about! Also, do not allow yourself to be caught up in the seriousness of college. Be loose and have fun! Make friends and have a good time by hanging out, going out to eat, and doing other kinds of fun activities. As long as you keep your partying under control, you are good to go! When you get here, you will see that college is not as hard as others claim it to be. Trust yourself and good luck!

If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell her that what she is facing now is little compared to what she will be facing in college. I would tell her that when in college, there will be many factors that will come into play when it comes to your individual success or downfall. For instance, I would warn her that she would not get the ideal roommates and that she would have to face how the world is really like when you are not around family and friends in the community you came from. Also, I would tell her that not everyone may be as focus as her when it comes to receiving an education. There will be partiers and mean-spirited roommates who don't like you because you are not downing beers with them and sleeping with frat boys. But in all, I would tell her that I am proud of her because I know that she will make it though it all while still having her morals and will to not let those obstacles defeat her.

Having fun is important and necessary to successfully becoming acculturated to college life. However, a balance must be met. Having too much fun can overcome your attempt at completing your assignments. It will greatly benefit you to give equal to slighty more attention to school. There will be plenty of time for fun; there will be Winter break, Spring break and Summer break. The harder you work during school the more meaning each break will have, the sweeter it will taste, and the closer the light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel will be. If you find yourself at a crossroads between fun and school work, do not succumb to the strong desire to choose fun over school work. Focusing and working hard in school will open up ten-fold of opportunities to have fun. Believe me, I have the gift of hindsight. A gift I am giving to you.

If could go back in time and give my high school senior self advice, I would tell myself to stay in honor and advanced education classes. Continually, I would strongly advice myself to look into and apply to scholarships. Lastly, being a transfer student from American River College in Sacramento, I would talk to myself about getting involved in more extracurricular activities, such as, student government, internships, and sports, all while taking more time to enjoy the college lifestyle.

I would tell myself to start early in the field I am interested in and get just as much experience in the field as education because these days a degree doesn't mean as much.

I would prepare for college beginning in my freshman year. I would focus on my grades and be more active in extra curricular activites to prepare for obtaining scholarships for school. I would also have visited and applied for more colleges and universities in the area. In reguards to my classes and grades I would have worked harder in understanding the material presented instead of only trying to pass classes. The extra curricular activietes would be benifical to my college application and possible a variety of scholarsships. I would have actively particpated and learned about financial aid, scholarships and visited the colleges to familarize myself with it. I would have also tried to develop better study and time management skills in high school, because I would have then been more likely to continue those habits in college.

I would tell myself to look into the different college majors that were available to me. I would then want to go and research the different majors so that I would have a better understanding of all of my options. I did not settle on a major until I was in my second semester of my junior year. While I did get to experience many different and unique subjects while I was searching for my favorite, I was not able to invest any time into an internship or student organization. Once I did choose Sociology as my major, I looked into many of the resources that were available to me and found that there was a lot out there that I had missed. There were many internships that I could have participated in during my sophomore and junior year. I joined the Sociology fraternity and made a few connections, but I feel that I would have gotten more out of it if I had joined earlier. While I was still able to graduate in four years and secure a job after graduation, I feel that it would have been more beneficial to settle on a major earlier.

The best advice that I would give anyone would be to find out for yourself how the admissions process works and how to enroll into the college of your choice and to do it yourself. In order for a college student to feel independent and ready for the environment that will be soon approaching he/she, it is extremely significant to determine for oneself what is important in one's educational goals. Educational attainment is not something that everyone has the opportunity in gaining, and being appreciative of what opportunities that we are all given is something to be grateful for. I would also advise that everyone keep meticulous records of all information related to the schooling system given, because ultimately it will only fall on you to keep track of everything pertaining to your education. Be strong!

Although I feel I made the transition to college life quite well, there are a few words of advice I would give myself to make it easier. First and foremost, I would advise myself not to take a year off between high school and college, since I didn't accomplish much in that year and am now a year behind. I would also tell myself to take my first semester of college more seriously and focus on my social life a little less, since I neglected some important coursework during that semester. Finally, I would encourage myself to join more clubs and extracurricular activities earlier on in my college career, so that I could have begun reaping the benefits of such organizations sooner.

If I would go back in time and be a high school senior once again I would advice myself to take the assignments more seriously even though I did very good during my four years in high school, for I graduated with a 4.0. I do not think I took the assignments seriously or the teachers. Also, I would advice myself to go and talk to my counselors more and especially to the teachers because I have learned that if the teacher gets to know you better you will most likely get a better grade in the class. Also, to take the ACT's and SAT's as many times as one can and to practice before taking them there are study guides that one can get in order to practice. If I would have given myself these advices back when I was in high school I would have most likely done better during my first semester in college even though I did pass all my classes.

I would tell myself to work harder in all my classes and take school more seriously. I would tell myself that I should create a schedule and maintain that schedule in order to have a well balance life. School should be the main priority but having fun should also be adjusted into my schedule as well. Most importantly, apply for more scholarships because money does have an effect on how you live life. It determines whether you have to take out loans or whether you have to take a side job between studies to pay for your books or tuition. Also, learning to come out of one's social bubble can have a major impact on one's life. If I was able to be more open and social and build that connection with people in high school, it would be so much easier to do it in college. On a final note, becoming closer to teachers in high school can also be a benefit, so when trying to talk to professors in college, one wouldn't feel so intimidated during the one on one conversation during office hours.

If I could go backin time and talk to myself as a senior in high school, I would tell myself that I had to concentrate on my studies more. College is no joke! Every class is taught a very different and unique way which requires a lot of time and effort be put into each class. Different classes require different studying techniques that I took for granted in high school. Another thing I woul tell myself is that you have to be able to manage school and also be able to have a social life. Without both, you will go crazy. Too much partying will cause a great deal of stress in your studies but too much studying causes a lot of stress on your body.

Always make sure every professor knows your name. Get on friendly terms with them and always ask questions if something doesn't make sense. They are more likely to give extensions, make-up tests, and letters of recommendation to people they know, so be friendly. Talk less and listen more; keep an open mind. When someone suggests forming a study group, join them. Make school you're number one priority above all else. Keep dating to a minimum, and save parties for special occasions. Never hesitate to try something new, and never be afraid to change your major. Be active in the field you are majoring in; nothing is worse than working hard for a degree just to discover that field isn't for you. Most importantly, smile. No matter what happens, relax and just know you'll make it through. Embrace the support of your friends and family because they will help you through every psychological break-down, unexpected illness/injury, and even the suicide of a few people you will meet down the road. Life will hurt, school will be hard, but don't let anything get you down; chin up and smile.

College is going to be like a buffet, you will try things by opening doors untill you find the right one.