California State University-Sacramento Top Questions

Do not listen to your parents who tell you that college is evil and will cause you to turn liberal and atheist. Move out and make your own way and don't stay under the cultish religious organization your family is in. College IS IMPORTANT and will help you go far in life. College opens your mind and fills it with knowledge that you never knew was out there. Study hard and push through. The benefits will outweigh any pressures that you have. Be confident and believe in yourself. Do not let anyone stand in your way. Ever.

Wake up, dress up, and walk through your room door. As soon as you walk out, follow a flow and don't rest until enough is achieved to gain a reward. To keep the productive life but not to overstressed and to enjoy what comes; to adjust easily and wing whatever comes our way. Because during our lives, we just live without really knowing any direction we are going in. We might "know" the direction and how to "get" there, but we are never fully prepared for everything that comes our way. So if it is unexpected, take a breath, look at it, and say "I will be thrown off." Keep walking ahead, and only look back to review your mistakes and rewards. One needs to have both study and reflection in life to follow forward. When we walk, when we roll forward, even on one leg, there will always be a need for balance. Keep that balance as you walk through that door. And at the end of the day, that is when we sit to look around and enjoy what had come to past and what awaits ahead.

The first piece of advice I would give myself is to not procrastinate on any scholarships opportunities. As a high school senior, I applied to many scholarships but more would not have hurt. I also would challenge myself to be more involved in the school organizations. My high school was small so we didn't have many clubs, but it would have kept me busy and not as stressed out as I was. For a 17 year old, I should not have been as tense because there was no need for it since I had an immense amount of assistance and support from the staff. I would tell myself that I was smart to be very optimistic about college acceptances and that mentality ensured that I would get into my first choice school. Being positive about life changing events such as college is the mindset to have so you succeed in that next chapter of your life. Overall, my senior year of high school was pretty productive and effective, I entered college feeling well prepared and ready to do an exceptional job. I continue to tell myself as a freshman to stay positive and move forward.

It's okay to be the nerd in the library. Finish your responsibilities, then go out and have fun. Remember the big picture as to why you're in college. You're there to succeed in your classes in order to find a stable job job in order to be financially independent. oh, and also remember to breathe.

Dear High School Diamond, When it comes to having the freedom of going (and not going) to class when you want, don't believe the hype. Attendance is really important to some professors as many of them factor attendance into your final grade, which I had to learn the hard way. This past semester I would have earned an A-, but ended up receiving a B due to attendance. Responsibility for self becomes a reality indeed. I never imagined being in a class with over 100 students and where the teacher doesn't know my name. I've learned that you have to make all initial efforts to do well because if you're not trying to help yourself how can you expect anyone else to? Remember what you came to college for: EDUCATION! Have fun, but don't get caught up in the midst of trying to fit in, rather than being true to who you are. If you're comfortable with yourself then the right people will surround you. Sincerely, College Diamond P.S. I'm so proud of all your accomplishments thus far! Remember to show up, it's the first step to success. Good luck!

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The advise I would have give me is that always ask for help for the professor because if your struck no one will help you and force myself to form study groups because it would help alot and make a huge difference in my gpa.

Making the transition to college from High School was supposed to be one the biggest steps in my life, however, if I had the choice I would redo many things in my High School career. There is a saying that you dont know what you have until it is gone, and for me that saying used to represent what I thought about my future. Throughout High School I was the person that put studying on the bottom of my priorities and having a social life at the top but I now know that was the wrong choice. In a way im glad community college was the only choice for me because it really opened my eyes and made me realize that the future is always changing and that it is never to late to try. If I could talk to myself as a High School senior I would let myself know that education always comes first and to perservere through any obstacle put in my way, furthermore, that the transition to college is tough and to not under estimate or take any opportunity for granted.

Stop cutting class! You are so bright, but you are wasting your time. You are young and want to have fun right now, and you think college can wait, but trust me, the fun can wait. If you don't get focused and start trying, you're going to pay for it later. Go to college right out of high school and get it done in 4 or 5 years or you will spend nearly 10 years of your adult life trying to balance a full time job, supporting yourself financially, and completing a bachelor's degree. You can invest in your future and still have fun, but focus on your future. Life is going to start moving a lot faster than it does now, and before you know it, you'll be over 30 and struggling every day to stay motivated. If you get it together now, five years will be over before you know it, and you'll have so much more to show for it than a job on a resume and a bunch of party stories. And finally, do the reading, ask for help, be social, and apply for scholarships even if you feel doubtful.

Hayley, do not slack off your senior year; you are almost done and graduation will be that much better if you can graduate with honors and wear more sashes to show people how hard you have worked. Study hard and do not let yourself make excuses. You are going to have an amazing college experience one day; don't stress because you still do deserve to enjoy yourself. Order your textbooks early for college so that you are not stuck without your biology book on the second month of your first semester, look up what your college has to offer, and think about getting involved. Also, keep applying for scholarships and try to get a job in the residence halls; so many people seem to enjoy how easy and social the job is. Just remember to have a great senior year and enjoy the time with your family and friends before you all go your separate ways; it may sound bad, but it is a good thing and you will be great in college. Again, enjoy your senior year, but do not slack off! Love, Hayley

The biggest piece of advice I would give myself is take the time to establish good study habits. You can't just get through college the same way as high school, it requires some effort. Other than that, don't worry about relationships, focus more on school and sleep.

I would say: "good job that you took all those AP classes, and for trying your best!" However, those AP classes did not help me much--I should have rather taken normal classes in high school and consecutively taken classes at a junior college, so that I could have gotten the lower division and general education classes out of the way and I would have been more familiar to what a college setting is like. I would also advise myself to apply to more scholarships during high school, because college is expensive, and to go visit different campuses, so that I would be aware of the different sizes. Back then I should have thought of a specific career goal that I would work towards and I should have evaluated all my options to find out all the details about that goal, before almost reaching it and seeing that that's not exactly what I hoped it to be. I am glad that I went to the freshman orientation, because that answered a lot of questions about life at Sac State and the academics.

High school is a place where students prepare themself for the education that will prepare them for their future careers. Finishing up senior year, many students are told they need to know what they want to do with their lives in order to be successful in college. It is engrained into many students minds they must know what they "want to be when they grow up" right when they enter into college. If I was given the opportunity to go back in time and give my younger self advice about college, I would tell myself it's okay to not know what the future holds or what you want to do because life isn;t about know what's next.. College is a time to discover who you are and to grow to become that person. The world will not end if you enter into college with no idea of what you want to become in life. Changing your major does not mean you're a failure, it means you realized your true calling and you're taking the correct steps to achieve that calling. Enjoy college while you can because you will miss out if you don't.

If i had the opportunity to go back in time to advice myself when i was a senior, I would mention many things so that college life would be easier and less of a hassle. I'd advice myself to be more cautious than i already am so i can realize easy mistakes that tend to happen to me as of right now. I'd tell my high school self to stay in all my classes and to start applying for scholarships early so they could help me later. I would start preparing myself to learn geology and earth science since that is what i want to major in.

Make an effort to get involved in the learning process. Sit near the front of class, ask lots of questions and make friends with those around you because they are your best resources. Start what you finish and give 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of your effort. You are worth the education you are about to receive even if you may not think that you are. It's okay if not everyone likes you because in life...not everyone will. What is important is that you like yourself and be your own best friend. You are smart, special and beautiful!!

If I could have any words of wisdom for my highschool self I would tell myself that I need to buckle down and take college as serious as I will my future career. When I first started college I didn't do very well on my first law test. I needed to do lots of extra credit to catch up. I would also have to say that I would tell my past self to save, save, save all the money I could. My family never had much money when I was growing up and when I got my first job ( five months before I started college) I had things I had to purchase. I needed clothes and good shoes, but maybe I could have lived on a little less and kept a little more in my bank account. I think I could even have gotten a job earlier on. If my past self took it to heart and saved more money I would not be feeling quite the financial need that I am right now.

I would say that the course work at the high school level is intended for an important purpose...to get you ready for college. School-based activities are fun and engaging, however, don't forget to take the time necessary for focused study.

I would have advised myself to look into my current college earlier. Also, I would have advised myself to look exclusively into online classes. With gas prices today its too expensive to make the commute every day.

Seeing how I did not take the SATs in high school I would tell my senior self to take community college seriously the first time around. To get in and do the best I could so I could transfer to a four year institution as soon as possible. I did not make those choices and now my educational road is much longer than would have liked. I would also tell my senior self to create better study habits than I did in high school. I would tell myself that I was really smart and to go with my instincts. They have yet to fail me. I would reinerate what my mom has told me my whole life; you can do anything you put your mind to.

Don't take the time off. It is very hard to manage a life where you have to work instead of being able to concentrate on school and getting yourself in a good position earlier in life. Don't worry about the extra curricular activities you have in your life, enjoy the experience while you have it because real life is hard and expensive. It would be nice to have a career in place by this time in your life.