San Francisco State University Top Questions

Well, I have not yet had much experience at my college because I have been focusing on my classes and passing them in order to stay up to date. Looking at just the Fall Semester I think it has gone pretty well because I was able to get help, talk with my teachers about anything I needed help and of course get tutored if I needed any help with any of my class materials.

While I was in high school I never took the time to actually enjoy being there. I automatically started to worry about getting into college my freshmen year. My high school years consisted of studying and working, thats it. There were so many things that I could have done like sports, and just enjoy being there with the other students. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior knowing what I know now about college, I would tell myself to take full advantage of the high school experience because it only comes around once in a lifetime. I've never worked as hard as I am now that I'm in college. I go to school from 8 to 1 and I work from 2 to 6 everyday. I realize that if I'm going to be successful I'm going to have to work like this for a long time so I should have just stopped and took the time out to enjoy being a senior. I'm not saying that I should have just slacked off but I definitely should have taken the time out to appreciate it more.

Dear young Stephanie, No matter what happens, you will be fine. Moving out & living on your own for the first time is not as scary as it may sound, just think of it as camp. Don't be worried what other people will think of you if you want to go home for a weekend. Listen to your teacher's advice on studying and AP tests because it truly will be useful to give you units. I know right now you are very worried about paying for college, but continue to apply for all the scholarships you can and begin to search for a job immediately. Get involved in the sports programs and clubs as soon as possible, or you will regret not trying out later on. Classes are honestly not that much different from high school, but do not be discouraged if you get a bad grade on one exam. Make sure to keep in touch with old friends, because they keep you strong. Continue to follow what interests you and makes you happy and you will succeed! Sincerely, Your older self ps: You do not need to bring your whole closet worth of clothes to your new place!

College is not as scary as you think it is, it is the beginning of many opportunities in which you choose what subject you most want to learn about; a place where professors are always there to help and not to judge you. In preparing for college you sent in grades for your high school classes, these are only half of what being in college is really like. College life is not just attending classes everyday and studying; college life is: working, being a part of new organizations on campus and socializing, it is even being able to study abroad in a country you have always wanted to go to, and it is making new friends. These are the people that make college life more than just school work, they help make great memories. Don't be scared because you won't know anybody, don't be scared of the teachers or the classes. Like any other event in your life go day by day learning new things. College life begins when you move in and it is up to you how you want your experiences to be; remember that many others feel the same way, you are not alone.

Growing up, I was always the nerd, the outcast, the one who everyone made fun of. I never I had a friend to talk to. My mom was always working and my dad lived six hours away. On top of that, I was always at least a foot taller than all the guys, wore glasses, had an unibrow, and reallly messed up teeth which later resulted in braces. Life was completely horrible. Now that Im in college, with all the friends in the world, a wonderful boyfriend, and the ability to say, "I'm the captain of a collegiate cheerleading team," my life is wonderful and has taken a complete u-turn. I guess if I had the chance to go back to my high school self, I would tell little Nicole that everything would be ok and life WILL turn around. I would tel her to love herself and to never change because who you are will get you far in life.

I would tell myself to SAVE SAVE SAVE! I"d also tell myself and everyone that you need to decide what your priorities are. If your priority is school, then you need to go full time. and do assignments right then instead of later. The friends that understand you not being able to hang out like before are the ones you want around. The more successful you are in college, the faster you'll be able to graduate sooner and get your life started.

If I was able to go back in time and talk to myself as a senior there is so much that I would of loved to share with myself. The first thing I would probably do is warn myself of the weather, while San Francisco is a beautiful city during winter time it gets extremely cold. I would not only warm myself of the weather but also of the bad influences that one can fall under while being in such a big city. There is so much to do and while getting to know where you live is important studying and focusing on school is also a very important thing that I had to do. Another thing I would advise myself to do would have to be to make sure I did all my work and not fall behind with any assignments and/or reading. When taking challenging and difficult classes and falling behind on the reading it becomes difficult to catch up and stay on top of all the schoolwork that is given.

If I could go back to my senior year of high school, I would apply to twice as many universities as I originally did. I was accepted to all 3 schools I applied to and thought I would be content with SFSU. Now with the budget cuts I can barely get classes, let alone classes related to my major. Also, I wish I had taken more AP courses in high school so I could have more units completed prior to entering college. I feel having these units done beforehand would have allowed me to be ahead of schedule and spend less time and money at this institution.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to live my first year in the dorm. I've learned that while living in the dorm you could make long term friendships and meet people that could help you get through college while you are away from home. I would also tell myself to never take night class that meet once a week for three hours. The reason why I would tell myself this is because being in a three hour class ,especially at night, takes a lot of discipline.

If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to apply to a wider variety of colleges. I stuck with colleges in areas that I had visited and that were very different from the community I grew up in. By applying to all Northern California colleges, I limited my college experience. By going back in time, I could tell myself to apply to schools in different states and to consider the campus life of each school. That way, I wouldn't feel stuck at a school I didn't enjoy.