San Jose State University Top Questions

You don't have to know what you want to do before you start college. It's a great time to explore new things. Don't get stuck on one idea, and don't be afraid of just starting all over. Don't rush through it or put off jobs, relationships, or outside activities for school. Give yourself as much time as you need. One bad grade won't hurt you, and even an entire failed semester won't be bad on your record. Your major isn't that important for your career, but internships are. Work through school and take as many internships as you can. Study abroad, even if it means you have to take an extra year. Your work and life experience is more important to getting a job after graduation than the degree or your GPA is. Surround yourself with people who support you. You don't have time for fake friends or maintaining a fake self. If you don't fit in with a college, transfer. Sometimes it's okay to say no to your parents, but they really do know some things. Get academic advising, but double check their work yourself. Just be you.

What I would tell my younger self is less about college life and more about growing up and moving forward, about the place of education and learning in the life ahead of me. I was checked out throughout most of my high school career and it was due, primarily, to a lack of faith in my own ability, a fear of failure, and not being able to see the relevence of what I was learning with regard to the larger scheme of things. I would sit next to my younger self, put my arm around myself and say "Kiddo, you have a decent brain. Don't be afraid of it messing things up, it will, but that's part of the process. Don't be afraid to do whatever you need to do to learn; speak up in class, talk to your friends about what you've learned, and take a flippin' highlighter to your notebooks. They don't need to be neat and tidy. Have a conversation with the material and make it your friend, you're good with friends."

College is bigger than high school. It’ll definitely be easy to feel lost and insignificant. But! You won’t be able to finally feel comfortable and free to be yourself if you’re afraid to try new things. So, be brave and be flexible on your views of others and yourself. In college, there’s no such thing as fitting in. You’ll quickly realize that everyone is too busy with their lives and there are too many people to have any sort of norm. Take advantage of that knowledge and you’ll feel like weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Choose classes that you’ll actually enjoy learning about. Explore the campus and city. Join student organizations and build up your school spirit by going to some football games. You’ll meet more people that you wouldn’t have ever met that way. As for academics, most people don't pursue a career in what they majored. Your major is important but it's not going to define your life. Your motivation to be the best you will guide you to be where you really want to go in the future.

If i could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell my past self to always be determined and never succumb to any pressure college might offer. I would also tell him to relax and not get so nervous around the professors. Most importantly, I would put more emphasis on the fact that hard work is required to make a mark in life. In addition, I would tell him that above everything, put God first and all other things that people are dying to have will become his.

Hello, my younger self. Bottom line: Be Relentless. Seize every opportunity in your path (as well as the gems hidden just out of sight) because time is going to fly by fast. Never take anything for granted, always put yourself out there. Don't be afraid to introduce yourself because the truth is nearly everyone would love to meet someone new in the beautiful cultural mosaic you are going to be entering and every new person you meet can result in a cascade of experiences that you will remember for a lifetime. Also introduce yourself to faculty because they tend to love to teach their passions and they love the students that come to share it with them. Be prepared for times of stress; however, never let yourself feel that anything is out of your reach. These years can be easily among the best years of your life, but only if you make them. Don't waste this unique time to prove yourself academically, grow personally, and blossom socially. This not only the chance get a degree, but to grow into a person who will be able to habitual love life and love to make the world a better place.

Make friends! College is supposed to be the best time of your life, but it won't be any fun if you're alone. I had no people skills whatsoever and didn't socialize much throughout college, which made for an uneventful lifestyle for most of my college years. It was always just the same routine with me: go to class, go home, sleep, repeat. Sure, I occasionally had study buddies from classes, but none that I could really call a friend. I didn't have real friends until I almost graduated and I regret not being able to enjoy my youth with them longer before we all graduated. Better late than never, though. To this day, I still feel fortunate to have met such a colorful group of people who have changed me for the better and saved me from a future of monotony and owning 9 cats.

1. If you fail once, get up and try again. 2. Your education always stays with you. 3. Get a job you love, something that you look forward to doing every day. That is where you will be for: 40 yrs x 12 months / yr x 171 work hours / month = 82,080 hours (3,420 days) in your life! Make each hour count! That’s a long time to be miserable! 4. Always challenge yourself. Someone once told me that ‘it is better to struggle with something challenging than to succeed at mediocrity.’ 5. Live with no regrets; take chances once in a while. 6. Life is like a video game. You put your money in and give it your best shot. Just because it says ‘Game Over’, don’t believe it. Put another quarter in and hit the “reset” button. 7. Leave your community in better condition after you leave it than when you entered into it. 8. Make an unforgettable lasting impression. 9. Treat people with dignity and respect. 10. Never tell yourself ‘would of, could of, or should of’. You can’t change the past, but you can make better choices in the future.

I would tell my high school self : Do not assume anything. If it is a process you have not gone through before, use every resource you have to find out all the information there is about it. Few things are as simple as filling out a form and moving on. Each process has multiple steps and takes quite abit of time to complete, so be prepared for that. Do things ahead of time as much as possible. What you will learn will be up to you. You have general education classes that you need to take, but with elective classes within your major, make your selections carefully. Talk to older students in the program and read reviews to find out the best/most useful courses. Don't be afraid to try a course outside your comfort zone, it will be better for you than "same old, same old" type courses. Ask for help or to be directed toward resources you may not know about; there are a lot and they can be very useful, but only if you know about them. Don't be afraid of the workload, you can do it. Good luck, you'll be fine!

Don't underestimate the power of studying. The first year is always difficult to transition into and you must make sure you balance your time wisely so your grades don't suffer and you're not stuck making up for it later. Put yourself out there and make new friends because college is all about connections and whoever you connect with can potentially become a future business partner or lifelong friend. Don't be afraid to try new things and think outside the box because sometimes it may just be the little things or ideas you do that set you apart from everyone else. Don't let anyone turn you into something you're not. You are who you are, and nothing will ever change that. If you be yourself you will succeed in your own amazing way.

Knowing what I know now I would save up more money. I would also know to rent some books and buy the others as well as sell them back if I don't need them.