San Jose State University Top Questions

I wish I had known that I was unable to take Animation/Illustration classes.

Before I came to this school, I only wish I had known that it is perfectly okay to be yourself. That there is a place for everyone in college, and that nobody is considered an "outsider". If I had known sooner, I might have been much more outgoing and cheerful during my first semester in college, and i would have surrounded myself with other people with similar interests, instead of hastily asking a few other guys if I could move in with them next year because I needed to find a place close to campus. It didn't work out.

Don't take Science 2, it's not a science class, it's a how to survive college class. The class name is deceptive but don't let it fool you. The class is for underachieving students and not worth taking if you are on your game already.

I wish I'd known how bad the commute is.

Not only do I wish to have known about the time it takes to graduate, but also that San Jose State is known as a party school. I do not drink or smoke so it has been a bit hard for me to make friends. Not a lot of people want to sit in and watch a movie on a Thursday night, instead of going out to party. Partying hard is a very common social pastime on campus.

While school has been incredibly rewarding and challenging, I wish I had learned how to advocate for myself and taken a more active role in some of my decisions rather than defer to passivity about course selection or filling out forms.

To call for information, look it up on the internet, or ask people who have gone through a similar process when dealing with the bureacracy. The professors are as helpful as they can be, but the financial aid people have left information out everytime I have spoken to them, making it more difficult to complete forms/orientations on time. The pamphlets and online materials are much more helpful than the people (though they are not unfriendly).

I wish I had known how hard the workload is for an engineering student. I wish that I knew I could take classes like Humanities that counted for almost all your GE credits in the course of a year or two.

Get to know your general advising counselors. They really help you stay on track with your curriculum and are a wealth of knowledge in regards to classes you should be taking.

I wish I had know how much my interests would broaden and change as I encountered new experiences and met new people. If I had any idea of how much the people around me could affect and influence me (in a positive way!) I would have sought out these people sooner in my life. As it is, I'm satisfied that my university had so many events, organization, and activities that could help me find the amazing people I did.