California State University-Stanislaus Top Questions

Don't wait till later, go to college now!

I would have made myself better prepared. I would have started looking for scholarships before graduating highschool and entering college.

The place I would first begin would be with starting at a 2 year college. The respect I have for the 2 year college I transferred from is as high as can be with education, although the counselors do not guide students as well as I wouldn think they should. A movement from high school straight to a 4 year may have been a bit easier. Next I would have definitely told myself that although playing soccer for the school was fun, the time required definitely affected my grades and I could have done without it. Overall at the beginning of my college career I didn't see the importance of a degree, but now as I get closer to my bachelors I truly see the hard work and time it takes and I wish I could go back and tell myself to study and give total attention to classes that I may have taken lightly and not received the grades I would have preferred. As I have just pulled straight A's for the first time in college, I would tell myself that I do have the ability when I give my full effort so don't give up!

Dear Monique, I know you must be feeling an amalgam of emotions about going away to a university; stressed over finances, anxiety of leaving, fear of living on your own, and that deep-rooted seed of excitement--don't let it be smothered by the rest of your emotions. Grow around them. Choose the university you felt comfortable in, and fill out your FAFSA as soon as possible (This is extremely important. The deadline will not yield to tumultuous events that may arise). Once there, once everybody leaves, and you are left in your dorm alone, cry. Cry for a while, but then regain some composure by rearranging your room. Do not avoid your roommates. Go out and talk to them; you will find out that they are just as nervous as you are. Do not seclude yourself to cope with homesickness by yourself. Go out, take walks around the campus and get to know the school more. It will make everything less foreign to you. Call Mom everyday or she will worry. Call old friends; make new ones. Always remember that you have people supporting you. Most importantly, believe in yourself. Never doubt what you can do! Sincerely, Monique

Every transition in life will share some similarities; yet have it's key differences. Differences that will set you up to succeed or struggle, but hopefully never fail. In high school, I was a highly dedicated student towards academic efforts and my social achievements. However, I never mentally prepared myself for looking at my first year of college, as my first solo year in the real world. If I could rewind the youthful clock that ticked away like a baby's heartbeat... I would tell myself to be prepared for the unexpected at all times. The chief difference between these two educational experiences is that, high school holds your hand all the way until the moment you earn that special diploma; whereas universities let you explore every journey that comes your way as you earn that scholarly degree. The motto for this transition is to "always complete your personal affairs first, and everything else will fall in place!"

Take a deep breath and wait for it... you are about to begin the rest of your life. Trust yourself; you will choose the right college for you. As you finish your college applications, receive your admissions letters and make that difficult choice of the school for you, relax a little. There will be some surprising challenges and definitely some memorable times ahead of you (grocery shopping on a budget, for one person, while trying to maintain some semblance of a healthy diet can be a real challenge). However, don't worry so much about choosing the right school for you. There isn't one perfect school that will fit you, making your college experience perfect without a single worry. Part of the journey is the challenges. The university you choose will be the right one based on the experiences and involvement you create there. Also this will not be a solo journey, you will meet great people out there who will help you; you just have to find them. Overall this journey is really about you; it is not deciding the perfect school, it is you moving forward, involving yourself in your life and your future, so jump in.

I would tell myself to go to every class if possible and to go with my gut instinct about my major. I let people talk me into business then switch to english like I wanted. After that I again let myself be talked into going back to accounting and now have finally settled on english. If I had listened to myself I would have been graduated by now but still have another year to go.

I believe that if I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would encourage myself to not limit myself to only one possible career option. In my experience, I started off pressuring myself into believing I had to become only one specific thing, but once I got to college I began to have other interests; instead of pursuing those interests I limited myself to only the classes that would fit the specific goals I had set for myself before I began college. I would tell myself to take a variety of classes and follow the major that best suits my interests and would make me happy in the future. I would also encourage myself to take part in on campus activities and not be afraid to get involved, the friends you find here with common interests are often the friends you keep for life. I would also encourage myself to develop relationships with faculty and staff, these people are experts in their field and can offer guidance and wisdom that can be helfpul in the future. Even though sometimes talking to professors can seem daunting, they truly want to help their students.

College could be the best thing that could ever happen to you ,here are three reasons why : First, you can farther your career beyond high shool, you can study to become a medical assistent, dental assistant, or even a physical therapy technician. You just have to remember to put your mind into it and you can accomplish anything. Second, you could have a better future, you can have a stable job and you to have don't have to be working in a fast food place because you will have a college degree and be able to do anything you want. You will also have a way to help support your family and give them a better future as well. Third, you can set a GRATE example for your (future) childern. You can show then that they can be whatever they want just as long as they set their mind to it. Show them that you did the best that you could to be in college, so that when they become older they want to follow your footsteps and go to college!!! Those are the following reasons why you should go to college and farther your career beyond high school...

I had a hard fall out with some close friends my senior year, so I would tell myself to relax, and not worry about finding friends. I tend to be on the quiet side and it gets worse when I am trying to get new friends to like me. There is not the pressure at college to be cool, like there is in high school. I would reassure myself that as long as I stayed true to who I was and opened up, I would have no problem finding quaility friends. Everyone really accepts you for who you are. It does not matter if your an athlete, bookworm, partier, or anything in between; there are people who will relate. At college most people grow up and mature past the superficial phase of their lives that hold people to certain standards. Would you really want to be friends with someone who did not know the real you anyways? I know I do not. To be comfortable and secure with who you are as a person is a great accomplishment. To have friends you love you for who you are inside and out, that is a true friendship. Nothing is better.