Sonoma State University Top Questions

If I was a high school senior and had the chance to talk to myself, I would say to choose a school further away from home so that I can become independent and spread my wings and fly. My experience as a college student might have been different, and possibly more fun, socially.

I would have stayed in college and become a teacher right after high school.

Assuming I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would emphasize being more fiscally responsible. For some people, money is a deciding factor when it comes to figuring out how one is going to pay for a college education. Everyone in America should know by now that college is not cheap, and if you can save money...DO IT! I have never been an impulsive spender, but I definitely could have saved money that I did not. If I would have known I would be where I am today, not receiving financial assistance from my father, I would have strongly encouraged saving money whenever possible. I played soccer all throughout high school year-round; therefore, I never really had a significant amount of time to dedicate to a job. My parents are divorced; I receive some financial help from my mom, but my dad was always the one telling me not to worry about money because he would make up for it. I learned a valuable lesson; to never depend on anyone else to support me.

College has taught me a lot about independence and responsibility that I wouldn't have gotten if I stayed at home as opposed to living on campus. Living in dorms with other students has showed me that I am in charge of the next move I make. I wake up when I want to, and decide if I go to class or not, what to do tomorrow, etc. I don't have my parents there to make those everyday decisions for me, and I am ok with that because I needed to learn that on my own. Doing little things on my own like doing my own laundry and making my own dinner has also made me respect my parents so much more with everything they have done for me. College is not only about learning in class, but out of class as well.

College has allowed me to find what truly interests me, and given me the chance to grow into a more complete person. On top of all of the scholastic achievements and assorted knowledge (and some trivia, too) I've learned more about myself and how I best function and fit into society. I am now more confident in my ability to apply for, and get, a job I will truly love, and that, in my opinion, makes all the papers, homework, and the inevitable all-nighters so very worth it.

My name is Cassie Tsolis and I am in my second year at Sonoma State. My experience has continued to grow as I have become more involved with clubs on campus and community service events. This year I have become part of the leadership team for the Christian fellowship on campus and I have also continued to tutor the nearby elementary students with the program known as Study Buddies. These are just some of the various opportunities and ways Sonoma has enabled me to give back to our community on campus and within the community of Rohnert Park. As an EOP, Educational Opportunity Program, student I have found so much support and encouragement with my EOP advisors and services the program provides for first generation students and low income students. I have become much more driven to continue in my education because of the various opportunities Sonoma has provided me with that show me what I am passionate about. With a degree in psychology, my goal is to become a college counselor for low income students, just like me.

I have learned that it is very important to further my education by attending college. There are many different avenues that you may choose to go down once you go to college and that excites me. You grow up thinking you want to be one thing but when a course advisor throws a book on the table and says take a look, new doors open. I believe that this has been valuable to me because when I entered college, I did it only because my mother asked me to do it for her. I never really wanted to attend but now I am very glad I chose to go. I have recieved many life long lessons from my college experience such as the importance of time management, note taking, and the ability to plan out my weeks to get done everything I need to get done. I believe that by furthering my education, I will be a better person both physically and mentally and this make me believe in a brighter future for not just myself but future generations that I will be a part of.

Attending American River college is the first step towards achieving my dream of becoming an electrical engineer. After completing my general education requirements, I plan to transfer to the University of California, Davis, where I will earn my Bachelor of Science degree. I chose this college because I am returning to school after a long break, and community college seemed like the best place to start my education. Here, I don't feel the pressure or competitiveness that University students have to go through. Unlike many university classes, community colleges like this one have smaller class sizes. So, the students are able to talk to their professors more often and have a better chance of finding mentors and building relationships that could help them in their future careers.

College allows you to get out of your comfort zone and meet people from different places and different walks of life. Not only that, I feel that it makes people more open minded and independent.

I have gotten experience out of my experience. In that experience, I have learned to be more patient,tolerant, and less of a procrastinator. College has opened my mind to a range of topics ranging from dinosaurs to women's rights. This has helped me be more of an open minded person with a lot more common sense. This is all valuable because this all going to help me in the longrun. The world is ever-changing and to be able to cope with new conflicts and to be able to resolve them , the world needs people that are ready and prepared to face unprecendented challenges.