California State University-Chico Top Questions

It is no surprise that making the transition to college warrants a great amount of stress. From newfound independence, financial responsibilities, scheduling woes, to new social scenes (and subsequent pressures), college life can be overwhelmingly taxing. However, as I am about to enter a credential program, I now know that all of these hindrances can be alleviated with a more holistic approach, and that approach is as simple and as arduous as having integrity. The reliability of one?s moral character is something that is often not recognized or valued until it is lost. While in college, you are faced with several opportunities to take the easy way out of an otherwise demanding situation, whether it?s skipping class, cheating on an exam, or surrendering to peer pressure. Yearning to succeed coupled with the inherent burdens of college life compels even the most diligent of students to succumb to cutting corners. The most vital thing to remember while navigating through college is to do it with honesty and veracity. Not only will you value your education and overall experience more but you will also set up a foundation for the manner in which you conduct the rest of your life.

If I can go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I know now about college life and making the transition, the number ?one? advice that I will give myself is: ? Please, put more time into looking for scholarships and actually applying for as many as I can.? This, I highly regret not doing as much and wished for extra time. There were so very few scholarships that I had applied for, there some unfinished due to obstacles in life: such as families, problems, culture, religion, and time itself. But there were a great amount that I did not even look at. Now as a CSU Chico State student, there are many educational assets I desire but can?t take hold of because of the lack of external financial aids saved or won. Now I finally see why my high school counselors and teachers said they couldn?t stress out enough about applying for scholarships and how they also said that it doesn?t hurt to give in a little for extra cash. If only I had the extra financial aid, I know my college life would be a lot easier right now.

I would definitely take AP classes and take my classes more seriously. I would also take my SATs more than once and apply to any school I wanted to - no matter if I thought I'd get in or not.

I would tell myself to be careful how I spend money, and to take scholarship applications more seriously and to focus on finishing everything on time.

Dear Court, I know how stressed you are about college and finding the right one, and even more stressed about money and what this is going to cost you. Do us both a huge favor and take three deep breaths and relax. I want you to know that everything will turn out fine, like it always does and always will. Which ever path you choose in life will have been the right one for you. You are a strong girl and no matter where you end up, we both know you will succeed. Believe me, you will love where you are in your life and will have learned so much. You will meet great people and make tons of new memories. There are people that love you and support you, no matter what you decide, and that is all that matters. I know sometimes its hard to have faith and believe in yourself and your abilities, but I promise you that you will do great things with your life. If you work hard, you can achieve anything. Remember that its ok to ask for help when you need it and to make safe and smart decisions. I love you. -Court

If I had the chance to return to highschool and give myself advice I would have alot to say. The biggest struggle in college is being able to put yourself out there. Highschool is a great time to prepare for that and if I went back in time I would tell myself to do that. I would want to bond with more people and make lasting connections with them . I also would tell myself to be a lot more involved in the community so that when I got to college getting involved and finding worthy organizations would feel less foreign. Also, I would tell my highschool self to take advantage of every oppurtunity given to me and taken a longer orientation session so that I could have met and connected with more of my peers before starting college. I would also tell myself to worry less about what I was leaving behind and prepare to succeed in the future more. Although I would have some advice for my highschool self I think I have efficiently transistioned into a college lifestyle it just may have went more smoothly if I would have done these suggested things.

I would have gotten involved with more organizations and applied for more scholarships in order to pay for my college instead of having to take out loans like I am doing. If I had know what I was going to be in High School, I would have completed my G.E. course works at Butte College in two years instead of three years. I would have told myself to study always no matter what. Not to slack off especially when my sister went into the military, I was getting burned out with school. However, I would tell myself not to give up and try your hardest. That the school is wanting to help with your education and not to take advantage of it. Try and save up as much money as possible for college because the price will increase and its better than taking out student loans.

Looking back on what I have done I would do the same things. Serving in the military was a very good learning experience that got me prepared for school and taught me how to work with a wide range of people. If I would have gone directly to school right after high school I doubt I would be doing as good as I currently am. It helped shape my views on people's situations and with my teaching style. I am proud of the things that I have done and the person I have grown into.

That college is extremely important and to take it seriously! It does not matter your age, but your desire to make choices that will benefit you in the future. Enjoy the time you spend in college and make lots of friends. Choose a career that will use your talents and that you truly enjoy!

I would tell the student to be ready for an extreme change, but to maintain a good attitude. Having a positive and open attitude will help with the transition into college life.

Get better study habits and be prepared for a lot more homework.

Yesenia, as a college student I know that expressing your feelings and thoughts will get you more friends and your opinions are greatly looked upon and the students will respect you and they will come to you when they need help. I know that you are very quite and shy but you tend to be talkative and outgoing when you have your friends with you. Well, in college you are not going to have your high school friends .You're going to be more outgiong and you will have more friends then you wish for but your future friends will be friends that you can trust upon and you rely on. Furthermore, college classes are going to be harder then you plan for. Don't panic and stress if you're not doing well in your classes the first weeks in school, it happens to everyone. Don't be afraid to ask for help because everyone in college is willing to help you. And students in college have a lot of fun but they study hard and do excellent in school. Be happy and enjoy your first year in college and do things you wouldn't imagine yourself doing.

Don't stress about the small things such as getting perfect grades or taking so many honors classes if you know you are going to a junior college. Instead, focus that time on internships, clubs, organizations, and volunteer work. These along with good grades look great on a resume and most importantly shape you and help you to undestand what you want to pursue as far a degree.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself when I was a senior all I would do is reassure myself that I was making the right decision. I would not be able to tell myself honestly that college is not one of the hardest experiences of my life so far, but I would be able to ensure myself that it was one of the best. I would tell myself to not be afraid to be open to new experiences, and especially new people. College, besides giving a person a wonderful opportunity to pursue their education, is also a great place to meet lifelong friends. On top of this I would remind myself not to procrastinate! The easiest way to be successful in school and deal with all the stress that comes with it, is to keep up with your homework and reading. Cramming just leads to exhaustion and a temporary memorization of the material at hand, while keeping up with the coursework from day one leads to mastery of the subject, and much more sleep at night. Above all else however, I would just remind myself that I am going to be okay.

The best thing that you can do is tour the campus and talk to students who are currently attending the school.

I would say visit as many of the prospect colleges as possible. I fell in love with my school based on the campus look, feel, and size. I would also advise to know a little about what you wanted to do and pick a college that would help you out in that field in the future. For instance, if you wanted to becoome a lawyer find a school that has a high acceptance rate into law schools. The most important part of picking a college for me was finding the right atmosphere. Make sure that your college is a place that you can make lasting friendships in. A place that has people that you would want you or your child to surround themselves with. In order to sum everything up; pick an environment in which you can grow. A place where you could possibly see yourself staying after college.

find a school that has a few things you're interested in majoring in, then a town that fits your personality! (busy/traffic/shopping/laid back...etc...)

I would advise students and parents to find a college that the student feels most compfortable at. Keep in mind if they want a competitive college, sports, greek life, or culturally diverse. I chose Chico state because It was gorgeous and I loved the community. If your students feel overwhelmed and scared when looking at a college, I would say it was not for them. If they feel excited and relaxed in a certain college environment I would reccomend that college. Keep other things in mind such as financhial aid scholarships, as well as number of graduates.

My advice to is find a college in an area where you feel comfortable and alive (big city, small town), and once you get there, get involved! The more active and involved you are in campus clubs and groups, or even volunteering off campus, the friends you will make the bigger support group you will create. This is key to surviving college. And you will walk away with priceless experience that the books do not teach you. Have fun, but don't forget the reason you are there: to go to school. College is about balance: social time, study time, work time, me time, family time. Put aside a little time for each, stay on top of the homework, go to class, get involved, eat well, call home, and you will be successful. Good luck!

Don't try too hard to impress or be anyone but yourself, if you have doubts about a school you may just not have found the right one yet. Keep looking until you're in an environment you know won't make you homesick while you're gone.

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My advice is to take your time, start the process early, set goals, and realize and understand that college is what you yourself make it out to be. It takes a while for everyone to adjust, and you may not pick the right school right away, but when you get in the right crowd, get adjusted and most importantly set goals for yourself, you will begin to enjoy what many people call the best years of your life. It is important to always set goals and hold high expectations of yourself, and it makes it much easier to understand why you need to go to class and do well in school once you have a goal. Also, just try to have fun!

go where your major fits best and you make the most of your college experience, no matter where you go you can enjoy it if you allow yourself to

My advice is to visit as many campuses as you can in order to get a better feel of what attending that school will be like.

Take your time when you decide on your school. Don't let friends or social networks weigh your decision; focus on a University that appeals to you, your passions and educational goals. The rest will come naturally as long as YOU are happy. Next step is to make sure you are secure financially. Apply for every scholarship possible, and save your money! Be responsible with your expenditures so you don't cause your self un due stress during the semester. Create a fixed budget plan with your parents to avoid financial conflict. Do not apply for a credit card unless you speak with your parents first! Get envolved with clubs; they provide great networking for your future and friends for a lifetime. Go to class. As long as you go you will succeed and not cheat your self of your own education. Be safe, have fun, and enjoy some of the most memorable times of your life!

The best advice I would give is to visit the school, look around. Ask yourself questions. Do you see a variety of activities and resources available to the student attending? How active could someone be living in this community? How many choices are there for the future student? Once answering these questions, I assure you that the answer will be obvious, do you want to go to school here?

Honestly I think the reason why I ove my college so much is because I participate in everything I can. I am apart of a sorority, work oncampus and lived in the dorms. I believe that you must fully indulge yourself in the atmopshere of the university to enjoy your experience. The best advice I was given is everyone goes to college a little scared, so be as friendly and outgoing as possible early on. I go to a college where 1{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} is from out of state, and I live 3000 miles from my parents, so I had to make good friends to travel home with when I get homesick. I say step outside your comfort zone, you never know what greatness will come from it.

The letters have finally arrived and the e-mails have filled your e-mail account. "Congratulations," they say, "you have been accepted to our university". Celebration is surely on its way but first, the ever-looming question must be answered: Which college will you choose? Some find this question terrifying, and that is completely acceptable. Picking where you will further your education is monumentally important so here is some advice: First of all, remember that it is okay to be nervous. Secondly, this choice should be made for your happiness, not that of your peers, however important they may be. Thirdly, remember that this is nothing you cannot handle, after all, you survived four years of high school, didn't you? Research your choices thoroughly and you will be fine. Upon arriving at your new school, take a deep breath, eliminate your nervousness, and throw yourself into this new experience. A positive attitude and hard work will make your time at college quite wonderful. And parents, encourage and support your child as they make this important decision. Your child is entering into the unknown, and it is important to remember that their experience will be challenging and, hopefully, great.

If you are seriously consider Chico State as a learning environment for either yourself or a student in your home, be sure to visit our campus and if time allows, to participate in the orientation program. It is vital to your decision that you visit the campus and take a walk around, stop by the Bell Memorial Union, home of Student Government, Student Activities and more. It is the best place to meet students and find out about our wonderful campus.

Choose the college that makes you the happiest, not the college that will give you the greatest chance for success. It is much more important to cherish your memories of college than to compete for the best. College is about the journey, not the destination.

Enjoy the time you have in college. Balance the time you have between work and play and you will have a much better time. Work hard when your working and do a good job but also take time to have fun and build lasting relationships with both friends and romantic relationships.

Go somewhere where you will be comfortable and happy. Don't choose a place with academics that are too intense if you're used to getting good grades without too much pressure. Make sure to pick a campus in a town that you enjoy, too. There's no point going to a school you like if the town it's in sucks because you'll be spending the majority of your time off campus. Make sure the school meets your education and financial goals. There's no point going to a UC for $20,000 a year if you're going to be a liberal arts major. But if you want to do research, it might be worth it. Choose a campus that fits you. You'll feel it when you're there.

1. Do your best in high school so that you are able to get accepted into any school you'd like;This leaves you with options so you are able to pick the best college for you. 2. Visit colleges durring school days to get the full feeling of what it will be like while you're there. Tuesdays and Thursdays are best. 3. Dont hold on to high school friends, venture out into the college world and meet people! 4. Remember, you dont have to do druggs just because people around you are doing them and you dont have to be drunk to have fun! 5. Get invloved! I swear you will take so much more with you by being involved in any type of affiliation whether its greek or not. 6. Dont forget that you go to college to get an education, not to party. Dont waste your money! 7. HAVE FUN! it goes by way too fast!

While the name, reputation and programs offered at a school are important, they do not make up the entire college experience. Make sure that you feel at home with the campus, community, and people around you. You will do better by being happy at the school of your choice than being unhappy at a well known school that you feel pressured to go to.

Be yourself and the right college will find you. Take the time to visit colleges and take the time to figure out what you want to do. You'll fall in love in love with a campus just like I did when you know it's right.

GO TO THE SCHOOLS!!! Know what you want, know how smart you are and how difficult the schools are, find people who go to the schools you want to attend and see if you fit in with them. Remember, if you dont have fun you probably shouldnt be doing it.

I encourage parents and students to take sincere interest in their college investigation. Discover the institution?s accreditation and research statistics, consult with high school counselors about financial aid and application requirements, visit campuses and tour their facilities, plan realistic monthly budgets, and determine if the student?s academic interest will be satisfied at the institution. Living styles and campus environment will contribute to student satisfaction. Decide on a school that will inspire success on and off of campus. Begin your college investigation early to avoid unnecessary stress caused by application deadlines. This should be an exciting time for both parent and student. The next step after being accepted is making the most of your college experience. As a student, be active and get involved with the campus community. Internships, clubs, sports, student council, or jobs on campus get you plugged in very quickly. The more interactive you become, the more opportunities for learning, fun, friendships, professional networking are presented to you. I would recommend utilizing the accessible and affordable resources on campus such as psychological therapy, career counseling, gym memberships, housing, adventure outing equipment and trips, etc. Once you graduate these amenities are often expensive and less available.

Look at all of your options, but when you feel that one school is the right one, go for it. Parents, when your student says that this school is where they want to go, encourage them. Remind them of their options, but if they fall in love with a certain school help them learn more about it and support them in their decision. Students when you leave fore college, do not cut your parents out of your life. They are your parents and are most likely supporting you. Show them that you appreciate that and you will get much more respect from them. Parents when your student goes away to college allow them to grow up and become an adult. It is important to be in their life, but it is also important for them to grow up and figure it out on their own. They love you, it just might take them a little while to actually realize that and appreciate all that you have done for them.

When selecting a college to attend, take the tour. During the tour, if you can't pay attention to what the tour guise os telling you because you are having daydreams about being on campus, then that's the school for you. If you don't get that feeling then, you're not in the right place. College is a wonderful time of growth and discovery. Take advantage of every opportunity. Don't be afraid to try new things. You may discover something about yourself that you never knew.

I think the most important is to visit the school when it is in session. Just walk around, chat with current students. Get a feel for how happy or stressed they. See if people are helpful. Find the information center and ask where something is. Ask a librarian for help finding some information. Spend several hours experiencing the campus. Take lots of notes and after you have visited several possible choices, compare your notes. Which school felt like a place you can be comfortable? After you have chosen a school, make sure you attend all of your classes and be prepared to participate in class. On the first day class ask several students for contact information. This way they can help you if have to miss a class. Also, get involved in at least one organization or group. That way you will have support to help you through the hard times (and there will be hard times). Having support from other people that have had similiar experiences is one of the best ways to stay strong in your educational pursuit.

Make sure you can picture an entire four years of your life in the area. Picture yourself growing as an individual and if you see happiness then it may be a possible chance of a great school for you.

When you start thinking about college the best advise that I can give to anyone is to check out the campus. You need to go there. When you walk onto the campus you will know if it's right or not. I am not sure how it works but you just get this feeling that you cannot wait to start at that school or you don't think you want to come back. A student should look at what schools they can afford and also look at what schools specialize in their major. If you find a school that you love and it specializes in your major but it's not within your budget, still apply, don't shut the door in your face, you may be able to recieve some sort of aid or grant. Shoot for the stars...

Find the college that is right for you. It is not necessary to go to a Ivy Legue to get a good education. Be open to new people, and experiences and you will make your college years the best years of your life!

I believe that it is very important to find a school that has a excellent reputation in the program that you are going to be studying. Your number one reason for attending college is to get a good education, so you should attend a college that can exceed your expectations. You should have as much fun as you can while you're there, but keep in mind that good grades attract employers. Another important aspect of the college community that I believe is very important is the social atmosphere. While education is the main focus, you want to maximize your college experience also. You can't do this by sitting in your dorm room playing on the computer, you must go out and meet new people and form new relationships. Half of the people I have met while in college that have graduated have offered me opportunities for summer jobs and internships, and it wouldn't have happened if I didn't step out and start networking with new people. This is your last chance before the "real world" comes at you, so choose a college that you can enjoy but remember to keep academics as your number one priority.

Start early in deciding what university you would like to attend.

Find a place where you feel like you fit in, but are ready for a challenge. Make the most of college because the years will fly by and you will wish you had done more. Take random classes like wine tasting and golf, and attend all different events like concerts and festivals, because you never know what will come of it.

Now having been in college for 4 years at 2 different universities, i have come to base the criteria for selecting a college that is right for the entering student on the following: 1) comfortable with the surroundings 2) best program for your area of study. When i say comfortable with your surroundings i mean do you prefer living in a city or a small town? Do you prefer smaller or larger sized classes? Do you enjoy the surrounding landscape/town and their typical weather? Can you see yourself living/attending that university up until you graduate? etc. Secondly (but just as important) look at the universities program that you are interested in: how does it compare to other universities/colleges? How are the facilities? meet the faculty. Is the school helpful in finding graduates jobs/careers? etc. College is only going to be as good of an experience as you make it out to be. My advice would be get involved, be sociable, attend campus events, talk with professors, join clubs/sports etc. Get as much as you can out of what your school offers you, after all you are paying for it!!!!

I definitely recommend that you visit the campus before choosing the right college for you. It is much easier to decide the college you want to attend when you can experience the environment first. Also, if you know what you want to major in, take a look at the program each school has to offer. Housing costs are also an important consideration. After you have decided on your school, there are several things to do to make the most out of your experience. Living in the dorms is a must. It is the best way to make connections and life lasting friendships. It is also a lot easier to adjust to college life while living on campus. School should always come first, but make sure that you do not compromise your social life. Friends are an important thing to have when you are away at college. Study for your courses throughout the semester, not just the night before a test. Take advantage of the cheap concerts and events that your school sponsors. Make the most out of your college experience. It may not seem like it, but it goes by so fast!

Realize that it may take some time to figure out what you are really looking for. College is a choice that today seems forced on young adults as part of society, it has become a rite of passage to move from highschool to college and may freshmen are faced with the reality of their choices within the first few months of moving away from home. Be open to everyone you meet, they are strugling just as much as anyone else, just as much as yourself. In time classes will stop being a waste of time, parties are no longer as much fun as they used to be, and your priorities will become clear. Dont doubt yourself, simply follow a path that looks and feels right. College is a time for everyone to figure out who they are and what they want out of life. Feel free to explore different options, different friends, different music, different activities. There is no other time like college to trial test life. And when you finaly come to understand what it is you are looking for, embrace it, fight for it, and dont let anyone tell you to change.

For the parents, I would have to say that they need to make sure they let their kids do what they want to do. Allow them to pursue the career of their choose even if they don't necessarily agree with it. As for the students, if you don't know what you want to do right away, its ok. Don't stress over it, just do something you love and find great interest in.