California State University-Fullerton Top Questions

What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

Danirae

I wish I has known how important it is to get involved. It helps with meeting new people, as well as trying new things. It expands who you are as a person, and makes the college experience more fun. Getting invovled seems very rewarding. I also wish I had been told how great it is to live on campus. I stayed at home and now wish I had not. I feel I missed out on a huge part of the college experience. I wish someone had said, don't be afraid to do something out of your comfort zone.

Sonali

I wish I had known that just because I getting a degree would not make my life "perfect." I always thought no matter what I majored in college and graduated with a bachelors I would have the perfect job and a happy life. I learnt that life does not always turn out that way and sometimes you have to take a different route to end up with a happy life and a satisfying job.

Jami

I wish I would have known that building relationships with professors and other students is one of the most valuable things you can do in college. Many times, its about who you know and where you came from that gets you where you want to go, so I wish I would have spent more time bonding with others.

Jorge

I wish I had known that the transition from high school to a University would have been rocky, and that I should have prepared much better by going over previous materials I had learned in high school. Had I prepared myself for the upcoming classes I would have taken I would have reviewed alot more over the summer than what I did. It would had also helped to know that if you plan to procrastinate any assignment that you better understand that assignment fully so that you can complete it in time.

Stacie

How hard college really is. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. It is definitely not all fun and games. Party hard, but study harder.

Maleah

FINANCIAL AID SUCKS...i will be broke and homeless by the time i graduate here

Gisela

Before I started at Cal State Fullerton I wish I had information about the courses I needed to take. When I first started attending college I had no idea what classes I needed to take . I spoke with a counselor, but the information they gave me wasn't correct. If I would have know when I first began taking classes, I wouldn't have taken classes that weren't required for my major.

Lucy

I wish I would have known that tuition was going to keep rising, so I could apply to more scholarships.

Jessica

I wish I would have known about their volleyball team. This way I wouldve prepared to join, know how to join etc. I also wish I would have known about their kinesiology dept and how it could help just as well if not better than going into biology, for the field I wish to continue my career in.

Kenneth

I wish that I had known about the hefty price tag that would come with attending a university. Having just recently graduated from a community college, I naively assumed that paying for further education wouldn't be too problematic. Boy, was I wrong. If I could back in time, I would immediately begin to apply for scholarships during high school.

Melanie

The cost of the courses and parking permits and books all together.

Stephanie

I wish I would have known how much reading would be required of me. The homework load compared to high school is more however it is a different type of homework. Homework involves lots of writing essays and reading text books. Manage your time wisely and you should be fine. Also, CSUF goes by the semester system, which gives an extra long winter break and more time to learn and succeed in each class.

Yazmin

I wish I would have known that Cal State Fullerton has other buildings in other cities that are part of the school. I didn't know this information my first semester and I ended up going back and forth between two cities.

Justin

I wish I knew more about financial aid at my school.

Agustina

I wish I had known how to manage my money in a more responsible manner now that I don't have my parents to watch and control every financial move. You need to know how to take care of money because money doesn't come to you and say "Here I am, take me I am free." I am learning now to hold to my money because I don't want to tell my future family and friends that I flunked college just because I didn't have enough money to continue my studies.

Elizabeth

I wish i had known how fast i had to grow up after high school. You movew to a new city, a new school, a new environment, and you have to get the hang of all the motion going on around you that you cannot afford to not be focused. I wish I had known that I had to constatnly remind myself of my goal of getting a higher education when things got hard and to not let my emotions of missing my family back at home tear me down.The power of my future is in my hands.

Angela

Before attending college I wish I would have known how much everyone parties and how easy it is for them to suck you in on the weekends. It is okay to party sometimes on the weekends. Don't get me wrong, however all the time is, one not healthy and two doesn't not lead in the right career path. Not to mention too much drinking is really bad for you.

Silvia

I wish I would know about how much money I would spend in total for a semester.

Katherine

Befor I started attendeing this school I wish I knew how to aquire student financial aid.

April

The only issue I wish I was aware of before attending was residency units. A transfer student must complete nine units of general education in residency at Cal State Fullerton. This sets me back a bit in as I had already fully completed and recieved my Associated Degree before transfering. Because I have to take these classes I may have to stay an extra semester . This notice should have been more vocalized and advertised so that I knew to transfer with a few extra classes to finish. Now I have to take extra classes that I don't necessarily need.

Yvonne

I wish I would have gone to a conselor immediately at CSUF after transfering from a community college. I created positive and helpful realtionships to help me along the way through community college, as compared to the little relationships I built with conselors and staff at CSUF. I needed so much help at CSUF and had multiple advisors help me. I wish I would have built on the relationships at CSUF to help me, specificlly help making important decisions and guidance with whom to speck to. I felt more secure and trusting with the conselors I made strong relationships with.

Janet

I wish I would have known about the parking structure of this school. Finding a parking spot is incredibly difficult unless making sure you are getting there one hour before your first class. To help minimize this problem the school is currently building a new parking structure. This will relieve the stress of finding a parking spot. Parking is incredibly important unless dorming at school.

Vienna

I wish I had known what I wanted to study, because there are so many options. Each time I switched my major I had to restart, and I only lengthened the time I was going to be at Fullerton. I also wish I knew how to effectively study because academic struggles during my first couple of years. If you do not know how to propperly study then it is very hard to pass classes.

Alexis

I wish I would have known more about the school (because it is a commuter school, it doesn't quite feel like the whole "college experience").

Jana

I wish that I had made a three-year class schedule to myself so that I can effectively allocate my energy and time. More importantly, I can use my summer/winter break for career development. The classes that I have completed would affect my intern offers.

Cody

The only thing was I tried to be ahead of the game and with the classes i choose and the required books they said you needed, I ended up spending almost $500 and really only needed one of the seven books they required I buy. So I know now to wait until the class starts then really see what is needed and save money.

Harry

Its still a university, so do your work early and you wont have to fight 3 times as hard to try and pass.

Tracy

Not to believe in stereotypes of women's place in society. That women can have viable careers and lead a life other than that of a housewife. There are career options in the visual arts more than a starving artist. Art can communicate messages like no other medium because people respond to visual messages in profound ways.

Alyssa

The high cost of a college education today. I knew that it was expensive, but I didn't know it in a true personal sense. And also how much discipline you need to stay focused with so many distractions of the college experience.

Justin

I wish I had known exactly what I wanted to do.

Shannon

I wish I had known that this school is best described as a commuter school. I would have tried harder to get on-campus housing. Don't take this to mean that people don't see each other after class or outside of school, however. If anything, we socialize on and off campus, and many people live on apartments with comfortable walking distance to the school.

Paul

The Dorms aren't fun or like a community, and the on campus activities are bad.

Laura

I wish I had known how important it was to attend every class and spend all of my free time studying. My first year, I didn't take it seriously enough. However, I was able to make up for it and I get almost all A's now and I truly enjoy learning and attending school.

Morgan

The various degree programs available. That the counselors are not very helpful for general education and it is more important to go to your major advisor.

Vanessa

i wish i had known that CSUF has great major AND GE advisors that will talk you through everything you need to do to graduate. i also wish i had known that the career center really helps to guide you to what you want to do in the future and takes you through step by step.

Meghan

I wish I had known that the number of dorms available is very low. There is a waiting list to get a dorm and if you live close to the school there is a good chance you won't get a dorm.

Ehson

Take everything seriously.

Francette

I wish i would have known the housing was more expensive then I thought. I also thought there was going to be more housing oppurtunities available.

Kathy

That business is a big part of my college campus.

Jeni

I wish I had a better understanding of the ins and outs of what it takes to graduate. If I had known the advantages of things like intercession/summer school, I could have graduated a lot sooner. Although the standards were layed out initally, there were a lot of sub context that wasn't as well explained, which I feel left me a little chaotic til my last semester.