California State University-San Marcos Top Questions

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

John

Figure out where all your classes are on campus before your first day.

Stephanie

Before I started attending CSUSM, I had my hopes set on their nursing program. I knew it was competitive but I was willing to take on this challenge. Towards the end of my first semester, there was a required meeting for all pre-nursing students in which they sat us all down and basically encouraged all of us to switch majors. There were over 600 applicants and only 40 available slots for the program. This seemed ridiculous and I was very frustrated that they had not informed us about this sooner.

Jaime

I wish that I had known more about the clubs offered at San Marcos. It wasn't untill I was in my last year or so that I realized all the clubs offered at school. I think that it would have made campus life more enjoyable if I had discovered a student community that was interested in the same things as I was.

Lindsey

I wish I had known how hard it would be to meet friends while being a commuter

Heidi

That it is not as easy as it seems.

Michael

I wish I had known the financial side about California State Universities. Because of the California budget cuts, many of our classes aren't offered every semester and some are only offered every other year. This makes it hard for many of the students to take what they in order to graduate on time.

Timothy

The jump to college is a big one for students who are used to having their hand held. I was one such student. Accustomed to having my courses practically chosen for me, books delivered at my convenience, and bells to keep me in class on time, I sat quite comfortably in high school. In college, you'll have a rude awakening if you expect things to be done for you. I ended up stressing much over course registration and book purchases, and the ability to cut class at your discretion can prove to be more damning than convenient.

Leann

The school becomes what you put into it.

Rita

Nothing

Joshua

How hard living on my own would be.

Lisa

I wish that I would have known about which transfer credits counted towards my degree. I am a transfer student and transferred from Saddleback College my junior year. I had to take a few classes that didn't pertain to my major because they were requirements to obtain a bachelors degree. I wish I would have known about those before I transferred so that I could have taken them at saddleback.

Karen

That there really was two flights of stairs between every building on campus. Wear your comfy shoes and leave the heels at home. I laugh because you can differentiate the freshman from the seniors on campus by their footwear, freshman girls try to wear their cute heels and senior girls know better. Get ready to skip the stairmaster at the gym because you will climb roughly 8-12 flights a day depending on where you go on campus, the good news is that you can shave 20 minutes off of your workout.

Melani

How many resources where actually availble to students...WOW!

Phylip

I wish I had known more about the social life and living situations available to first time students. Also, too, course work available for obtaining a minor in a particular area of study. Lastly, a little bit more about the campus life that is offered such as clubs and orginizations.

Carmen

community services

Brendan

I wish i knew there was a writing requirement for each course.

Brian

That economics focuses more on micor instead of macro

Muenge

If I learn how to cooking since the school does not have a meal plan instead buy food in restaurant or fast food and wasting money in the process. Second if the high school counselor or some authority figure told us to get a summer job to save money before enter college because it very expensive. My financial aid cover the tuiton, but not the cost of books, housing, and food to survive. Learn that the hard way. We're starving college student.

Amie

I wish I would have known that we would be doing more group projects. Group projects can be hectic, but so far they have gone rather well.

Katrina

I wish I knew how to embrace the surrounding areas of the campus. Now as a junior at Cal State San Marcos I embrace the surrounding areas and take the opportunities around it. I love living in North San Diego County and I think it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Oddly enough I thought going to Cal State San Marcos I wouldn't get the full college expeirence because it was such a small school, but I geniuely like the school now and it has grown on me.