Central Washington University Top Questions

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

Caitlyn

While at Central Washington University I wish I had known more about the area and more about the clubs that they offer.

Jemily

I wish I had known better than to let my past home life determine my outlook on school and life. If I was more focused on the future rather than the past, I feel like I would have stepped up to my full potential.

James

Before I came to this school I knew just about everything I needed to. I had friends already here and asked them everything, plus came here to visit them and talk to the administration personnel to get other questions answered. Even went to the Army ROTC program cadre before coming here to make sure it was a program I was comfortable with. I did my research and made sure I knew where I was going and what was available before officially coming here.

Jessica

Before attending Central Washington University, it would have been nice to have better time management skills and the advice to not spread myself too thin. Time management is a quality that effects everyone, however, knowing how to prioritize and also schedule time for one's self is crucial. Prioritizing items of importance will help students focus on what matters and what doesn't. There are also numerous clubs at CWU that one can join. Joining clubs is a great way to get involved, however, there is only so much time that one can devote to each activitiy and school work.

Kaitlyn

I wish I had known more about the organizations on campus. I have become extremely involved in the Residence Hall Association now, and I wish I had my freshman year, as it may have helped me adjust better to the academic environment. I also wish I had taken the time to prepare myself for a college workload, I underestimated the motivation you need to succeed academically during my freshman year.

Jacob

More about scholarships available.

Cassandra

I took a lot of Running Start classes (community college classes while attending and for HS credit). I wish I had known more about which classes would transfer into my major because I didn't take many and now, I find myself taking a lot of basic classes when I wish I could just get into my major.

Miranda

There is nothing I wish I would have known. To any new student I would recommend attending new student orientation and getting to know your advisor(s). By doing this I was well prepare to start classes and I knew what to expect.

Makayla

One thing that I wish I had known before I had come to school were some of the programs that are offered to students. There are a lot of diverse activities provided to all different types of students. As for myself, there are many events that center around education and will eventually help me to improve my teaching abilities through observation, volunteering, and extensive experience. If I would have known these programs were provided at this school, I would have signed up for them before even arriving for fall quarter.

Natalie

Before I had come to college at Central, I wish I had known how easy it would be to live away from home and be independant. I was scared that I would be homesick all the time and not enjoy college. But I got used to being away at school very fast, and now I feel at home here. Another thing I wish I had known is that the classes are just a natural progression of high school classes. I was expecting the workload to be much higher and overwhelming, but it's just right.

Devan

I wish i had an idea of what i wanted to major in before i came to school here. If i had known what i wanted to do i could have gotten started on my major classes right away and not have to pack them all in at the end of senior year next year. I would have been able to take more interesting classes freshman year and been able to take more general education classes to lighten my cours load with all of the unpper division classes i am taking.

Kaitlyn

Before I came to school, I wish I would have known that I shouldn't be as trusting as I am. I came to Central with the expectation that everyone I met would be like people from home. I am from a smaller city where most people knew everyone else, my graduating class was about 180 and I was very naiive believing that I would run into other people who would help me the way people at home help eachother. For the most part people here can be very helpful, but they mainly look out for themselves.

Tiffany

To be honest, Central Washington University has been a very satisifying university. There is nothing that threw me off guard before attending, and I have enjoyed my experience so far. I am doing online schooling through CWU, so my experience is different from many other students, but the advice I would wish to tell upcoming online students would be to never be afraid to contact your professor if something comes up with an assignment. The professors are very flexible, and very helpful.

Adrian

Before coming to Central Washington University, i wish i was informed about all of the available scholarships that the school had to offer. That way i would not have had to pull out loans to help pay for my education. I would also have like to known that everyone here also didn't really know anyone else, so making friends wouldn't have been a thing to stress over. It took me a couple weeks to establish a good friend base. and now i am content with the people i know. That is what i would have liked to known.

Michelle

I wish I had known that going to school with two little ones needs support. I wish I made sure that the school had support services for low-income families.

Sarah

I wish i had known how to get more scholarships before entering school because i am in alot of debt now.

Ryann

I have not yet attended the school but i will be transferring over there

Natasia

Central Washington University does a good job advertising all of the benefits of attending and I knew all of the pros coming in. Once I got here the only negative was the location. A university housed in a small town is not exactly stereotypical. I wish I knew that the only way to have a fun night is to spend money at a bowling alley or a movie theatre.

Mitch

I wish I had known that tuition would be going up next year, and that I wouldn't have qualified for any grants based on my FAFSA report. Even though my family has secured a loan through our credit union, it is still a big financial impact on our lives, especially on someone like myself who has no credit history.

Stenczie

I wish I would have known more about the Pre-Nursing program, and how there is a lack of a nursing program.

Griselda

I wish I would have know that it can be difficult to find and register for classes (some quarters).

Kristina

I wish that I had known just how much down time there was and what I mean by this is I wish that I had come here for maybe a week to see what life is like outside of classes when we have fee time.

Natalie

What I wish I had known before attending Central Washington University, is my desired major. Entering as a freshman, I had no idea as to what my major would be. Recently I have decided to major in Business Administration with a specialization in Human Resources, but consequently, Central Washington does not offer any further education in pursuing my Masters in Business Administration (MBA). I am very thankful for the experience I gained at Central Washington, but I do wish I didn’t have to leave to continue my education.

Jacquelynn

I wish I had known how to manage my time.

Brett

I personally wish that I would have known more people before coming to school. Being a shy person it was very difficult to make friends at first and loneliness was at times overwhelming. I also wish I had known that if I had just gotten involved more with sports and volunteering I would've been able to make the friends that I have much quicker. Once I put myself out there meeting people was easy.

Joseph

I wish I had known how much I would enjoy life here! The students and faculty are friendly, classes are small, and the weather is great. There is no shortage of adventures for us outdoor enthusiasts. Nestled in a valley between mountain ranges, hiking trails abound in and arround Ellensburg. Snoqualmie pass is 45 minutes from the campus, and offers discount season passes to CWU students. The Rec Center provides rentals of outdoor equiptment including snowshoes, rafts, and climbing gear for a small charge.

Kellie

Before I came to Central Washington University, I wish I had known more about the major/minor I wanted to pursue. Time flies by so fast when you begin following your major, and if I had been more prepared it would have been easier to choose the right classes and schedule the right meetings with an advisor. This period of time as a student is so crucial, and it is important to make the best of the time of you have, because getting the best out of your education is all that matters.

Katrina

I wish I had known or realized that not all of my classmates are attending school for the same reasons. My goals are to do the very best that I can, with the hope that I will be able to make a difference and help other people. Not everyone has these goals. Many people are attanding collage so they can feel independant and have fun. It does not appear as if many of them actually think about the future or anyone but themselves. I have found this fact alarming and disappointing.

Mariah

Central Washington University has a location that is secluded from major cities, so a creative approach to how one spends their free time is vital. If outdoor activities are not of interest, it would be best to have some reliable transportation to go to either Seattle or Yakima to do things such as shop or get away from Ellensburg.

Rane

I wish I would have know just how nice the facilities are at the school. Everything is beautiful and the people are quite friendly.

Emily

I wish I would have known that getting a single dorm is a mistake. Its really nice and I love having my own space, but I can shut my door and completely close myself off. Its really hard to meet people in a single dorm.

Cassie

I wish I had known exactly what I wanted to major in.

Omolara

Central offers a wide range of courses and programs which fits everybody's needs. It took me a long time to realize that Central actually have several outreach campuses with various degree programs where I can take classes after work and also online. I wish I knew this a long time ago maybe I would be in my graduate level at this time. But “it is not how far, but how well”. I am currently enrolled for classes which would allow me acquire my undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. The time is a perfect fit for my goal and schedule.

Monique

I wish I would of known that Central was alot more into the whole "explore the world" before you make any decisions. The reason for this is because I could of had the opportunity to travel and try out my interests.

Shelly

I wish I had realized that a degree was inportant in getting out of the loop of dead-end, low-paying jobs. My parents were't college graduates and didn't encourage any of us kids to further our education past high school. So I wish I had been given the encouragement to go to college before I was married and with children, and before life beat me down.

Justin

How it makes you grow up really fast and you have to figure it out on your own, like even cleaning my dorm, what to use where to buy it. I had to call my mom several times, it was very funny.

Brittany

That living in an apartment w/ a couple roommates is significantly cheaper than living in the dorms and sometimes better as far as living standards go. Also a car is practically a requirement if you want to do much out side of school including work and social events. The bus system is not to be relied upon (odd hours and generally late).

Jackie

How windy Ellensburg is. Also, that it is the same curriculum that all other schools teach. There is no reason for Central to get the bad wrap that it does.

Ashley

I wish I had known about the winter. The first year I went here I was not prepared for 4 months of snow.

Kristin

How cold and windy it is in the winter and how windy it still is in the summer, and how hard it is to get a job.

Kira

I wish I had known what studying in college really means. Before college, studying meant brushing up on some terms or equations and doing the assigned homework. Now, studying means learning on your own initiative and finding your own motivation. It means practicing when the exercises aren?t due and the reading isn?t necessarily required. It means pushing yourself to learn throughout the quarter instead of cramming last minute or having a teacher push you. If I had known how to study the college way beforehand I know my freshman year would have been less stressful and more enjoyable.

Kris

When I first started my music education degree at Central Washington University, I realized there were some aspects of my high school education that felt incomplete. When I entered my first music theory course, my professor expected me to know basic piano skills and recognize basic chords. In my high school music classes, nothing of the sort was taught. The curriculum was focused on playing ensemble music on your primary instrument. If I had to take high school over again, I would ask to be taught basic music theory and piano, to better prepare myself for entering a university.

Elisha

I wish I knew what the weather was going to be like. Growing up in Redmond I never experienced dramatic weather changes and it was a shock to wake up my Freahman year, the day after Halloween, to find 2 feet of snow in Ellensburg. Not knowing that Ellensburg has very cold and long winters I did not have enough warm clothes and became very sick for a month. Now I make sure to have more than enough warm clothes and snow gear and I can now say that I am blessed to experience all the seaons throughout the year.

Ashley

I wish I had known what I want to major in.

marie

what i wanted to do

joelle

how complicated the major would be

Anne

It's not really that important

Danielle

I wish the university had alerted me sooner to the deadlines for financial aid paper. There was a little information online, but the deadline was so early that I had already missed it completely when I applied for school.

Corey

I wish i would have known about breadth and general education requirements. I would have either have chosen to go to a school with no such requirements or i would have chosen to attend a community college.