Concordia University-Irvine Top Questions

I would tell myself to get out there and make friends in college because hiding inside your dorm and only doing school work wont help your grades instead there will be affected by being isolated from other students and from family.

The main advice that I would give myself is that being away from home is a sacrafice that is worth doing because you are doing it to have a better future. Therefore you should not let the "home sickness" take over your mind when you should be focusing in school and just worry about doing good in your classes. I would also advice myself to make friends right away without being scare of being judge because of your race and your family economy level because most of the people that attend there are friendly, respectful to every one regardless of their race and anything like that. Plus you would be surprised how many of the people who attend there are either hispanic like you even though they do not appear to be hispanic and in some cases they are comprehensive to your situation. Not only that but they motivate you to stay there and do good so that the sacrafice of your family pays off by graduating from the 4 yr university which is a better future for you and like that you can help your family down the line.

I had a difficult time deciding which college to go to, and after I made the decision I was not sure if I made the correct choice. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself not to worry because I made the correct choice on choosing a college. I was also worried that I would not like living in the dorms and that I might miss living at home, so if I could go back in time I would tell myself that living in the dorms is very enjoyable and that I should not regret making that decision. I thought that the transition from high school to college would be much more difficult than it actually was, so I would give myself the advice that I should not worry because the transition is easy.

If I could go back and talk to myself 10 years ago, I would say to stay focused! Go to all you classes, do not drop your classes, and to stay calm. Things will get crazy, but you can do it! I would also tell myself to get involved with the school and community so more scholorship opportunites will be open.

Prepare to encounter people who think 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} differently than you do. Also, remember that even though all of the social opportuninties available to you are exciting and rewarding, still be absolutely sure to set time aside for academics. After all, that is the main reason why you came here. Allow God to steer you in the direction he wants to take you, and don't resist His advice and calling for your life. Always rest on Him, because He always will care for you and never leave you alone. Times will be hard, and you will feel like giving up sometimes for weeks on end, but finish strong. The stronger you finish, the stronger you will be to continue onto the next task. God won't give you anything you can't handle. You don't realize the opportunity you have in front of you. So, concentrate right from the get-go, and set yourself a plan for success. Don't slack and get distracted by the things that don't matter, and never lose sight of who you are. Who you are is what got you here in the first place. Love honestly.

Make sure that you strive to do your best in high school and to learn how to get advice on which school will help you succeed in school and to motivate to the next step of a career.

The most important piece of advice I would give to myself and every high school senior would be that you WILL get through it. By the time senior year rolls around and there are so many stressful situations with finding the perfect college, worrying won't help one bit. Having the confidence and trust that everything will work out according to God's plan is a great reassurance that has helped me in college. When all of the applications and other college stuff seems overwhelming, don't forget that you WILL get through it and your hard work WILL be worth it once you get to college. Another piece of advice I would give would be that the best thing you can be in college is yourself. In order to transition well and meet new people, being yourself is the best way to go. You can meet so many new friends if you keep your mind open. Don't be afraid to be bold. Lastly, I would say that college is a great stepping stone into adulthood and there is room for tremendous growth if you keep an optimistic attitude and an open heart.

I'm more aware of how the college life is, and I can use that information to help myself make better decisions from what I chose before. The information I would give to myself as a senior back in high school would be that smaller schools are not always the best choices. Too small of a school can be a good way to learn and connect with others, but the downside is that social networking is very limited. Academics are very important and that always comes first, but the social life needs to be there to keep you emotionally healthy. Friends are a big part of life and without them it's very hard to get through many obstacles. Friends can help each other out academically, and you can work together if you both have the same major. Since the pre-med major is not an easy one, your going to need all the support you can get. Working in groups is the best way to get through this major. When freshmen year starts people are going to come and go. As the year goes by, you'll know who your real friends are and those friendships last a lifetime.

Christina, I know it's tough for you right now. Especially since you're still growing up and reaching maturity, you're still finding high school to be an unbearable burden that you are anxiously awaiting to shrug off your shoulders. But let me just warn you. This is not hard. Right now, you still have the oppurtunity to savor the time you have to live at home. You still have your own bedroom and your kitchen is just a brief walk from it. You don't have to share a room with an individual whom you may not always be compatible with, and your meals don't require planning yet. And you think that high school classes are tough? Just wait. A time is coming quite shortly when your instructors won't care about your excuses. They don't have time to nag you. Right now you find the overly meticulous guidance that your teachers bestow you annoying. But just wait. You'll yearn for it once you realize that college proffesors don't hold your hand. You'll soon be on your own. So stop complaning about hard high school is. You don't know what hard is.

I would say to parents an students, that it is extremely important to go and visit the schools you are interested in before accepting their offer for you to attend their school. I did this and I would have definitely made a wrong desition if it was not for my going and taking campus tours. The campus tours not only allow you to see the campus and all of its features, but it allows you to see how the faculty and staff are. I found in some schools that the staff were not very helpful at all and then in some schools they were extremely helpful. This will be a huge desiforing point in your college desition.

There are a few pieces of advice I would give parents and/or students about finding the right college and making the most of it. When touring campuses, be sure to have a list of questions prepared ranging from weekend campus activities to professor student ratios. If you cannot visit the campus still ask those questions over the phone and look for online campus tours on the school website and even Youtube. Youtube is a great tool to use to see student activities that occur on campus so that you can get a feel for student life. If you are able to to tour a campus in person try to sit in on a class and eat in their cafeteria. Those are two things that can help you make a decision about a school. Once you pick a school, you can make the most of your experience there by taking advantage of all the activities going on. MOst of them are going to be free and once you start college you truly realize the value of your money, so free activities on campus are a great way for you and your friends to have fun without spending any money.

When you are looking for the right college to attend, the most important thing to consider can be summed up in one word... that word is "fit". You should ask yourself "do I fit here?" and "can I actually see myself going here?" If the answer to these two questions is yes, then you may have found the right school for you. You should not just look for a school based on its name recognition or by how many national championships its football team has won, rather you should look deeper into wherever it is that you want to go in life and then ask yourself if this is the school that is going to get me there. Once you do find the right college that is the best ?fit? for you, it is important to form some type of game plan before you actually enter into the college experience. You should plan to study hard, make many friends, and get out and try new things that you may have never done before. In the end, you want to make sure that when you get out of college you are not finding yourself saying I wish I had done more.

When I was first looking for colleges I felt extremely overwhelmed and stressed. I knew that I wanted to go to a Christian school but was not sure where. The best way for anyone to find the right college for them is to go to preview days and see what it would be like to be a student at the school you are interested in. I think that the best schools are the schools that give you guidance and make you feel extremely comfortable. I also think the proximity of the school is very essential. For a student who is leaving home for the very first time, I would recommend staying close to home but far enough away that you feel more independent. I also strongly advise that for one to make the most of their college experience they should not only stay focused and study hard, but also take time to enjoy their surroundings and time with friends because after college, your off in the real world. The best thing to do is study as much as can throughout the week and then take one day during the weekend where you just relax and do zero school work.

I would have to say the most important thing in choosing a prospective college is to look and study the universities curriculum. Like me, I chose this college because of the reputation for sports (not academics)...big mistake! Now that I have more awareness of what it takes to apply to medical schools, concordia university was not the wisest choice. Their biology program lacks many of the different prerequisites needed for medical school applications. My advice is to choose the right college that has the appropriate coursework, and that the coursework is taught by knowledgable professors who have tenure and/or experience regarding their teaching(s). Another important thing is to find the college that you think can teach you about cultural awareness. Culture can offer students a world of knowledge.

I did not take a lot of time to choose the school I went to. I do regret to fully looking over my options. However, after four years at Concordia I am proud to say I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. It is a difficult decision to make right out of high school. I have changed so much over the last four years that I am lucky to have found the right place for me to grow. If I had to select a school again I would look at three degrees that intrigue me the most, and then I would look at how good the schools associated with those degrees are. I would look at not only the professors that teach the classes but also what the school can offer me after graduation. By that I mean how well are they connected to the associated field of study? How respected are the professors in their field of study? And finally what does this school offer over other schools?

Look for one that would feed one's interests and goals!

When it comes to size, a small campus is nice if you are looking for a more personal, welcoming environment. I have attended a large university and a small, and i personally found it easier to stay focuesed on school and be more involved with campus activities on a small campus. I guess that is because everything is so close, more people know you and are around to help you and hold you accountable.

Visit the school! Talk to students who aren't giving the tour to make sure you get the real scoop on what the campus is like and how the teachers are. A private or expensive school doesn't always make it a better school, so make sure you fully investigate it before committing to paying for it. Also if living on campus, check out the dorms!!! They can be really disgusting, so you need to make sure you look at normal dorm rooms and not just the ones they make look all nice for the campus tours. Room with people you don't know because you learn more people that way and it forces you to make friends so you can't stay in your little clique of friends. And lastly... partying may seem fun at the time, but you waste a lot of time and energy that you could be using on actually getting good grades, so don't become a borderline alcoholic, it's just not worth it in the long run. GO TO CLASS AND DO THE WORK!

When looking for a college, survey what your interests are and what is important to you. Do you like big schools or small? Do you like going to class, listening to the professor and then going on your way, or do you prefer a more personal setting. Do you value academics, or sports? Do you want to live on campus or off? What is your goal after college, do you intend to get a job or go on to graduate school? There is a school that will fit your needs and wishes, you just have to do research to find that which university best fits what you want. College, as most anything in life is as great as you want it to be. The more that you put into your educational experience the more you will get out. Academics and building solid relationships with my professors were what I valued in college. Delving into the academic world headfirst was the best choice I made. I went to a small school because I didn't want to get lost in the system. By participating in class and getting to know my professors' I got all I possibly could from Concordia.

Prayer...see Matthew 6

Find a school that you feel comfortable in right away as you get to the campus and takr the tour...Don't second guess yourself about it either...

First, know what you want in your future school and visit colleges that offer your criteria. By visiting during the school year rather than the summer, you will see what the campus is like on an ordinary day. Once you've narrowed your choices down, arrange a meeting with a professor in your intended major and ask him or her what you can expect from their classes. You will also have to decide if you want to live on or off campus. Living on campus is a unique life experience, I suggest everyone try it for a year or two. Once on campus, know that the students in orientation become your first friends, so get to know them! The same goes for your neighbors. Freshman year is hardest to adjust to but don't go home every weekend, you may hurt your social life, and you want to be able to choose your roommates your sophomore year. Use your time wisely. You have the power to choose your schedule, fit in some fun or a job. No one tells you to do homework, so find time and always find out assignment requirements before putting it off until the last minute.