Cypress College Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Vivian

I would tell myself to go to a 4-year university and avoid going to a community college.

Donald

I would say that I did a very good job and to keep working hard with the 3.88 GPA.

baktash

do better in school and take it sersiuosly then doing nothing but bare minums

Michelle

Change is hard. Plain and simple it's painful. But beauty can still come from pain. I would rather choose to live life as an adventure and treasure every moment I do have than fear the moments that change will bring. Change truly is a part of life. Look at the seasons. As fall turns into winter, snow storms arise and life is gray. But as the frostiness of winter melts away into the freshness of spring, life is made new and hope arises. Often our lives can look like winter in the midst of change. It's all bleak and cold with no warmth on the horizon. But if we are willing to embrace change, and trust that spring will come, we will be able to see the flowers and new growth under the patches of snow. Change doesn't mean giving up your past. It doesn't mean loosing the old. Change means learning to grow, learning to embrace your ambitions, and not being afraid of going after your dreams. If you can see the beauty in change, then you can find the courage to turn passionate ambition into reality.

Irene

Well, what makes up the college life? College is not about what school you end up going to or what grades you got. It is about the experiences that you make from it. It does not matter what school you end up attending for college as long as it satisfies you. You are no longer going to get an education for your parents because now the reason is for yourself. The college experience consists of exploring oneself and learning about oneself. It is like taking a journey to explore and learn more about you as you dive yourself into windows of opportunities. Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone and into different areas of interests since that is what college is all about. Now, go and enjoy your college life!

Jason

College is a time of self-awareness and finding out who you are but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a plan coming into it. Most students find a school, have a general idea of what they want to do but in reality no one knows what they want. A word to my senior self, pursue that medical career field you so passionately been yearning for. Even though you have a fulfilling life in a career that you do enjoy daily, you always have that naging feeling that you were meant for something else. It's not so much as a regret but a deep seeded interest that you want to experiment with. You have the oppurtunities now but they are much harder to attain. You are in the right place, right now to find that passion before you are unable to put a foot in the door. However, give it some time. Starting out you have time to enjoy some very interesting electives and soon you'll find what really stirs your interests and I'll be right here waiting for you so we can share it together.

Gary

First and foremost, buckle down and focus on your studies! Good grades get you more than just honor role, they open doors for you later be it college or the military. Sports isn't everything, but an education will be with you for all time, remember what's important, pick your goal, and never stop until you reach it!

Ricky

Do not take anything for granted, always do your best and be prepare to show it to all students and faculty.

Jorge

The advice that I would give myself as a high school senioris that, "at college it may be a different place to be in, but that doesn't mean that you should spend most of your time alone and lost, their are techers and people thier that can help you get their your troubles. The students and teachers themselves have gone thought exactly what you have gone thought, a lot person trying to find his way though all of his confusion and misunderstand in this new world. Just try to remember one thing above all else your never alone."

Robert

I have now been in college since the fall of 2002. Originally I attend UC Irvine, but in the fall of 2005 I dropped out and started attending Cypress College. There were many factors that attributed to my leaving UCI, but the biggest one would have to be my lack of self confidence. If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself that I was accepted to this university for a reason, that it was not just a fluke and that I earned my right to be there just as much as everyone else had. I would also give my younger self advice pertaining to life in general. I would tell myself that I do not have to find someone to be my source of happiness, but that I need to be happy before I find that someone. I would also tell myself not to be hesitant and to speak my mind. And finally instead of waiting for good things to happen, make them happen in your life. I could go on and on about what I would tell myself as a high school senior, but these are my 200 words.

Alma

I would advise the then high school senior to research careers and colleges, seek financial assistance and avoid taking breaks. Choose and narrow down careers you genuinely enjoy. Choose one that feeds your passion and challenges you. Just as one would purchase a house, tour the college, and checkout the community, have a client mentality and ensure you can afford it. Saving money is challenging and takes determination to master a fundamental skill. Aside from working, there are FAFSA?s, government funding, and scholarships you can apply for. Colleges offer services that assist with tuition and textbooks like The Board of Governor?s Fee Waiver and Extended Opportunity Programs and Services. Avoid taking a break from school; it?s difficult to return to school when you do. One semester can turn into two or more. Attend college after graduation when you are mentally the strongest. A high school senior makes life changing decisions. The decision-making process can be stressful, but keep a clear mind; this is your life. Thoroughly research careers and colleges, inquire about financial aid, and avoid breaks from school. Taking heed to this advice will help make a graceful transition from high school onto college life.

thuytien

You have to set up your goal.

Kelee

I would have told myself that the path that I had planned on taking was the right one. I was actually accepted into some universities, but opted for a community college because it would be more financially practical. Most of my teachers are also part time teachers at other universities (like Cal State Fullerton, Loyola Marymount) and they are providing the exact same course material, only at thousands of dollars cheaper. So, all in all, I would high five myself on my decision.

Daniel

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would have some interesting things to say about making certain choices in high school. One of the things I would stress is the classes I choose as a senior. I really did not do a good job on that and it did effect me greatly in college. I would tell myself to pick classes that would help me in college and not just easy classes to get me through my last year in high school. I would have told myself to go to the counseling office the first day of school and add these classes; Algebra II and Geology. Adding the Algebra II class would have helped me score higher in my Math Placement test so I could have ended up in Math 40 instead of Math 20. The Geology class is just one more class I needed to help me qualify for the ACG grant which could have got me extra financial aid money to pay for school. This is what I would have told myself if I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior.

Amanda

The high school I attended mildly informed the students about the various Colleges near by, so when I exited High School I was very scared and unsure of what to do. If I could go back into time the advice I would give to myself would be... "Make sure to look into ALL colleges that interest you or that are easy for you to get to. Also, don't let $ intimidate your decision to attend college there is plenty of help for all students!"

Jennifer

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior , I'd first laugh and point at my ridiculous attire of pegged jeans beneath scrunched socks and too large tee-shirt. After I wiped my tears from such boisterous laughter, I'd hug the senior me tightly and tell myself I am destined for greatness. I would tell myself, how important it is to not only make a good grade (preferably A's), but to fall in love with the idea of learning and make it my passion. I would say, "Learn for the sake of knowledge." I would tell myself to attend workshops and orientations offered through school and truly acclimate myself with the schools processes. Lastly, I would tell myself to always remain open-minded, positive and humble.

Jessica

If I could go back and time and give myself advice the first thing I would tell myself would be to not underestimate the power of a good night's rest. Getting a good amount of sleep is so much more important then it seems. The next thing I would tell myself would be to study everyday in a broken-up pattern instead of waiting until the last minute and trying to rush all of the studying at once. I would also tell myself to not let shyness keep me from asking questions or for help because the only person it hurts is me. Another thing would be to make sure that I use the free tutoring service as much as possible because it really does make a huge difference and keeps you on track. I would also explain how significant it really is to see a school counselor every semester to make sure everything is going according to plan instead of trying to figure it all out on your own. The last thing I would tell myself would be to just have fun, make friends, and enjoy learning. College can be stressful, but it's also a great experience.

Dennis

Be prepared. Don't wait until the last minute to register. Get a worksheet and make a plan to complete a certain number of units each semester. Always allow fun classes to balance out the harder more academic classes. Dont' overload yourself. Utilize the school library and resources. Take classes that are transferrable to the 4 year university you plan to attend if that is your goal. There are many financial resources to take advantage of. Look online, do your homework and you can get money available to students who need it. Apply each semester for scholarships and grants. Don't forget your goal. Always keep that goal in the back of your mind. Enjoy yourself. The journey is the best part. Don't try to rush through it, you'll miss the best part, learning.

David

It seems like only yesterday I was a senior in high school and I didn't have a care in the world. I was comfortable because I knew what my future held for me. I knew what my time and work would amount to. Nothing. Emptiness. But, at the time, I was fine with that because that was what was expected of me. Nothing. I knew my future would be just like my last few years of high school. Wake up early, chit chat with some friends, eat, sleep, and repeat. In my naive mind, I was fine with that. Growing up, I always enjoyed school. But, my accomplishments were blurry in a large family with more intelligent siblings. That feeling was unpleasant. That feeling of being the only who knows you can be great. It only became worse when financial disaster distraught my parents and I was forced to leave my familiar surroundings. At my new school, I altogether stopped trying knowing that I was bound for mediocrity. I would tell my senior self to never give up and believe in my potential. I hope it's not too late to become what I know I can. Greatness.

Louis

If went back in time to talk with the old me about goals and overcoming obstacles, I would tell myself to study harder. The best goal I would off earn was staying in Army ROTC and graduating as a Lieutenant in the United States Army in the computer field. Taking advantage of opportunities and staying away from debt would be imperative. I keep these every day, but of course when going back to the past, would advise myself this quotation "If you give up, then you gave in". Living by this proverb would keep me going for the pursuit of happiness and spreading it to other people.

Michael

If i could go back in time and tell myself about college, i would tell myself to not fool around, get better grades and plan out what college would be my dream college that has the best programs and curiculum that fits what i want out of college. Then i would tell myself to look for opportunities from scholarships and other programs to make sure that i would attend my dream college.

Garhett

If I could go back in time and converse with myself as a high school student, the advice I would give myself about college would be this: socialize. As a highschooler I was never very social. Having grown up a homeschool student, I never had many opportunities to spend time with large groups of people, and so was very introverted. As such I have only a few friends, and although they are true, close friends, I still wish that I could have been more social in high school. Had I been more extroverted in high school, I would have been better prepared to make connections in college. It takes a long time for me to become comfortable conversing with other people. If I could go back and tell myself one thing, it would be to socialize with others. I would tell myself to not be afraid of conversing with others, and to be more friendly. Although I have been fairly successful thus far, I feel that had I been more extroverted, I would have been more comfortable asking questions of my teachers and of other students. For this reason, I would tell my old self to be more sociable.

Garrett

High school is very different than college. I was not a good student in high school, and therefore had bad study habits. I really would have liked to stress the fact that creating good study habits in high school could have helped me with my first few semesters in college. If I had this knowledge back in high school I would have a much better GPA and might have a better chance at getting into the college of my dreams. I also would have told myself to become more knowledgable about what classes to take. This knowledge is vital to any community college student that is planning to transfer. Without the knowledge of what classes to take students take classes that they do not need, which forces them to stay at the community college longer. Most community college students do not have the money to pay for extra classes they do not need. Good study Habits and a knowledge of what classes to take are two factors that can make life as a community college student much easier.

G

I would tell myself not to worry about the money and to shoot for a school that is worthy of your caliber. Going to a community college has been great for saving money, but I wish that i could have had the chance to see what a real university is like. I would also like to warn myself that just because community college costs less, doesn't mean that I have more money to spend on myself like I was hoping. I also wish that i could tell myself to think about what you wanna do more seriously, waiting until the future is the present is not a very effective plan. Don't be afraid to go exploring, and dont forget who your friends are because they'll be there for you when you need them. And don't forget to talk to Mom and Dad, I know you think you can deal with everything yourself, but you can't. You'll find that out soon enough. Oh yeah, and wash your laundry more than once every other week because you really start smelling toward the end of summer, and you better not let that mess things up with Homeslice.

Elizabeth

The first thing I would tell myself is to enjoy every minute of your college career; to take your degree and the work involved to obtain it seriously but to also make time for relationships and school activities. Stress can be a good thing if you use it to prepare yourself instead of letting it paralyze you so nothing gets done. Make a check list of small goals you would like to accomplish every day and check off at least one of them. Give yourself grace if you do not get everything done or do everything the way you feel you should. No one is perfect so do not expect perfection from yourself because that is something you will never obtain. You are not the only one who will struggle so do not give up! Some of my best support has come from my teachers so do not be afraid to be friends with them. They are the ones who know how to help you the most because they have been where you are now. Who knows, you may learn something.

Jonathan

As a High School senior i slacked of i knew it was my last year and I thought that this was the year were i was going to have it very easy i rarly did my homework, i ditched class, and rebeled with my teachers and this went on for a hole year. know the best advice knowing what College is like is that i should have never slacked of. I got used to not doing much in class or not going to class, so when i went to the class room for the first time i found it hard. at this point i wish that i would have read more, payed attention in class and done my homework this could have helped me a little bit. I feel that while in High School i should have took advantage and really pushed my self so that when i got to college i could be prepared for all of the essay,writing assignments and Math homework.

Mohamed

College life is completely different from high school. Students are more independable in college. Most students take the same class they took in high school in college, and they get surprised that the class is much harder than it used to be in high school. The thing is about college is everything is taught more in depth. Thererfore the student starts lagging on his studies and can't catch up with studying thus thinks about dropping the class and how hard college is. If could go back in time and advise myself about college, I would tell myself that by organizing myself and set a perfect schedule for studying and follow it up. i would so much free time to do much things that i wasn't able to do during school semester.

Allison

Take the classes seriously and even though many students say that you really do not need to read, read it. Reading is the only way to know what is going on and to fully understand what the teacher is talking about. If you dont read, it is harder to follow in class and it will just make it a lot easier. Also while reading take notes or highlight so you can remember the important facts and have it to study with for the tests. Also one last thing is to not wait until the last minute. All-nighters are not worth it.

Elizabeth

If I could go back I would tell myself to work harder and get better grades, also not to just apply to one school (which was a culinary school for me) and keep all my options so i dont have to go to a co community college

Aminta

If i could go back in time and give myself an advice it would have to be playing more attention in my classes and actually try doing my best, because i know now how much not paying attention in class in high school can make it harder in college. it fill like you have to re learn what has already been tough to you.