Dominican University of California Top Questions

I wish that I had known that I should start looking for a classroom to observe in right away! Of course, that once again only applies to the teaching program. But if that is what you're interested in, you should know that you're going to have to be in a classroom almost instantly for assignments.

I wish I had known how to organize my time better, as that was a very necessary skill in coming to this school. Also, I wish I had known that everything around the campus closed so early, like the resaurants, making it difficult to get food after around 8 o'clock.

If I could have given myself advice before I attended Dominican, I would have advised getting involved in clubs and activites right away. Looking back, some of the greatest memories and learning experiences I had were through work opportunities and student based clubs. I made connections with students and staff through participating in activities like the Outdoor Club and working for the National Park Service that have lasted for the past 11 years since I graduated. It took me about a year to become involved in anything, but when I took a risk to try something new, it paid off.

That the dance program is small and there will be times when the students take action and help build it. If you want to get something done around here for you, you have to force it out of the administrative staff. Know what you want because it's an expensive school and you dont want to waste money trying to figure out what you want.

I should have spent more time researching financial aid options and the true cost of attending college. In addition to tuition, you should budget ~$100 per 3 unit class for books. Additionally, you need to be mindful of the break-points for financial aid. Last year, I was initially approved for both subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans in the summer. After completion of the summer semester I learned that I had not qualified for the subsidized loans because I took only 4 units, rather than 6, that semester. It affected my financial aid for the entire year.

It would have been helpful to know that there are many clubs that one can join to interact with other students. If there is a club that you would like to form, it's an easy process.

I wish I knew that the university's cafeteria does not offer a lot of variety and sometimes the food is not cooked thoroughly. I wish I knew that campus life is very quiet - there does not seem to be a lot going on. Also, I wish I knew that communication of events is poor - many students don't really know what's going on on campus. The university is also behind on technology - we don't have online registration yet, for example.

Nothing

I wish I knew that to get to places you need some way of transportation. I didn't realize places such as markets and other stores were far.

What I had wish I had known was the full extent to how much trouble I would run into financially that comes along with attending a private school.