Fresno City College Top Questions

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

Mercedes

Four years ago I was a senior at Central High School, little did I know how much college would help evolve me to become a woman with knowledge. When I reflect upon myself in the past years I have come to understand that failure was not an option, but a choice. If I had the power to go back to my senior year of high school, I would provide myself a sense of direction in order to achieve my struggles with math. My first step would be to inform myself that I needed assistance from a tutor and to spend quality time studying and practicing. For step two, I would then question my instructor for any misunderstood math problems that I do not understand. Last but not least, to tell myself to not be discouraged and to believe that I could achieve. Four years later I took these steps and applied them to my studies in college and with hard work I was rewarded by passing my math courses. In the end I do not look at this as a failure, I view it as a way of showing that you can do anything if you work hard at it.

Antonisha

To my younger self I'd have these words to say, life after high school is not a game. It's easy to maintain the level your at and even surpass it but it's hard to dig yourself out of a whole. Develope good stuy habits now. Learn now to be organzied and a good manager of time. You won't always have someone there constantly reminding you what needs to be done and when its due. Take resposiblitly for yourself. Above all stay on top of not only your school work but your personal life as well. Do your best to maintain a healthy balance. It means nothing to do well in school but be misserable on a personal level. It also does nothing to have a great personal life but fell in your studies. There has to be balance. Lastly be organzied. Lastly just be yourself. Don't change for anyone. Your a great person and your going to do something amazing with you life.

Francisco

try in to do my best in my classes and sports to make my parents happy.

curtis

If i could go back and give advice to my high school self, i would tell myself to take more chances and join more clubs than i did. I would tell myself to apply much earlier for financial aid than i did. Would save my family a lit of money. I would advise myself to stop persuing archaeology when my true passion is being a historian specializing in the Italian Renaissance. Dont play video games so much and enjoy life more. I would tell myself to start looking for a job sooner than i did. If i had i might have a job. I would say talk to the pretty girl in english. I would quote Socrates to myself "the unexamined life is not worth living". that is the acvice i would give my high school self if i could go back in time.

Rachel

Dear Rachel, You are too young to be having a mid-life crisis. Stop and breathe. Your college choice does not determine the rest of your life. You and your work ethic do. Please use social media with caution. Scrolling through endless posts about your "supierior" classmates at Berkeley or Stanford will only result in anxiety and self-doubt. The past can't be changed; so don't spend another minute wondering if you had only studied a little more or applied yourself a little more... Be humble. Be grateful. You have so much. You are getting a good education at a city college, with interesting courses and intellegent porfessors. For all you know, you could've been sitting in a horrible, boring lecture day after day at an Ivy League school, and be paying twice as much for it. Try new things. This is important to your sanity. Be passionate, run, give it your all. You will look stupid sometimes. It's ok. In this world of filters and computer screen barriers, be real. Make mistakes and learn from them. In conclusion, Rachel, just remember to keep everything in perspective. You are young, there is time.

Kary

I would go back and say...Study and work harder in your math class, get help when you need it dont be so wrapped up in work to not get help! Enjoy your life now becausae responsibility is right around the corner, enjoy being a high school senior take chances and dont be scared of failing you'll learn from it!

Matthew

If I could go back and give myself advice, it would be this: learn to love to read and learn to love to study. I was just an average student in high school. Sure I graduated but I only went to school because I had to and not because I wanted to. I could have learned so much and would have been five times as intelligent. I wish I read classic books, payed attention to every lecture and flooded my mind with all the textbooks that I had from school. It was free education then but sadly, I wish I could go back and tell myself to shape up and to reach my full potential, because I'm paying the consequences of it now.

Katelyn

I would tell myself not to worry about not going to the four-year college that I wanted to go to since I was a sophmore. I would say that this transition was the better route, and not to mention that it's easier on our parents shoulders when it comes to paying for my tuition and books. It doesn't matter that I was trying to compete with my brother, I'm not him in any way shape or form. Going this route is a much better choice, and it is more comfortable compared to going to the four-year college. I would suggest, though, talking to a councelor as soon as possible. The lines are long, and you can only rely on other students for so long before they don't know themselves. Also, I would suggest paying attention to parking durning the first two semesters, it'll make life a lot easier and a lot less hectic.

Matthew

I came to Fresno City College with the desire to transfer after only one year to an art school in San Francisco. I based my class schedule on the art school's transfer guide and was completely focused on the subject I planned to major on there, which was filmmaking. After only one semester at Fresno City, I had completely changed my mind. Not only did more reaseach show me that the aforementioned art school was not right for me at all, but being thrust into the new enviromnet which was Fresno City made me open up to new experiences. I have shifted my major focus and I don't know what school I will be attending after FCC. Yet I'm okay with that. I will stay where I am for another year and do research to really find out where I want to be. If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to be open to different possibilities. Then I could have come to Fresno City unshackled by a rigid transfer guide and just let myself take the classes I am passionate about.

Julia

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself to get more sleep and eat breaksfast. I know now that i need my eight hours of sleep because it helps my mind to fuction and process. Without the eight hours of sleep my mind would not fuction and process normally. Also I need to be eating breakfast, even if I'm in a hurry. If I had just grab a cereal bar, fruit, or a glass of milk I would be more alert in my morning classes.

Kaysa

I would shake myself, really hard. High school is where your teachers hold your hand. They give you second chances and always remind you of assignments that are due. In collgee its all on you. You pay, you remind yourself of work due, and you spend lots more hours doing it. I don't regret anything about college except that i should have done better in high school to help me get more scholarships. I wish i could go back and work harder, not just skate by. The transition is one you need to mature a little more for. I should have focused more on school than on my social life. I would tell myself that college will be the best experience of my entire life up to date and i need to learn more self structure.

Mai

I would tell myself as a senior in high school to actually learn everything i can and annotate what was giving during class lessons. As a senior, i was more focused on getting my diploma and getting out of school because i already had all my credits. Now, as i look back, my finance class as well as my english class was very important. Many of the lessons that were taught in class are now being used in college and the only thing i can remember was seeing it and not understanding the process or what exactly it is. For example, in english, now i am currently writing essays and in high school, it was to prepare ourselve for materials like this. The teacher now gives us an assignment and expects us to return it with perfect grammars and meeting the rubric. Also, since i am an accounting major, the first course for taking accounting was an overview that back then in high school, my teacher had taught! I could of aced the class but since i thought nothing really matter as a senior, i was wrong. If i could go back i would definately pay attention in class.

Ray

I i were to return to my high school self i wold tell my self to get ready to understand the true meaning of dicapline. I would tell my self to know what i want and visualise it. Without the proper drive and motivation I wouldnt succeed. In my mind all i want to do is acomplish my dreams.

Myra

Myra, all things happen for a reason. So after having gone through what I am still going through right now, please take my advice to save yourself much trouble in the future. Before you graduate, do your research! Make sure (assuming you know what you want to major in) you know what colleges offer your major, compare the programs and see which ones suit you best. This saves time and lots of application money! Don't wait until your at a college and realize you hate it there. Also, you don't have to go through the hassle of transferring from school to school and worrying about which classes will transfer, which ones won't and which ones you'll have to fight for or take all over again. Believe me, after going through all the trouble I wish I was a little more prepared in this sense. And most importantly, don't be afraid of choice and change. Don't be afraid of not attending a certain school you'd really like to just because it's far from home or because it's LA (I know that's what your thinking). Just do it!

Megan

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would tell myself these words: "DON'T SLACK OFF IN MATH!" I would also tell myself not to get too comfortable with things being so easy, because Freshman year in college is definitely not as easy as any year in highschool.

Talia

I would tell myself to continue to succeed as I have done in high school and to keep that fighting attitude and determination. I graduated with a 3.7 grade point average and was awarded for outsatanding academic achievement.

Melissa

I would tell myself to do better than what I did, because having a low high school GPA didn more harm than good... I'd also tell myself that I changed my mind from being a math teacher to film director, that way I would know when I got back!

Danielle

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as I high school senior, I would tell myself not to put off continuing my education. Although I currently have a full time job, I could be out of school at this time and starting my career. Looking back, I thought that working, and making money, was a much better option then going to school. Although I have more work experience than most people my age, I feel as though they are starting careers with not only better benefits, but also higher salaries. Employers from the higher paying jobs are looking for applicants with both experince and a degree. Now that I have taken so much time off from futhering my education, it is only going to be harder to go back to school. It is going to be difficult to manage my time while working, going to school, studying, and still finding the time to spend with my husband. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would make sure that I went to school directly after graduating high school. If this were the case, my life would be alot easier!

cassandra

I would make sure to know that college can be a struggle and things happen for a reason and many times you will want to quit but just know that inorder to be where you want to be in life you will have to get through all the struggles with life and school. also not to be afraid to ask for help and make sure you have a schedule so you can make time to study and do homework. Then to also know that no matter what people say, that you can do nothing just dont ever at any point give up just push youself to achieve higher goals everyday and to push yourself no matter the struggle even if you have to leave people out of your life you have to sacrafice things in life for a better life in the end.

Rebecca

If I were to go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to not overthink the college life. The transition isn't too tough and I can handle it. I would tell myself to not be afraid to talk to people and make friends because those people will be what I remember the most about college. The friends I make in each class will help me cope with stress from the class, whether they know it or not. Having one friend in the class who is just as focused as I am will encourage me to push myself academically and to get my work done. Not only will they help me academically, but if I get to know these people well enough, they could be friendships that last a lifetime. If i were to give my high-shool-senior-self one piece of advice, I would tell her that what I will remember most about college is the relationships I build, not necessarily the academic side of college. Therefore, have fun but stay focused.