Santa Ana College Top Questions

Go to Santa Ana College. Pace yourself and transfer with the best grades you can get.

My first year of college I attended UC Santa Barbara, which is 136 miles from Santa Ana. I learned the hard way that I need to live near my support system. I didn’t know how much my family and friends motivated me to succeed until they weren’t there. If I were able to speak with my high school senior self, I would tell myself to attend CSU Fullerton. I would share how difficult it was to do school my first year when my father was diagnosed and operated for brain tumors. The most important thing I would share would be that it is okay to fail. Hearing from myself that I am only human and I am allowed to be imperfect and that failing is normal and part of growing up. It would have taken a huge amount of pressure that I have felt all my life. To be “human” is the thing I would want my senior self to remember out of everything. I would also tell myself that the transition will be hard, but remember that Fullerton is right next to Santa Ana so help is only a few minutes away.

If I were to go back in time to share the knowledge I now know with my high school senior-self, I would tell her to be to be more spontaneous and to build networking skills that could benefit you in college. Don’t shy away from opportunities that become available even if they seem like a lot of work. The work will pay off and you will gain knowledge of what you were unaware of before. I would also advise myself to take my college courses seriously because even if college has a lax ambience, time flies by so fast that you can easily fall off course. It is better to stay focused on school so that you can complete your associates and transfer within the two-year mark. My last advice to myself would be to try not to rush becoming an adult. As a seventeen year old you count the days until you are closer to turning eighteen when in actuality that day is the day you become solely responsible for yourself. You are already so close to adulthood being that you should enjoy your last days as a teenager because those years will never return.

To Self: Daily learning and focusing is apart of your everyday life, pushing the limits to grow as a dream nurse and to ensure safe results when things seem most dire. In fact, many benefits are in store from pursing this career that would contribute to your persona. Another being able to say that you will be apart of many people lives, if only for seconds, to be there and assist for the better. Being a natural giver, developed by years of family values, your mental profile will fit in the work ethic and personality required for the field. Realize this early. Your parents have taught you the golden rule, in every aspect of your life. As a paradox, you have always took the mature adult role from a young age, making up their lack of experience in education and US culture as a way of growing with them. The job fell into your lap and you took it as a major responsibility to contribute as a way of kinship and self-acknowledgment. Take it easy. You've always been the nurture in the family, a second head to the house. Take care of yourself, first.

If I was able to go back to the past and tell myself about the college experience that I have seen I would tell myself to study. I know that it is something that many would say, but for me it is different. I want to become an engineer and with me not being able to give the effort or getting lost will not let me even get close to that goal. During my senior year i was having difficulty with Calculus and I was not able to study so much. Given for me to go back to help me, I would stay up all night studying for test/ quizzes and also doing the homework. With this help I am able to succeed with my classes that I will have to face during college. Engineering will be a difficult task to do and with so many objectives that I have to face I know I will be able to succeed with the knowledge that I will have required during my senior year. Therefore, studying will be my advice towards myself and that advise still goes towards me in this road towards engineer.

The advice that I would give myself is to be prepared to stress out about grades and enter the world of adulthood. High school is fun and feels like nothing can get better than this but college is also fun if you put effort into your work and strive to succeed. College is going to be hard if you don't know how to transition from high school mode to college mode. In high school you didn't have to study as hard to earn decent grades but in college you have to study everyday and get used to the fact that you may not have as much free time as you did before. College life is also about making your own decisions for yourself rather than having your counselor choose your classes for you and growing up and learning more about yourself. College is where you dreams and goals can really begin to evolve to become reality.

I would tell myself that I will have time after college to have fun and do whatever I want to do. Right now though, I need to get my head in school and focus on it because life will pass me by and I will wonder, "What if I had actually focused? Would I be done with my career? Would I have my dream house and car?" I would tell myself that I did all the fun stuff and left school as the last priority and now when I look at my life i am disappointed because I am 23 years old, have no car, no house, and no career. I wasted my life and I am now trying to make up for it. This isn't what you want for yourself. You don't want to and shouldn't regret what you have done with your life. Don't give up on yourself and do not let anyone tell you that you can't do it. You can do it and push yourself because you will not regret the success you will bring to yourself and the joy you will feel great. Don't stop focusing on school.

Having the chance to travel back in time would give me so much advantage and make things that were not clear to me crystal clear! First and foremost high school senior Janet, don't hold onto the past, it won't do you much good. The start of a new school year gives you a chance to meet new people and help find your inner self- Listen to yourself for once rather than everyone else (Life feels so much lighter!). Don't spend much time searching for another major besides biology because you'll learn to love it! Have fun in high school because college is a huge transition- it is fun but it also involves much of studying. Join as many clubs and don't worry, mom is finally going to let you ride your bicycle to school. I know the recession just kicked in but don't let that hold you back, it's going to be okay. By the way, don't take any night classes, they weren't meant for you, oh, and don't wear those false eyelashes to prom either. Best wishes. College Janet.

Have more fun don't be serious all the time and make time for everything if possible also pay more attention in class.

Dearest Jenny, Education is the key to a promising and prosperous future. Not only does transition to higher education provide you with a monetary stability, yet it provides you with self actualization as well. Before accomplishing a career in your chosen field of study, make sure to research, discover, and experience new educational opportunities. When encountering difficulty in a certain course or concept, remember: you can always turn to your teachers; they are more than willing to provide you with their assistance and advice. On the other hand, make sure to prepare before hand for exams by studying. This can be done throughout study groups, flashcards, mnemonic devices, good note taking skills, pre-tests, and major reviews etc. Before entering the test mode zone, make sure to take a deep breath and have faith in your prior knowledge (your studying). Hint: A test only measures what you know; it's not a measure of self worth. Attending class is essential for performing well in the course. For example, test questions can derive from lectures. Transition to higher education is quite demanding, but throughout hard work, commitment, dedication, and devotion we can pursue in any field of our choice!

I would go back and tell myself that if I know where to go to and who to talk to, I wouldn't have skipped a year and waited so long to return. I would have told myself to stay dedicated and not give up, and to keep going until the end. I think that if I would have known that college life wasn't so difficult, then I could've stayed focused and been almost done with my two year education.

Hey James, it's you in your future telling you that you should listen to all your teachers in High School. Listen to your Guidance Counselors and your parents. They are telling you this information for your own good. Take more math classes!

I would tell myself to try to come up with a plan and goals. If you have neither one of these things, you have nothing to achieve and everything you do is meaningless. It is so important to work towards something.