Santa Barbara City College Top Questions

Dear Felicia, Don't be discouraged if that professor seems to not care about you. Don't give up when you feel like no ones on your side. Those nights staying up late studying the difference in DNA between Prokaryotic cells and Eukaryotic cells WILL pay off. Getting in arguments with your roommates, although stressful, is normal and will blow over. Call your mom and dad often and tell them you love them because they will always be there for you when you don't do so great on an exam or have a bad day. Get out and be active, take your vitamins, take baths and most importantly invest in time to truly relax and watch your favorite TV show. If you don't take time for yourself, you will get eaten alive by stress resulting from college. Last but not least, make memories. Make the memories that you will remember for a lifetime and tell your children. College will be one of the best times of your life, trust me. Sincerely, Felicia Jordan Tetz

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would give myself so much advise. I would tell myself to learn how to be more financially responsible since I would be on my own in college, not living with my parents anymore. I would advise myself to research more about the schools I applied for. SBCC was my last choice because I wanted to go straight into a 4- year university. I wanted to skip going to a community college because I felt that I was working very hard and taking extra AP courses in high school. If I had researched more about SBCC I would have realized that it is an outstanding college and the #1 community college in the nation. I focused more on wanting to go straight into a 4-year university, but I did not realize how less expensive it would be to attend here first. Without knowing at the time I ended up making the best decision. I should have never let my AVID teacher make me feel less if I attended SBCC. He always told us we should go for more than just a community collge.

Don't be so quick to say "no" to an exploration. Straying from your comfort zone means joining clubs outside of your interests, everything from slack-lining to coffeehouse conversing in Italian. It means going on field trips for different classes and using office hours to meet teachers other than your own. You're a freshman, and although you think you know what your want, like, and are passionate about, you don't. Doing things you love, finding new hobbies and interests, are just as important as getting an education; the two go hand in hand. Take internships and jobs as they come, don't wait around for the perfect one for your career path. You can always move on while taking the best out of the opportunity you've been given at the moment. Sometimes, throwing caution to the wind can give you more ground to run. Most importantly, remember if you strive to get an education, the degree will follow, and if you build yourself, tone your strengths, ignite your passions, and follow your dreams, the resume will follow, too.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would be sure to tell myself to "Be Ready." One of the major transitions from high school to college is that you're on your own. You have no one to force you to go to class when you're feeling lazy or slacking off. There is no more "getting in trouble" when you don't complete your assignments. Experiencing this college life has taught me to be very timely and goal-oriented. Living in Isla Vista, CA, next to UCSB, tested my ability to balance out school and my social life. UCSB is a big party school, but I still managed to be able to put school first. I would also tell myself to learn to become more independent because being away from home isn't always easy since you no longer have first-hand access to your parents.

The first advice I would give to myself is to have a clear plan on what really interests me and to take that information and funnel it down to majors relating to it. I feel if I had a clear view on what I wanted to study during my Senior year applying for colleges as well as committing to a college would have been much easier. Another thing I would give to myself is start making connections with people all around you because you never know when they might come in handy. Introducing myself and letting others get to know me would have been really helpful since in college that is what everyone does. In College everyone is so forward and open that it took me a few weeks to do the same as others. Lastly I would give myself the most important advice out of all and that is to be determined. To know what I want and strive to achieve that goal. Do not let any road blocks on the way stop me from reaching the goals that I want to achieve.

I would make sure that i tell myself to go and dont stop. I would tell myself that you can accomplish alot if you continue to stay foucuse and put in the hard work. Keep your eye on the prize and you will do just fine.

Stay driven. Understand that there are an incalculable amount of distractions that can divert your long-term interests into 'in-the-moment' interests so it is important to constantly think about your motivation for choosing a certain educational (thus career) path and use that motivation to keep your drive for success. Do not change - in a good way. Of course, it is important to be open to try new things and expand your horizons, blah blah blah, but you do not want these things to change who you are. Stay wacky and independent, dance whenever you can, and never turn down a smile.

I would remind myself to try my hardest and if I see something that I want, go for it! To make the most of the year and cherish every second of it because my life is going to change dramatically in about a year. I would have reminded myself to take in all the information that I can because I am going to need it in college. I think I would have spent a little more time with my family because they are not going to be around next year and I know I'm going to miss them more than i can imagine.

The four years you spend in college are unlike any other years of your life; use them wisely! Everything from the school you choose to go to, the major you decide to pursue, and the people you hang out with, have the potential to change your life! College is when you really start to learn about yourself and figure out who you want to become. The best way to do that is to put yourself out there: join clubs, take interesting classes, do things outside of your comfort zone, and don't pay any attention to what people think of you! Be your own person and follow your intuition. This is YOUR life, not anyone else's, so you have to live with it!

Take a year off... I'm not kidding. Try and find a job, figure out how to support yourself, learn how to write a resume, and figure out what you want to do in life that will result in bills being paid while also not hating yourself. Do things like exploring the world and new cultures. You have your whole life to work and go to school. Don't rush into college right out of high school. Don't take on any more debt than you absolutley have to. Consider a community college as a stepping stone to a four year. Find at least an inkling of what your niche is before you make any decisions about what career you want for the rest of your life. I gurantee it will do more good than getting out of college at age 22 or 23 with thousands of dollars in debt, no job prospects, and feeling totally abadoned by the school you spent 4 or 5 years of your life at because you were forced to decide your lifes direction right out of high school at age 18. Seriously, a year off will do you a world of good.

Although I don't regret any part of my college experience thus far, if I could honestly go back and give my younger self some advice there would be a couple things I would tell her. First, I would advise myself to meet with a counselor and map out an effective plan to take all the classes needed to transfer to my first choice University. Second, I would remind myself to find the perfect balance between school and a social life. It is important to keep my goals and academic acheivements moving forward but I must also take advantage of the wonderful friendships that come from being more involved with my classmates. Which brings me to my third and final point, to take every opportunity to meet new people, whether that be to join more clubs, go to more sporting events, or attend every dorm get together there is. The transition from high school to college can be difficult at times but the experience and life lessons gained throughout the journey is amazing. I couldn't imagine taking on that transition at any school other than Santa Barbara City College.

I would tell myself that going to community college is not something to be disappointed in. It is a transition in which you learn more about yourself than any other time in your life and is a time where you find your true strengths and weaknesses. You learn what becomes important to you, independent of what your parents think is important. College is something to look forward to as you begin taking classes that interest you and you can apply what you learn to everyday life which makes it less of a chore and more enjoyable. Creating an environment in which you can thrive by acknowledging what is important and what isn’t is important to the success you have. An open mind to new experience is one of the most important aspects of college as it is your entry into the world and the rest of your life.

Firstly, I would tell myself not to take Calculus first semester - I know you think you can pass it, despite the fact it's been a year since you've taken a math course, but you can't. It's just not going to happen, so do yourself a favor and take statistics instead. Secondly, I would tell myself to take every opportunity I can to learn and further myself - meet with professors during office hours. Do the extra credit work. Attend lectures outside of class, and join clubs! Getting an education is so crucial, and you should do everything you can to improve your knowledge and yourself. Life is about opportunities, and college offers you so many - so don't miss a single one.

Pay attention to learning proper and effective study habits as well as note taking. Take care of schooling now instead of waiting until you are in your mid-thirties!! Take the time to learn algebra well so you do not have to take it in college when you have forgotten mostly everything to do with math outside of basic addition and subtraction!!

If I went back to my senior year, I would tell myself not to panic or worry about school. Make sure I sign up for classes and be not afraid of getting help from many. I would also tell myself to be more out going in class so that I can make many friends and connect with more people in my classes. Being extremely shy causes loneliness. Make sure you live life and stay in touch with all your good friends.

The transition into college life is doable for anyone. There are certain things that you can do to make it easier. For example apply for student housing in on campus dorms, or private dorms are also effective. This will help you build new relationships if you are in a new area away from home. Learning to balance school life and a personal/ social life is important. Having friends especially ones who are self motivated can help you yourself become motivated to do well. Having goals is also very important. Setting a standard that you can work towards. Goals give you a reason to work hard in school and exceed your expectations. Surround yourself with people that are successful in what they are doing because it too can help you strive for your goals. Planning can help prevent habits of procrastination. Avoiding that habit can reduce stress and keep you a happier and more positive person, thus helping you stay focused on your goals and motivate you to keep going. Always believe in yourself when it come to being successful, and make friends who will also believe in you. This advice can help anyone get through the college experience with ease.

Make a plan of the classes you want to take and when you want to finish by ahead of time. Planning ahead saves a lot of time in the future and makes things a lot easier.

Life sneaks up on your, that's what I would tell myself. When we're young we believe we have all the time in the world, but one day you'll look back and wonder where the time all went. Since high school I have had many great expierences but my goal of getting a better education has been put on hold. When we are young we believe life will drop in our laps all that we will ever need and if I could tell myself to apply myself, work harder, and enjor the benefits later then that's what I would say.

If i could go back in time and tell myself what I now know about college and the transition I would say be positive. I remember graduating and being so scared of not knowing where I was going to be going to school or if I could move there. Though i did not have all the answers I tried to keep on thinking about tomorow rather than yesterday. And for the first day of college being prepared, meaning having all your books and some basic supplies deffinitly helps your nerves. Now that I have finished my first semester i would go back and tell myself to just do all of the work even if it feels like busy work because in the end i realized most everything I did had a purpose.

If I were able to give myself advice as a high school senior I would tell myself to travel as much as possible. It was not until I began traveling that I started to realize how little I knew about life. Once I had this realization I was able to open myself up to learn about different cultures and truly broaden my scope of thought. I have met many interesting people during my adventures and have learned that listening someone?s story can teach you so much about life. You don?t have to agree with their views, and you don?t have to choose their lifestyle as your own, but you can still learn just by listening. This has applied to my college career. I listen to what the professor says and even if I disagree or if I am initially uninterested, I still learn so much just by listening. Travel taught me how to listen. The more I traveled the more I craved an educational foundation. Travel showed me that when you are striving to learn the material not to pass an exam, but because you want to understand and absorb the information, it is so completely rewarding.

If I go back and talk to myself as a high school senior first of all I would tell myself to prepare for my future. Preparing myself for a future involves taking college serious and realizing the importance of a quality education. How an education lays the foundation for the rest of your life. I would tell myself to dedicate myself to college and to make the best grades possible because it's important. I would remind myself how expensive a college education is but in the long run it's an investment in my future.

These past two years living away from home have been a huge learning experience for me. Since senior year I have attended two schools; my freshman year at University of Colorado and my sophomore year at Santa Barbara City College. Certainly, having an open mind about everything would have been the best advice I could have given myself. , I learned that I needed to make the best of the situation and have a good attitude because I will be encountering people who I am not used to in addition to surviving a year in freezing Colorado. Making new friends two years in a row is also difficult so I would have advised myself to be very social and get involved in as many things as possible. I realized that although I came across numerous situations that did not enthrall me, they helped me grow and mature as a person and helped me become the woman I had always wanted to be.

Wow! Oh what a grand thing it would be to go back in time! I would advise to stay steady on the course of creating a better life for myself, my children and my husband by obtaining a graduate degree. Don't get caught up in the drama of circumstances; high school years are great but graduation from that time period should be the gateway into responsibility and ultimately to becoming a positive, contributing member of society. In becoming a psychology major, I would advise to make sure to have great emotional support from family, friends and therapist; if for nothing else than just to check to make sure there are no mental meltdowns in the near future. Never take more than two or three psychology courses in a row. This will ensure maximum learning and healthy processing of ones own life. Overall have fun as you trudge the road ahead to adventure, knowledge, and power through education. It is something no one can ever steal from another. :o)

I would tell myself to take high school more seriously, from the first day of freshman year or better yet, freshman orientation. What I realize now that I wish I had then is that school determines your future, it is how serious you take school that will reflect your future and where you will be. I would have planned more, aimed for higher goals, dreamed a little more had I known that college would be this challenging. It's amazing how much we take for granted in high school where we have counselors telling us what classes to take and where to go. And now, you are your own counselor and you have to take the initiative to seek help and advice, it's in your own hands to plan for your future.

I would tell myself to utilize all resources to get information about different schools to attend and to start saving up money for college. Now the prices are going up, so I would definatley tell myself to start saving money for college. Everything is so expensive right now and the prices are still going up, so the earlier money can be saved up the better. I would tell myself to see counselors at least once a semester, maybe even twice. To take advantage of all the work shops, tutors and other resources available at school. It is so important to familiarize yourself with available resources. I would also tell myself to start looking for scholarships early. Financial aid and utilizing resources would be the most important things to tell myself to figure out early.