Why CSUN?: My journey to choosing the right college for me

Here is my journey to choosing CSUN. It took a lot of time and thinking, but get deep into it and I'll tell you all about what I would be missing if it wasn't for this decision.

Where do I even begin… well first, I should probably tell you a little bit about my school: I am attending CSUN (California State University, Northridge) and my major is business management. My goal is to be to own my own boutique, something small and intimate, but that can appeal to many people without that feeling of being overwhelmed by having too many options. Now, let me begin by saying that when I was applying for college which was about a year ago from right now, CSUN was pretty much one of my last options on my list.

At the time, I was looking to go to school for fashion design or specifically, business in the fashion industry. Little did I know that fashion school is wayyyy too expensive for my family to afford. Another bummer was that my first choice, FIDM, was not only super expensive, but didn’t offer many scholarships and didn’t accept scholarships from other organizations. I was torn, especially after I created a beautiful portfolio and got admitted into the school.

Anyway, back to CSUN. So as I mentioned earlier, CSUN was at the bottom of my list for several reasons. First of all, I was told that it was a safety school for me, meaning that I would get in no matter what according to my grades and recommendations. Second, a lot of my peers at school had it drilled into my head that CSUN wasn’t a good school; many said it was a commuter school or that people who couldn’t get in anywhere else went there. So unfortunately, my expectations were set very low when I began.

Eventually, I was admitted to 6 out of the 7 schools I applied to and I was very happy with my achievements. After a lot of thinking and scrutinizing, my parents and I decided that CSUN would be the best option for me. I had family members who graduated from there and loved it, a bunch of my good friend including my BEST friend were going to go there, my tuition fees would be covered with my federal grants, and I could commute back and forth so I wouldn’t have to live on campus. At first I was hesitant, but I was optimistic about what was to come ahead.

As my registration day grew closer, I became more excited to see what I was missing. Keep in mind, I had never visited the campus before that day except for when I attended my cousins graduation but I don’t even remember where that was. Anyway, I was very nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. I walked in to this large room full of computers and I was shocked. I was expecting a one-on-one meeting with a counselor, not a large presentation.

Anyway, before I knew it, it was over, and believe it or not, I met one of my closest friends at that registration. We sat next to each other and began mingling before we decided that we wanted to have the same classes so we could know someone on the first day of school. I’m so thankful to have met her. We have grown so close and we have created an amazing, large group or friends.

After that day, I knew that things were going in the right direction and I was so happy to know that everything was finally falling into place. SO why am I happy that I’m attending CSUN? Because CSUN offers so many amazing amenities and opportunities for young adults to thrive in whatever they are passionate about. CSUN is all inclusive: everyone will find their place. CSUN is NOT a commuter school! There are people from all over the world studying at CSUN and there are many that re exchange students! CSUN is a university, not a community college. People are here to take school seriously. They aren’t here to take classes and dip right after. A majority of the students actually get involved and are proud of where they stand in their community. Many students are part of after school activities, whether its their weekly goal at the gym, which is free to students by the way, or a fraternity/sorority, or even hanging out at the oasis and taking a little nap in their sleeping pods in between classes.

What I am trying to say is that CSUN went above and beyond my expectations. I let people tell me that it was a bad a school and that I was lesser than others because of my decision. On the first day of school, as I drove into the busy B3 parking structure, I couldn’t help but just be so happy about where I was about to spend the next four years of my life. I began to tear up as I realized that I was no longer I grade school; this is the real deal. After being at CSUN for, already 10 weeks, I learned that it’s not where you choose to go to college, but what you make out of it that really counts.

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