California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA, USA

Reviews

California State University-Fullerton

Janet

a current student here
18 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
The classes at Cal State University, Fullerton are fairly easy. I had expected college to be a lot more difficult, but CSUF has proved otherwise. Although the classes are not difficult, they have allowed me to grow intellectually. The professors don't necessarily assign huge work loads, instead they assign assignments and projects that are relevant to the class and real life. The professors help you develop your critical thinking skills by opening your eyes to seeing things from different perspectives by encouraging classroom and group discussions. Many of the professors have unique teaching styles that are very effective in having their students learn.
Am enjoying being here
Cal State University, Fullerton is a commuter school, therefore most of the students in class are there to get it done with so they can go home. There isn't much of a social aspect here and it's difficult to meet new friends. The school has apartment-style dorms that house only 800 students, which is only 2% of the student population. There are much more students that live off campus, but they are dispersed throughout the city. Meeting people in class is difficult and you have to make an effort to meet people- check out the clubs and student organizations on campus at the DiscoverFest held in the quad at the beginning of the semester, it will make your experience here more enjoyable.
Bang for the buck
All the schools within the CSU system are pretty affordable, but there have been huge budget cuts and tuition hikes. Within the last year, tuition has increased almost $1,000. Not only has tuition increased, but teachers are being told to take furlough 6 days a semester that will cut their salaries by 10%. Students are paying 30% more, but is receiving 10% less for their education because teachers don't have classes on their furlough days. Even with the tuition hikes, Cal State University, Fullerton is more affordable than other 4-year universities.
Tips for prospective students
Sign up for a Freshman Program after you get accepted, because you will receive priority registration for your first semester and help you adjust better your first semester because you are enrolled in a University 100 class with helpful professors, mentors, and CSUF staff. Sign up for the Finish in Four program around October of your first semester because that enables you to have priority registration during your 4 years at this institution. Having priority registration is a big deal because it's very difficult to get the classes you need with the budget cuts (they cut lots of classes). Also, look your professors up on RateMyProfessor.com because having a good professor makes a BIG difference.
Great for these types of students
CSUF has a great Business program and is also great for Musical Theatre and Nursing. The Mihaylo College of Business and Economics was one of Princeton Review's Best 296 Business Schools, is the largest business school in California, and the fifth largest in the United States. The Musical Theatre program is one of the best in the country.

Jenny from Los Angeles, CA

a current student here
11 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
Many of the professors at Cal State Fullerton are very knowledgable in their respected area of study, and show a great deal of passion about the topics they teach. The education is of a very high quality, and the curriculum is very intellectually challenging. There are some courses that would be considered easy, but you actually learn a lot -even if you don't do a lot. I think that the classes and the way of teaching at CSUF is more theoretical, and less hands-on.
Am enjoying being here
The campus at Fullerton is very large and beautiful. My favorite part of being on this campus is the fact that it seems very close to nature. There are little bunnies and other small creatures that come out and graze on the grass at night, and it is absolutely heart-wrenching. However, I cannot speak as highly of the quality of the students that attend this school. Perhaps it is because I am not used to the OC lifestyle, but it's very difficult to communicate or relate to many of the students here. Many of them do not care about school and grades, so most of the time, they have a tendency to interrupt your classroom time.
Bang for the buck
Even though CSU's are experiencing a lot of furlough days due to budget cuts, CSU Fullerton has actually dealt with this situation very well. Instead of cutting out winter or summer classes altogether, they have chosen to take a few days out of the regular school semester, which means.. lots of vacations! Also, there are many scholarships offered on-campus that can really help out.
Tips for prospective students
If you want to do well in classes, attend professors' office hours! They are very helpful and it allows for better one-on-one instruction. It's especially helpful if your class sizes are very large. It's not like in high school, where the teachers know your names and your work ethic. The only way you can get in good with the professors are to attend the office hours.
If you are having financial trouble, and would still love to attend college, I really recommend applying for the President Scholars Program. Besides getting a full ride, you also can get many perks like free parking passes, use of a laptop, and early registration-(which is SOOO important as a freshman). You can visit http://www.fullerton.edu/scholars/ for more information.
Great for these types of students
CSUF is great for Business majors- the Business program here is absolutely fantastic and very prominent. This is also a great school to attend if you plan on going in the educational route. CSUF has a great teaching credential program, and getting a credential from this school can score big time with future employers. This is also a great school for students who like to be challenged intellectually, and prefer to use their brain more than their hands.

Ashley from Signal Hill, CA

a current student here
7 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
Most of your G.E.'s are going to be a joke. Your major classes will be the ones that are informative and interesting.
Am enjoying being here
Nice atmosphere, great weather, and REALLY close to Disneyland.
Bang for the buck
Cheap, cheap, cheap especially compared to the UCs. Great school for in-staters. It's a decent commuter school, too -- just make sure to get there early for parking.
Tips for prospective students
If you are looking to dorm, the dorms are ridiculously spacious and fancy. The single dorms, while more expensive, let you have your OWN ROOM...so if you get home from class and need to unwind without your roomies bothering you, you can shut yourself up in your room and do homework or watch hulu. Both the doubles and singles have 2 bathrooms per suite, with a kitchen (with a stove, fridge, microwave, basically everything you need), and a furnished living room-- commodities that are not included in most college dorms that I've experienced. The singles have 4 bedrooms, and the doubles have 3 bedrooms. In the singles you will have 3 roommates with one in each bedroom, and in the doubles you will have 5 roommates with 2 in each room. Just make sure that you like your roommates -- I had roommate trouble last year, it was not fun one bit!
Great for these types of students
If you love theatre, musical theatre, or directing and are planning on studying any one of these things in college, Cal State Fullerton is the school for you. The theatre department takes itself very seriously, You will learn a LOT. The teachers are wonderful, and will push you to be a better performer. Admittedly, it is difficult to attain a BFA at this school, but if you are looking for good training in the field of acting or musical theatre, and you don't want to pay crazy amounts of money for tuition, go to Cal State Fullerton. The plays and musicals they put on are KILLER. Everything from the acting to the sets are superb. I've checked out Cal State Long Beach and USC and their theatre departments are a little lacking when compared to CSUF. I'm very happy with the musical theatre education I am getting. There is a lot of focus on dance, which is totally awesome. However, if you are looking to study musical theatre and you hate dancing or are scared of dancing, you might be out of your comfort zone. Just in my freshman year I was in 3 dances classes-- tap, ballet, and jazz-- all wonderful classes, and I learned a LOT. Overall, this school has a great theatre program. The teachers are helpful and push you to be a better performer. Not to mention, in-state tuition is a great bang for the buck. Not to be glanced over if looking to study theatre.

Linda from La Verne, CA

a past student here
6 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Did learn a lot
It was so valuable to update my career at this time,with technology and practice updates.The teaching methodology was well aligned with the RN returning to school.Very supportive.
Did enjoy being here
I chose CSF because they opened a class in Pomona Valley,a nearby hospital. As I completed my first year,the Pomona cohort was moved to the main campus and I could not continue as I had just been promoted.
Bang for the buck
I used every bit I learned in that first year,from updating how to use the computer based articles and refreshed pediatric nursing in my job. I still refer to Ages and Stages for help with friends and neighbors!
Tips for prospective students
It is so worthwhile to grow. Currently I am laid off with an incomplete BSN,very difficult to get another manager position without it in Southern Ca. Get this under your belt,and move on the MSN if you want to climb higher.
Great for these types of students
Great for students of all ages.I was in class with new RN's,seasoned RN's,RN's returning to the acute care setting too. We each had so much to share and learn from each others point of view.

Jessica from Whittier, CA

a current student here
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
Fullerton is a great school, that makes you feel welcomed. There are various ways to become involved. It has very friendly and approachable professors.
Food and Dining
Has a food court and food trucks.
Great for these types of students
Any type of student is welcome. There is an opportunity for anyone.
Clubs and Activities
There are a lot of friendly clubs on campus, where students can become involved
Campus Safety
CSUF feels pretty safety. We have a campus police office, which provide us with protection.

Cinthia from Los Angeles, CA

accepted here and planning to attend soon
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
Fullerton is a beautiful campus that is quite small. Everyone at CSUF is very friendly and it is a great environment to be in.
Tips for prospective students
Make sure to start your housing application as SOON as it comes out! Constantly call the school and departments about any question you have, they're there to help :)
Academic Rigor
Fullerton encourages students to finish their college degrees in 5 years or less, they help create a graduation plan in order to finish in the amount of years you want.
Dorm Life
The double dorms are actually bigger than I though, you can really fit a lot in that space. The apartments and dorms are right next to the laundry rooms and this really big food court called the Gastronome
Food and Dining
The food at the Gastronome is really good! You can request special dishes and they take into consideration any allergies
What to do for fun
You can take the bus from campus and go shopping or walk around campus and find some students performing at the theatre or a band doing a show on campus.
Bang for the buck
Fullerton is awesome they come up with a payment plan for you if you don't have enough funds to pay for college
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
During finals students will often rub the toe of a statue that is on campus for good luck
Great for these types of students
Students pursuing the medical field, criminal justice, and everyone who wants to succeed in college
Clubs and Activities
There are so many clubs to choose from, look online at the csuf club website and you're guaranteed to find one that fits you, if you dont you can start your own club with 3 friends and an advisor to back you up.
Campus Safety
If you feel unsafe walking back to your dorm at night or at any time you can press a button on one of many emergency poles and someone will escort you wherever you need to go

Brittany from Coronado, CA

a current student here
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
if you are an incoming freshman, i highly suggest you live on campus for the best college experience. if you wana find a roommate that works well with you instead of letting it be random, you should check out roomsurf . com thats how i met my roommate and we've been best friends for the past 3 years :)
Dorm Life
if you are an incoming freshman, i highly suggest you live on campus for the best college experience. if you wana find a roommate that works well with you instead of letting it be random, you should check out roomsurf . com thats how i met my roommate and we've been best friends for the past 3 years :)

Lauren from Yorba Linda, CA

a current student here
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
Cal State Fullerton is a great Business school. It has taught me so much and the teachers there are great. Most of the professors love their jobs and are always available and willing to help their students. In my opinion, this school has the best Business program out of any of the Cal State schools. Their dual accreditation in Business and Finance makes it a great choice and a great learning experience.
Am enjoying being here
This school is mainly a commuter school, so meeting people is sometimes hard. I too drove to school everyday; but, if I had the option, I would love to live on campus or in one of the surrounding apartments. It's a great way to meet new people and get the college life most people want. The school is great and has an amazing gym, bowling alley, pool room, and pub. Overall, the environment is great.
Bang for the buck
CSUF is fairly cheap compared to other schools. The state budget crisis for the 2009-2010 school year has however made the cost rise. Although it has been hectic registering for classes as well as paying for classes this year, I still feel like the education at this school is worth the money. Some people go to community colleges before a university, but I personally think that holds students back and it usually takes them 5 years to graduate. Going to CSUF straight out of high school is definitely worth the money.
Tips for prospective students
Ratemyprofessors.com is a great website to go to before registering. This gives you a feeling about how the teachers are and which classes you should take. In my experience, it has been very accurate. Also, if you are entering as a Freshman, you take your school ID picture the day of orientation, and you also register for classes that day. It would be a good idea to choose the earliest orientation day you can so that you won't have to worry about classes being filled.
Great for these types of students
This school has a great baseball team, and would be great for business majors as well as those who want to become teachers. There is a large variety of people who go to this school, so anyone would fit in at this school. If you are outgoing, try to live in a dorm.

Brittney from Las Vegas, NV

a current student here
2 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
There is a wide variety of things to do and people to meet. Everyone is very helpful with whatever you need. The campus is also in a great location for restaurants and fast food places, so that's a plus.
Tips for prospective students
There is something here for everyone. It can seem overwhelming at first, but overtime it gets easier to handle the new social and academic environments. It is fun to be here.
Academic Rigor
It can be a bit overwhelming during midterms and finals, but other than that there is a good balance between schoolwork.
Dorm Life
It can be noisy, but the rooms and bathrooms are very nice. A few of the newer buildings are LEED so they are more environmentally friendly. The theme communities also bring people together that have similar interests as well.
Food and Dining
There are multiple Starbucks locations on campus. There is also Carl's, Jr. and Panda Express as well. The Gastronome on campus is buffet style and has different meals throughout the day, every day. Within walking distance are many different fast food places like Sonic, In-N-Out, McDonald's, and many more.
What to do for fun
The Titan Student Union has bowling and billiards that is really fun; there is also a movie theater. It is also fun to walk around the Visual Arts building and see the art students have created over the years. The amphitheater has different performers every couple of weeks. The sports games are also really fun and inclusive.
Bang for the buck
I think it is worth it to attend here. The professors are fairly good at teaching and there is plenty to do between classes. Your money goes to different things that are a part of tuition such as library databases, software, and the wellness center that is free to use at anytime.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
There is a statue called the Fallen David. If you ever need some good luck, you go up to it and rub it. There are also rumors that the McCarthy Hall basement is haunted.
Great for these types of students
People who like to socialize with others and work hard are great people to attend here.
Clubs and Activities
There is a wide variety of campus activities. If there is not something for you, you can make your own club.
Greek Life
There are different kinds here, but I am not a part of nor do I have experience with Greek life here at CSUF.
Campus Safety
There is plenty of campus security personnel at all times. There are emergency poles every few yards that have buttons that can be used to call the campus police for any reason.

Jazmin C.

a current student here
2 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
The college is in a commuter type of college so most people there do not live on the dorms. However, the people that I have met at this college are really nice and the academic advisers (at least for my major) are extremely helpful. The only con I say is that if you don't live on campus or you live very far from the school, like I do, you miss out on networking opportunities.
Tips for prospective students
A huge tip for Prospective Students:
If you have the chance to, save your GE courses for last and handle all of the courses for your major. If you have a challenging major, your GPA might suffer. However, since the GE courses here are easy, this will boost your GPA drastically. I didn't do it when I started school and I really regret that I didn't focus on my major courses first and then worry about the GE courses later.
Academic Rigor
I am a business major with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and the classes that I have to take for the major are challenging. It's a lot of homework, essays and tests but the general education courses are really easy.
Dorm Life
I can't comment on the dorms because I never stayed there. I have been inside of it one time. The rooms were kind of small and the whole floor shares a bathroom. However, the bathroom had a ton of stalls and like two or three showers.
Food and Dining
They have Baja Fresh, Starbucks. Panda Express, Round Table Pizza, Togos and some other little eatery place that are extremely yummy!
What to do for fun
Downtown Fullerton is the place to go! Alot of students from csuf go downtown to where the clubs and other dining places are. If you love Ramen, there is a place called Koppan five minutes from the campus. Best Ramen ever!
Great for these types of students
CSUF is a really great college for Business majors. The courses are challenging and some of the teachers are amazing. If you are a business major or even thinking about joining the business field and you want to be challenged, CSUF is definitely a school for you.
Campus Safety
The campus is very secure and has some emergency posts in case you want someone from campus police to walk you to your car.