California State University - Fresno

I can say that Fresno State is an amazing school. It’s a nice campus that is open both to the students and to non students. I can’t say anything about the dorms because I was able to commute to Fresno State. But I can say that everything else is exceptional. It’s not too big of a campus where you can get lost. I loved the library. Although it can get packed at times, it’s such a comfortable place to eat and to study. I loved the food options they had there such as Panda Express, Subway, Taco Bell,... Read More Juice it up, and more. When it came to my academics, I thought that the teachers were very good and professional. I could always go to them for help.

i transferred from my local community college and spent 3 years at fresno state before graduating. overall, i feel as though my department was not great because a lot of the professors were retiring or going on sabbatical while i was there so i didnt have access to professors who were actively engaged. also the head of the department at that time was, in my opinion, not making teaching a priority as she had multiple other engagements that she seemed more devoted too. i felt as though the classes... Read More i took for my degree barely scratched the surface of what was expected in this career, as i went on to work in the field after graduating and felt very unprepared. i felt like other majors at fresno state are much better than the one i picked for example business, agriculture, nursing, physical therapy and kineseology all seemed to be much more engaging than my nutrition major. campus life is fun and the school makes it a point to have fun events going on for the students. i would recommend this school if you already live in the area, but if you're coming in from somewhere else it is going to be a huge adjustment to the summer heat and the fact that fresno the city doesn't have much to do compared to other metro areas.

I really liked the structure of the ABBA program. The structured classes meant everything was planned out, which was helpful since the fast pace moved us through topics quickly. Finishing the degree in less time was a huge plus. Also, the cohort style was great. You stick with the same group of students the whole time, so we all helped each other out, which made the hard work much easier.
The Hard Parts 😕

The pace was the biggest problem, though. If you couldn't pass a class, you'd have to wait a whole... Read More year to rejoin the next group—that was huge pressure. It was also hard to maintain all the information because we rushed through complex topics so fast. There wasn't enough time to really let everything sink in before the next class started. Plus, the tuition was higher than the regular classes.
Final Takeaway

The ABBA program is a demanding, high-speed choice. It's perfect if you're very motivated and want to jump into an Ag Business career fast. It was tough, but the cohort support made it worthwhile.

Fresno State was an awesome stepping stone on my way to becoming an SLP. I attended this university for all 4 years of my undergraduate career. This campus has great student life as well as financial ad opportunities, student work positions, and housing options. Their library is amazing and very easy to navigate. The education I was given in my field introduced me to many aspects of speech and language pathology and its surrounding fields, of which I had no idea existed before. I still remember numerous... Read More experiences in classes as the lectures there are very memorable (especially learning about the Bernoulli effect). The student led groups give students many volunteer opportunities to further their experiences in the field of SLP as well as provide info about ways to get into graduate programs. Top professionals in their field work as professors there and they want to teach you about the fields that they are passionate about, who could say no to that? One downside I experienced was when preparing their students for a graduate degree, Fresno State only prepares students for THEIR graduate program, not others. This may have changed since I graduated, but my advisors did not prepare me for all of the prerequisites that other programs required which theirs did not (physical sciences). I had trouble getting into a graduate program due to this. However, Fresno State does educate you on all other aspects of applying for grad schools and taking the required tests (GRE, CBEST). I ended up being accepted into a program a year after graduating and I still refer to old textbooks and lectures that I had at Fresno State.

Fresno State is a great school that ensures that are work-force competitive and ready to work. All professors that I worked with were always willing to meet with me, even outside of their Office hours. The best experience that I had while at Fresno State was with my English adviser, Dr. Hansen. He had similar experiences that I was going through i.e. working during the day and attending college at night. He helped me develop a three year plan before I entered Fresno State, which he then gave me advice... Read More of reviewing my catalog and following my three year plan. By doing this, when it came to graduate from Fresno State, I walked in to his office with course catalog, three year plan and graduation clearance form in hand, where he stated that I was one of the few scholars that took his advice. To this day we have remained friends, but most importantly he has become a mentor of mine that I reach out to when I need a sounding board for advice and guidance. It is because of Dr. Hansen, that I also was able to finish college in three years versus the traditional four (to five) years. Also, being at Fresno State granted me the opportunity to network and create friends that have we still very much in contact and are very close.

I regret spending my precious four years at this place. The education I got from here has not helped me much. Looking back, the faculty were very low quality. But I didn't realize that until I got exposed to others later on. With only a couple of exception, they have the worst collection of bad professors here. And the department chair is an example of low quality professor. He seemed to be more interests in playing politics than to care about the substance of education. The facility is poorly maintained... Read More and their excuse: "low budget"!

Attending California State University, Fresno as a Geomatics Engineering major really helped me develop as a person, academic, and professional. I obtained networking skills at numerous Geomatics Engineering conferences put on by students. I was awarded numerous scholarships after applying, Fresno State as a large offering, make use of them! In the small Geomatics class sizes, I was able to get an intimate learning experience from my professors as I made my way through my undergraduate coursework.... Read More Overall, the facilities, staff, and experience at Fresno State was a positive one, and I am glad to call it my Alma Mater! Go Bulldogs!

My senior year is when the biochemistry program started. There are a number of professors that made biochemistry a worthwhile degree program, but unfortunately, it took me 5 years to graduate. I still feel like the biochemistry degree needs a course restructuring to include more biology classes, because I don't think I was very prepared to do research work. I'm sure they have made some progress in this however. As far as finances go, just as long as you remain passionate about what you are learning,... Read More you should be fine. That's the thing about scholarships these days; you don't need a "sob story" to get there.

I received my B.A degree in French with a minor in Chemistry in the Spring of 2015. I had a great experience at Fresno State and received overwhelming support from the program advisor and professors during my time at the university. I changed my major once during this time and had a great experience when doing so. I was unsure if I would be able to receive my Chemistry minor, however Dr. Joseph Gandler is an awesome Chemistry professor and was able to give me his input on my last two semesters at... Read More Fresno State in order to achieve this. In addition to my academicsI lived in the University dorms during my freshman year. I think every college student should experience dorm living for at least a year in college!