Cal State LA: Inside Look

  • Claire, 19, Electrical Engineering
  • John, 26, Business Administration and Entrepreneurship
  • Sandra, 28, TV, Film and Media Studies
  • Brittany, 19, Urban Learning
  • Justin, 20, Nursing
  • Brenda, 33, Chicano Studies and Sociology
Justin, 20
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Justin's inside look


When I was in my senior year in high school I was down to nursing and engineering. And I just saw that nursing was, you know, more hands-on, more involved with the patients.

Being a guy, most guys, most male nurses go into emergency or trauma or things like that — really intense stuff.

I'm already taking two nursing classes and they do a really good job in just preparing you for interacting with the client. You know, next quarter I am going to be going to some hospitals, so I'm looking forward to that.

When you are in the nursing program it's, you know, it's a cohort of students that stay together through the program. You, basically you are a little community within the program. Everyone in the program is really friendly. So, I mean, we are all good friends.

If there is someone you haven't really interacted with then at some point you are going to have a lab, you are going to have a lecture, or do a project with them. You'll, you'll make friends with everybody. So that's a good thing I like about it.

I'd say college has exceeded my expectations.

And I didn't expect so much help. I've always been told that you're going to be on your own when you go to college. You know, you are going to have to really learn how to study and stuff. I have had to learn how to study on my own, but when I have had trouble with studying, I've always been able to go and talk to a professor, go to the writing center, use different facilities. When you need help, there's always somewhere you can go.

I actually got financial aid and out of high school I got a couple of scholarships. What I used to tell a lot of students was that if you can get scholarships, you can consider it your job, you know where you are applying for scholarships as your job.

I would, you know, tell people to pursue a degree at Cal State L.A., especially if you are doing nursing. The staff, they just do a really good job of setting up the curriculum for the students' success.

student profile


Justin, 20

Hometown: San Gabriel, CA

Class Year: Junior

Major: Nursing

College: Health and Human Services

Interests: playing soccer and basketball, hanging out with friends, talking with high school students about college and career opportunities, visiting Los Angeles, organizing and attending campus clubs' events and fundraisers

"I love Cal State L.A. I wouldn't go anywhere else. The professors are really helpful and they have a lot of great resources for students."



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Clubs and Activities

Student Health Center

University-Student Union

Financial Aid

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