TAKING CHARGE OF EDUCATION IS CENTRAL AT CSUN.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

As classes started Monday at California State University, Northridge, junior Taviah Bailey was already thinking ahead to graduation.

An aspiring fashion designer, the 19-year-old Studio City woman attended a workshop at the university's career center to learn how to make her dreams a reality while still on campus.

``Too many people out there spend all their lives lost and wondering what to do, and I know for sure that this is what I want to do,'' said Bailey, who has already made contacts in the fashion industry in downtown Los Angeles.

``This is my dream. I want to have my clothing line established by the time I graduate; right now I'm learning more about the fashion industry and making contacts.''

The seminar, taught by CSUN career center director Adele Scheele, was designed to show students how to take charge of their education and use their class assignments to explore potential careers.

``College is an investment in time, money and hope,'' said Scheele, author of ``Jumpstart Your Career in College.''

``The hope is that you will be better educated, more savvy and better connected than when you came here.''

But that won't happen unless students take charge of their education, Scheele said. Too many students learned in high school to be passive learners: doing what was expected of them on homework assignments and waiting for the system to promote them.

Instead, students should befriend their professors and ask them for information about potential careers in their field, and use term papers, internships and part-time jobs to further explore their vocational goals.

``It'll feel weird,'' Scheele said of making friends with instructors. ``It will feel like apple-polishing, but you want to get to know them.''

Campus clubs can also help a student, but only if students become active members, Scheele said. By serving on a committee, students can learn presentation, motivation and negotiating skills that will serve them well in the work force.

Elsewhere on campus, students with backpacks slung on their shoulders and cell phones glued to their ears strolled past vendors on the Matador Walk, who were selling everything from jewelry to gym memberships.

This year, about 30,000 students are expected to attend CSUN. Last year, the university enrolled 31,448 students.

Brendan Lloyd, 20, a Northridge sophomore, was busy pricing his political science books at the bookstore, and enjoying not being a brand-new freshman this year.

``This is a very organized school,'' Lloyd said. ``There's not very much bureaucracy and everything you need is right in your face. Everything is accessible and if you need to do something, it doesn't take long.''

Unless you're trying to find a place to park. Cisco Fajardo, 20, of Hollywood and Taryn Prosnitz, 20, of Granada Hills said finding a parking spot is tough even though the university has more than 10,000 parking spaces.

``You get stalked by people,'' Prosnitz said, describing what happens when she walks to where her car is parked. ``(They say,) I'll drive you to your car if you give me your space.''

CSUN plans to build two parking garages by the end of summer 2004 that will add 2,500 spaces. The first is scheduled for completion by next summer, not much comfort to students circling the lots this fall. The first parking garage will be located on the west side of campus, near the colleges of business and education, two of CSUN's most popular colleges, said Carmen Ramos Chandler, director of news and information for CSUN.

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Taviah Bailey, 19, a junior at CSUN, is attending a workshop to learn how to make her dreams a reality while still on campus. The seminar is aimed in part to help students use their class assignments to explore potential careers.

Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News