I've received a few PMs lately as to what to do in terms of going to a community college and transfering from there, so I thought I'd post a few tips as well as share my experience. You guys can definitely ask questions. I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability.
So basically, here's my storyI currently go to UCLA, but before that I went to the community college in my hometown (San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California) and transfered after three years. I was only planning on being at my college for two years, but due to certain circumstances I had to take classes part time for a year and a half. I didn't decide on a major until I started up my third year at my CC, and I ended up choosing English. At the time of application, my GPA was about 3.3-3.4. I applied to UCLA, UCSD, UCI UCD and SDSU and got into all 5 schools, even though by the end of the school year my GPA dropped down to about 3.1.
In terms of extra curricular activities, I was involved with AGS (Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society) as a general member, treasurer, and vice president. I was also a part of my school's Democrats Club, although I didn't really do much for them. I also go to know the students/staff involved with Student Government, as well as the counselors at my CC. Some of this might have helped me get into universities, and some of them might not have mattered at all.
Community college - Yes or no?Are you still considering whether or not to go to a CC? Weigh the positives and negatives.
+ You're saving a TON of money. Anywhere from a few grand to 10-20k (and if you decide to go to a private school, even more) a year. Remember that you have to pay for tuition, AS WELL AS housing and other expenses, which can add up to quite a lot
+ It's an easier transition from high school to the university. Your classes won't be that hard at the CC and you'll have as much time as you want to consider what major you want to do because classes/tuition is extremely cheap compared to universities.
+/- You'll be close to home. This can be good AND bad. But think about it. You really do have the rest of your life to be independent. 2-3 years at home really isn't that bad.
- You won't get the "full college experience". A lot of people build long lasting friendships over their four years at a university, and you might miss out on half of it. (But personally, being here at UCLA for only half the time is STILL great. I don't feel like I missed out)
- Community colleges aren't as "prestigious" as universities. This is really a matter of opinion, but I know that a lot of people reject community colleges because they feel that they're "too dumb" or whatever. However, seriously, people don't give enough credit to CCs. They're a great starting point and you actually have better chances of getting accepted to a UC as a transfer than as a senior from high school.
Working your way towards transfering1. IGETC!!!
http://www.igetc.orgIGETC will be your best friend if you get to know it well and your worst enemy if you don't. IGETC stands for Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum. But don't get scared by the name. Basically, it's the guidelines for doing your lower division requirements for a UC/CSU. Depending on your major, there will be certain requirements you have to fulfill by the time you are done with your community college career. Don't think that you have to do all of it ASAP or even by the time you transfer. The process of completing your IGETC should take you the full two (or three) years at your community college. Completing it is the BEST way (but not guranteed way) to ensure that you make it into the UC/CSU of your choice. Definitely talk to your counselor about it and check out the website, which leads to point 2.
2. Talk to your counselor
Counselors at community colleges are a risky business. Now, don't get the wrong message. The thing about counselors is, they're all different. Some are trained extremely well and have the patience of Mother Theresa, but some don't give a damn about your education at all. Don't feel stuck or discouraged if the first counselor you go to is bad. Switch, and find another. My personal experience was kind of... well, it was okay. I went through three different counselors before I finally found one that was useful. And definitely stick with one that makes you feel comfortable. If you're uneasy with the person you're talking to, that's a bad sign. And if it just happens to be so that all the counselors at your school suck, do your own research and become your own counselor.
3. Plan out a schedule/goal
What I mean by this is that you should try and decide what you want to major in so that you can take classes that pertain to your major. But DON'T WORRY about declaring a major right away!!! They say that college students change majors about 5 times before they graduate. I seriously worried like hell for so long because I didn't have a major. During your first semester, you should take about 3 classes (which should be the standard at any college I believe), which goes anywhere from 12-16 units. After your first semester, see if you need to take more or less. Some of you will be working, which means you should have less hours. Some of you will be study maniacs, which means you might be able to handle 4 classes.
*Disclaimer: So... it took me a freaking long time to decide what I was going to major in, and I actually ended up switching majors during my junior year at UCLA. I'm not really the best person to tell you what major you should get into, but my advice is to DO WHAT YOU WANT/LIKE. Remember, you're the one who's going to be studying this topic for the next 3-5 years. Don't do something just because "it sounds cool" or your parents wanted you to. I know too many engineers who hate their classes, but do it because their parents want them to. Experiment. Take a bunch of random classes that fulfill your GE requirements and maybe you'll find something you like. Don't be afraid to talk to counselors as well as other people.
4. Do extracurricular activities, sports, or work
Don't feel like you have to do all three, because that might end up killing all of your time. Alpha Gamma Sigma (the group I mentioned above) is the only officially recognized honor society by UCs and CSUs. It's NOT a fraternity/sorority. You have to have a 3.0 minimum GPA to be in the group as well as perform community service, but really, it's not that bad. You'll have the opportunity to meet people and make friends. Playing a sport or working will also look good on your college applications because it shows that you're interested in other things AND that you're able to multi-task. You don't want to look like a hermit who only goes to class and nothing else (although if this is the case for you... that's okay too, I guess)
5. Make friends
Not only does making friends allow you to socialize (and keep you from being a lonely, lonely soul), but it is a great way to get advice! People who have been at your community college for a year or two will most likely know which professors are good (and adversely, bad). However, don't ask the idiots who have a 0.5 GPA! Ask people who are doing moderately well, and possibly, in the same major as you are. I know this can be hard, because in my first year at my CC I didn't really get to know anyone, but if you join a club or sports team, you can get to know people MUCH better.
5 tips for keeping your grades upI thought this segment should get it's own section because it's pretty damn important. You can join all the clubs in the world and write the best personal statement ever, but if your GPA sucks then no college will want to take you. Here are a few tips in keeping your grades up.
1. GO TO CLASS!!!
This is the most basic AND most important tool in keeping your grades up. OH MAN, just ask anyone who's been at a community college and they'll tell you that they almost always did better when they went to class. It's extremely easy to one day just say, "Oh, I'm kind of lazy. I'll just skip class for one day. It's only one day". DON'T DO THIS! Once you miss a single day of class, it becomes extremely easy to skip even more. Now, if you're buzzed out and tired from an overloaded amount of work or you're sick, obviously, it's okay to take a day or two off. But don't skip class just because you're lazy or dislike the professor.
2. Study moderately
For most of your classes, you don't need to study like crazy. They say you should study 1 hour for every hour of class you have. So say you have about 12 hours of class in a week. That means you should be studying for about 2 hours a day (which, if you suck at math, equates to 14 hours a week). Now, this sounds like a crapload of studying, and it is. Honestly, I got by certain classes with no studying (only reviewing before exams), but other classes (like human biology and Chinese), I had to study LIKE CRAZY for them. The amount of studying you have to do will obviously depend on how many classes you're taking, as well as how good of a learner you are and how good of a professor your professor is ANDDDD... how hard your professor is. BUT... it's always better to over study for a class than understudy. Plus, this really prepares you for when you transfer to a university, because you'll get a LOT more homework.
3. Get tutoring
Most CCs will have AT LEAST one tutoring center. My community college had a center for English/writing and one for math/sciences. Definitely take advantage of them! Don't feel like you're ever too smart for tutoring. Even if it's something as small as learning how to write a 2 page essay, they can help you.
4. Study with smart/focused people
Sometimes studying with your friends can work out, but if you have friends like mine (or even me personally), then you'll spend 80% of the time chatting and 20% of the time studying. This is BAD. Also, unless you're pretty smart yourself or feeling charitable, don't study with the person in your class who has no idea what's going on. This may sound mean, but in a lot of cases, this person will not want to learn. They'll just want you to do the hard work for them and make it as easy as possible. Study with people who WANT to study.
5. Talk to your professor
Unless you're a genious, at some point in your college career, you're going to be confused with something in class. Now, if you're like most people, you won't know a single person in your classes. If you do, ask them about any questions you have, but if you don't, TALK TO YOUR PROFESSOR. I know that in a lot of cases, they'll seem scary, but they know the best way for you to do well in their class. Hell, they freaking teach it. However, some professors really do suck badly. I had one math professor who kept on giving us the wrong answers and getting mad at us for correcting her. If this is the case... then judge wisely as to when you should bug him/her. But in the end, if you are having trouble or have some type of circumstance that affects your learning, then talk to your professor. Most want you to do well. They may even offer you outside tutoring or tutoring during office hours.
The application processJust so you know, I only applied to CSUs and UCs, so I don't know how the application process works for other univerisites. However, these tips should still apply to a lot of others.
1. Know where you want to apply to
It's been about 3 years since I applied, but I assume the application process is still fairly similar. What's nice about CSUs and UCs is that there is only ONE application for each system. If you only plan on applying to CSUs, you don't need to do a personal statement. Just fill out the stuff they ask you for. BUTTT... if you plan on applying to any UCs, you'll have to write a personal statement, which is the "big scary part" for most people. Private universities and other colleges will have their own applications. Applying to schools also COST MONEY, however, some colleges will be have fee waivers. Just ask your counselor about them. Just remember to take a look at the applications because certain schools will require certain things (like if you're applying as an art major, you might have to turn in a portfolio, but if you're just plain ol' PoliSci, then you just turn in an application)
2. The personal statement, aka, "OMG I don't know what the hell to do"
Once you decide where you want to transfer to, start working on your personal statement (or at least start thinking about it). College applications usually come out some time early Fall semester. I forget exactly when... but I think they give you about one month to turn everything in. If the UC aps are still the same, your personal statement will come in 3 parts. They give you some pretty vague topics, and although it seems like hell, it's not that bad. You might think that you won't have anything to say, but you will actually have VERY little room to write what you want. I think you only get about 1000 words in total, which isn't that much if you think about it. Here's another little mini-segment:
a. Write it early. That way, you can show it to other people
b. SHOW IT TO OTHER PEOPLE! You should be open to critiques. Show it to your counselor, professors you trust, and friends who have good judgement (but don't show it to your dumb friend who can't even tell the difference between your and you're)
c. Rewrite your statement if necessary. If people keep telling you that it's kinda "ehhh", that means you need to change it up. You might not need to start from scratch. But if you feel you want to, then do it.
d. DON'T LIE!!! Don't make up some sob story on how you've been so underpriviledged your whole life if you're not. Don't talk about how you want to save the world with your college degree if you don't plan on it. Just tell your story like it is. Obviously, you wanna make yourself sound good, but don't overly exaggerate anything.
e. Don't use magnificiently articulate words to compensate for the lack of material in your personal statement. Write your essay in a proper way, but don't feel like you need to throw out giant words.
3. Turn it in on time!
Pretty self explanatory. Don't wait until the very last day to turn in the damn thing! I did this, and it was hell. You can either turn in your apps through mail or do it online. Doing it online is pretty easy and convienent, but if you wait until the last day (or even last few days), you're going to find that the website will be SLOOOOOW.
4. Wait and have patience!
If you're lucky, you might find out early that you've been accepted, but for the majority of applicants, you find out in the Spring. Sometimes schools will request for you to send further information, so if they do, then turn in whatever they ask you to. Otherwise, don't worry anymore. You got past the hard part. Just keep doing well in your classes and keep your GPA up.
Extra stuffFinancial Aid! www.fafsa.ed.gov
DO YOUR DAMN FAFSA! It seriously only takes about an hour and you can get about 5k a year, which covers all of your tuition and books. Think about it. FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS (possibly less, possibly more) for ONE HOUR of work? It's freaking worth it.
Personal issues
If you ever have any personal problems, like you're newly handicapped or you're going through depression or anything else like that, you should speak to a counselor or other staff/faculty member you can trust and get things worked out. A lot of times, there will be special consideration for students who are going through hardships like family deaths and such.
Take it easy
Don't feel like you have to rush and do all of this and be the perfect student. Bs are okay. Even Cs (although you should be getting more As and Bs than Cs). Failing a class isn't the end of the world either. You can always retake it and replace the grade. In the end, make a bit of time for yourself every day. Don't study into crazy hours at night. BUT, if you're not studying at all, then you need to get working! Also, don't feel like you have to transfer in two years if classes get hard or other circumstances get in the way. It took me three years to transfer, and that's actually the norm. Seriously. Most of my friends ended up transfering in three years (as well as most of the transfers I know here at UCLA). Just remember that each person's experience will be different.
Man, I've been typing for a loooong time now and my brain is kind of fried, but I hope this helps someone! If any info I've given is wrong or out of date, please let me know! It's been a couple years since I've been at a CC. Feel free to reply here if you have any questions and I'll try to respond to the best of my abilities. Hopefully other successful transfers can give advice too.