Hello, I am currently attending a UC. I have recently decided that I could not major in what I had intended to major in because I did not have passion for it, I have instead decided to major in Communications. But, I attend a school that doesn’t offer this as a major. Therefore, I want to transfer. I would like to transfer next year, but have no desire to stay at the certain UC because I do not want to pay that much for a school I will not succeed in. My GPA is currently a 3.12, ( i screwed up my first quarter in math class), and I would like to transfer to either Chapman, LMU, University of San Diego, Pepperdine, or any State school. Are these realistic choices? I really do not want to stay at this UC as I would also not be able to declare the major I would like to, and I have no idea what I would major and succeed in at that school. My predicament is that I would like to go to a Community college by my home (SMC) for a year or a semester before I transfer. I was wondering if the number of units I will have finished by next quarter (42) will hurt me more then benefit me if I go to community college, i.e. How will it benefit me? Will all my units transfer over? I know I will not qualify for TAG, but I do not wish to transfer to a UC school, I do wish to transfer to a CSU school so I was curious if me not qualifying for it would hurt my chances. Im wondering if the colleges I would like to apply to will see it negatively if i go to a Community college after a UC. Im wondering also if all of my units would transfer into the CC, and what requirements I would have to satisfy at the CC. I also could not stay at the UC i am in now, as I wish to transfer either next spring or the following fall, since my school does not have my major, I would not be able to have the classes I wanted and therefore would have to declare a different major. And, if I were to transfer in the Spring, I would transfer in the middle of the semester. I am at a loss here, and I could really use some guidance. Is this the best decision for me? Or are the colleges I want to transfer to going to see this change negatively? Thank you all for your clarification.
Talk to your transfer advisor at the college.
Many students in California start at a UC, then transfer to a community college because they want to change majors, and then transfer to a new 4-year college or university to finish up their degrees. Pay a visit to the Transfer Advisor at SMC, and talk with that person about your goals. You will get a lot of useful advice.
If you transfer - especially out of the UC system, you are likely to loose some hard earned units.
Also - most schools only accept Jr level applicants for Fall admission. Most privates have few spots for transfers and offer little aid.
Stepping back to your local CC can really derail your educational progress.
I’d suggest an alternate course. Communications is a really broad field of interest. I bet there’s more than one major that’s very close in concept/content to a Com Studies program - they are just hidden in another department. I’d also guess, if you can’t find a suitable major, you can design your own. Without knowing which UC you attend I can’t be more specific than that.
At the very least, talk to academic advising at your school about options more aligned with your interests before you make a big decision.