<p>Hey whats up people. I'm a senior in high school planing on doing the whole CC o UC deal. I dream about going to UCLA, Berkeley, or even UCSC or UCSD. I know I can finish the IGETC and specific major requirements with flying colors (A's and B's).</p>
<p>This is my plan. However I was accepted to SDSU. This was the only college I applied for in November because I was pretty set on my CC to UC plan and just kinda wanted to see if I would get in. And I did. But I don't really want to go there. </p>
<p>My heart is set on a UC, you see. :)</p>
<p>BUT.. I was at San Diego Mesa College (the aforementioned CC) today and was getting a weird vibe. I was just there picking up some scantrons (I'm taking poli-sci, a Mesa course at my high school and love it). But I just felt out of place walking around there, I don't know why. The campus is sorta run down and under construction and parking seems really hectic. </p>
<p>So now my question... </p>
<p>Is it possible to switch to SDSU down the road if Mesa isn't the right fit? I mean, I was already accepted and everything..</p>
<p>Maybe I am just apprehensive..</p>
<p>I don't know.. Someone guide me through this please, I really appreciate any advice.</p>
<p>First of all, congratulations on your acceptance to SDSU. You can definitely go that route, but it seems to me that you’re favoring it because you want to obtain the “college experience” vibe that exists in SDSU but isn’t present at Mesa. The thing is, that there isn’t supposed to be such an experience at a community college.</p>
<p>The point of a community college is to provide students, particularly transfer students with general education courses before sending them on to 4-year universities. The benefits are enormous in my opinion. Not only do you lop off a great amount of expenses, but your admissions chances are improved as opposed to being admitted straight from high school. Community colleges also immerse you in a unique environment that trains you for the real experience at universities so you’ll be able to hit the ground running when you do transfer. </p>
<p>If you really do have your heart set on attending a UC, particularly LA or Berkeley, definitely go the community college route. Transfer rates favor those who take that path as opposed to transferring from another 4-year institution. So in other words, if you go to SDSU and you decide to transfer to say UCLA or UCB, you’re probably going to regret not going from a community college instead because the odds are against you.</p>
<p>Frankly, community college isn’t expected to be a “right fit” for transfer students because no one expects to be there for a long time. Many students, including me just grit our teeth for the 2+ years that we attend before finally achieving our dreams of getting accepted into our dream schools and whatnot. The recent budget cuts will hurt community colleges across the state, and more students are opting for the community college route thus increasing competition. But if you overcome that then your chances of transferring to a good UC will be there for you. So don’t settle for a quick escape to SDSU just because you think you won’t expect a good experience at Mesa, if that’s what you’re considering. Trust me on this, I didn’t expect to have a good time at my community college, but I took advantage of the various organizations and resources offered to enrich my time there. I now look at my two years as an invaluable life experience as well as an opportunity that will enable me to transfer to a UC this Fall. So I hope that you decide what you want to do, whatever it is.</p>
<p>Honestly, in hindsight, I’m really glad I went to CC. It has made me mingle with all kinds of people not just the 20-somethings. You get a sense of real people and real situations.</p>
<p>I was once very much like you, I hated CC slowly but surely it grew on me. Now when I walk through campus I enjoy the sights and sounds around me.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks so much KarmaGo. Really informative, first-hand thoughts. I think you’re right. I think what your saying CC isn’t meant to be comfortable. </p>
<p>It’s like going through airport security before getting on the airplane (a UC school). </p>
<p>I leaning pretty heavily towards this CC route and my motivation is achieving that foundation UC schools seem to give you. You’re also right about taking advantage of my two years at a CC. I can already tell I’m going to at least take advantage of the library and do loads of studying in there.</p>
<p>Thanks for enlightening me. Really appreciate it :)</p>
<p>I agree with The Pavin. CC is more diverse.</p>
<p>Personally, when I went to CC during the summer I loved it. I had spent the year at a UC so I knew what it was like. CC was refreshing in that it was smaller and felt more intimate. My classes were smaller and students varied in ages. It was really chill and laid back but then again it was summer session so who knows.
My friend who I carpooled with, on the other hand, disliked every minute of the school. However, I looked forward to going because I loved the campus.</p>
<p>I guess it depends on the person. Some CCs are better than others. Some people would prefer to be at a university.</p>
<p>I thought my CC was great and am looking into enrolling again this summer.</p>
<p>Yeah def call SDSU. They only let in about 10% of applicants this year so congrats. They may not be receptive to the deferment thing especially if its so you can go to another college. I go to Grossmont right now and will be transferring in the Fall. I love it as a CC. You might wanna check out the campus. We just got finished with major construction so a lot of the buildings are new this semester. Why didnt u apply to any UC’s?</p>
<p>most serious students were just wishing they could be at the 4 yr school of their choice ASAP. also from personal experience, it’s not a place to really meet new friends or anything. everyone seemed to just go to class and go do whatever they needed to do.</p>
<p>That sounds about right. Pretty much sounds like every CC I’ve ever been to. LOL</p>
<p>That said it’s completely worth it to go the CC route, even if it isn’t exactly comfortable. It puts you in a much better position if you want to transfer to a UC because of the articulation agreements and your priority as a transfer applicant. And you also save a ton of money doing so. Not to mention having talked with many successful transfers, the biggest advantage CCs have over four years are smaller class sizes, which allow for more personal interactions with your professors. I know a few people that transferred to UCLA and miss little things like being able to talk to one of your professors about actual life circumstances or being able to drop in even outside of office hours and having them there to help you out. </p>
<p>Ultimately, I think you can’t go wrong going to CC and you’ll get as much out of it as you want to. Also I think it’s by far the best, most affordable route if you want to end up at a UC in the future.</p>
<p>Cc might be more diverse, but there is no social life. At least at my cc you come to school then go home once classes are over. No one wants to hangout and stuff because they can just go home -__- I’m so ready for real college lol</p>
<p>That is true. I don’t think anyone is saying that CC is fun, just convenient financially. However I didn’t really mind since I was there for summer session. I had a job and volunteered and was usually very hungry by the end of my day. The CC I went to was 40 minutes away so I jumped right on the freeway as soon as it was over.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine what it would be like going to CC during the rest of the year but for me it wasn’t SO bad.</p>
<p>Don’t let that deter you. I go to Mesa College this semester and you can’t help it if your school is going through a 50 million dollar renovation!</p>
<p>CC is to get your classes out of the way cheaper. If you go to SDSU you have more ways to actually bring down your grades…its a big party school. Looking back, I wish I did CC first. Your not a number in a class of 500 people in your intro classes. You have more personal attention and its really the same damn thing. I went to a university my first year…but Calculus is Calculus…Bio is bio…</p>
<p>save your money. Go to CC. And your gpa will probably be higher after 2 years :O)</p>
<p>@nsws1631 I had a 3.4 cumulative and a 1760 SAT score (I think). I was going to apply for Santa Cruz but at the last second I decided not to spend the 70 bucks. And straight out of high school I don’t think I would be up to go so far away. I need more time to think, I think. Also, in November I was extremely confident in this CC to UC plan. Thankfully, a lot of people on here are reassuring me and have successfully restored my confidence. I’m going to really consider SDSU though, but I’m leaning to doing a UC transfer. BTW Grossmont is 20 minutes away and Mesa is 6. I guess I can leave that option open too…</p>
<p>@Chelzmcnamara True. But I will hopefully make a few friends. I mean, I want to meet people like me who are just all business when it comes to getting into a UC. I will probably hang out a lot at Starbucks or in library. I’ll associate myself with other intellectuals.</p>
<p>@dilapidatedmind Haha, Thanks. I guess it’s normal to be a little apprehensive. CC to UC sounds like a much better deal in the end and well worth the discomfort (and parking, lol).</p>
<p>@uctransfer2012 I think I will be doing my share of “going home.” To study. I don’t want to party that much. I get that hanging out is different. I’ll definitely hang out with people. Maybe not a ton, though. I don’t want to become a hermit, but at the same time I don’t want to waste my 2 years. I really want to take as many classes as I can to make it to a UC. Therefore, I am trying to motivate myself to be as studious as possible. Maybe being a bit of an introvert will help, who knows lol…</p>
<p>@AllFieldsAreReq Yeah, I get what you’re saying. It will grow on me like the Pavin said.</p>
<p>At first, people look down at students going to a CC because they think that it’s better to go straight to a 4-year university. However, my experience with my CC is that you actually start to grow into the beauty of it. Joining clubs, meeting people, and associating yourself with the school’s activities can make your college experience much more enjoyable. Also, just like what AllFieldsAreReq said, CC’s are generally more laid-back and you can easily attain higher grades. I know that once I transfer next year I will miss the chill atmosphere in the CC but I do not regret any moment of taking the CC to UC route. :)</p>
<p>NO ONE LIKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE. Just suck it up, do your two years, and transfer. You’ll end up with a degree from Cal or UCLA, which should be more than enough motivation to do the two year grind a the CC.</p>
<p>Which choice would you rather take? Go to SDSU where it will give you a legit full college experience but graduate and wonder what life could have been if you had gotten that degree from a UC? Or suck it up and be bored and miserable for 2 years at cc but end up graduating with a way more prestigious (depending on which campus you transfer into) degree? Depending on major the school you graduate from can affect grad school options and job prospects (more prestigious schools have better recruiting for bigger companies). Think about this as a decision that could change your career and even life trajectory. It also depends on your maturity level. If you imagine yourself partying too hard and getting kicked out of SDSU then perhaps its best to go to CC and live with your parents to mature for a while and attend school with a group of older and more responsible students. On the other hand, CC’s are known for losers and seedy people in general lol.</p>
<p>Going to CC is like going to jail. But I think it is well worth it. Here is what I would do to make your jail sentence a bit easier.</p>
<p>Get a part time job during the day to keep you busy and make some money.</p>
<p>Choose more classes that are held at night, Saturday, and online. You’ll meet more people who work during the day and have a specific reason for being there. They’re not there to take random classes. You don’t run into as many slackers. You don’t run into people who talk back at the professor and stuff like that. I think you’ll find a better vibe at night. If you need to take the higher-end math and science classes or classes required for nursing and other competitive health programs, you’ll find less of the high school part 2 thing during the day as well. </p>
<p>Plan out your CC program yourself. You’re an adult and not one of those slackers. You don’t need hand holding anymore. Minimize the contact with counselors, who often don’t know squat anyway and often make you take unnecessary extra classes so the enrollment numbers go up. They’re also too used to dealing with slackers. Instead, look at the rules and regulations in the catalog at the CC and the UC when you have questions. Interact with the paper pushers in administration as little as possible.</p>