<p>So i have been going to a CC here in San Francisco. I'm on week number 4 and really am not enjoying myself. I am a military veteran and thought this would be best to get used to going back to school then transfer somewhere else in 2 or so year. I am struggling hard to cope with everything. I am doing great academically but the life is just not what I want. I don't know how I will be able to do 2 or more years at a cc. I am going to try and transfer to a private institution for next fall. My question to you guys is this- If in my essays I tell everyone about why I went to a CC and how it was not a good fit is there any way I could get accepted? I plan on applying to Santa Clara University and any other school you guys could think of that may accept me. I would love to attend cal tech but there is just no way. I want a school with a strong engineering program which my CC does not. If you know a cc that does Im open to that to. I plan on studying electrical engineering. I appreciate any help you guys can give me about a school to apply to or how to go about this whole thing. Thanks everyone for the help.</p>
<p>Tyler</p>
<p>I did some of my engineering pre-reqs at Diablo Valley… I thought it was a great school. What are your struggling to cope with (I’m a veteran as well, started school 5 days after separation) ?</p>
<p>I would also wonder what you are struggling with at your community college - more specificity would help.</p>
<p>That being said, if your academic record is solid at your community college and you want to transfer, it’s highly doubtful that the schools to which you apply will question you on why you’re transferring. Students transfer from community colleges regularly after one year, and some after only a semester (my brother transferred to a 4-year school after taking a year off, and then one semester at a CC). Students go to community colleges for many reasons - among these are the low cost, the acceptance of last minute applications, making up for modest high school grades, or the desire to live at home, and 4-year colleges know that it could be any of these reasons - and transferring from a CC before you earn an associate’s degree will not raise the same question that transferring from a 4-year college will. </p>
<p>Bear in mind that if you do transfer before you’ve gone two years, most 4-year colleges will look hard at your high school grades and test scores, whereas most will look only at your CC grades if you transfer after your second year.</p>
<p>Look into the honors society at your CC. The honors program, plus Phi Theta Kappa once that first semester was completed with qualifying grades, offered my kid many social and service opportunities, and made the CC a much smaller, more personal place. Why not contact whomever is in charge of the honors program and ask them about their offerings? Good luck to you, and thanks for your service.</p>
<p>Well what treetop said is kind of what is making me upset with the whole cc experience. I feel it is a place for people with little aspiration or dreams. Now I know this is not true as a whole but many of the people I run into are like that. I have so much drive and want to be somewhere where people also are really driven. I love coding and working on science projects and my school doesnt even have a science club. I dont feel like I am getting everything I could out of my education going to this school.</p>
<p>That’s just how it goes man. You gotta plow through it and the reward will come. If you haven’t proven yourself yet academically, there’s no shortcut. I’m a vet. I hated the transition too, but now I’ve transferred into a top engineering program and I’m glad I stuck it out.</p>
<p>Students at the sophomore and higher level are, as a whole, a lot better than those at a freshman level. Stick it out and it gets better as you go.</p>
<p>hey man it get’s better once you get into harder classes. I just transferred to cal for engineering. When i started at cc i was placed in pre calculus, and the atmosphere was similar to the one you are describing. once you get into the upper math/physics classes at your cc the majority of the people are in it for the same reasons as you</p>
<p>What classes are you taking? The earlier requirements that everyone has to take – Algebra or pre-calc, freshman comp, etc. – are obviously going to have a lot of directionless people. Sort of a different phrasing of Neo said, but even a semester deeper into math, and I have met a lot more people who think more like I do.</p>
<p>Also, is it possible that you are just at a really bad CC? Mine accepts anyone with a HS equivalence, and we have like 10 STEM clubs that I know of off-hand, including an engineering club and a robotics club. You could probably find a place that’s still cheap and geared toward getting you into a top engineering program. We have them in the deep south, so surely you must have them in the Bay area.</p>
<p>Ya Ive been thinking of transfering to a different cc as,well. Thanks for all the positives I have been looking at berkeley city college because of its proximity to cal but I may be heading down to la as well. Appreciate the good words.</p>
<p>I don’t think your CC needs to have an engineering program for you to transfer to a 4 year institution. For electrical engineering, the only engineering course that might be offered for you at a CC is Circuits. Once you transfer, there will be alot more hardcore electrical engineering courses. Now for most of the UC’s, all you really need is the basic lower division courses completed like math, science, english, and most electives with good grades. This might be true for Caltech, but you should call them or check their website about transfer agreements.</p>
<p>CC woes? Yea some in of the classes the atmosphere can be depressing, but honestly don’t let it put you down. Once you get into some hardcore classes like calc and physics, you will be with people who have similar future goals.</p>
<p>Since you mentioned San Francisco, you must be attending CCSF. I took a few transfer electives there, but did everything else at San Mateo Community College District (skyline, canada, College of San Mateo). CCsf is not a bad school, but getting any kind of counseling help is a nightmare, because of the huge volume of students that go there. One of the good things I liked about attending College of San Mateo and Canada College was that both schools had a dedicated counselor for engineer majors. They were basically the instructors for the engineerring courses, so they were a great resource.</p>
<p>Another good CC is Foothill College. When I was at UCLA, I met several students that went there. They go by the quarter system, compared to the other CC’s I listed that go by semester.</p>
<p>Just slog through CC and then transfer when you can’t do any more requisite math/science classes. CC isn’t supposed to be the fun college experience you see on tv, it’s where you go to take classes and learn things.</p>