So my plan is to go to my local community college for the Spring 2018 semester, and then transfer out to a 4 year college starting the Fall 2018 semester. The colleges I want to apply to have requiremtnts of 12, 24, and 60 credit hours for transfer respectively. I would think that 12 is pretty manageable, since that’s only about 1 semester’s worth of work, right? But what about 24? Would that be near impossible? What about 60? I’d like help understanding the math on all of this. Also, I plan to work about 30 hours a week while I’m at community college.
It would just be easier to go to any of trhe schools as a freshman, but because of mental health stuff, I missed a ton of classes my junior and senior year, and then I eventually dropped out, so my highschool GPA is more shot than… well, something that’s shot. It’s why I’m only starting in the Spring. I also don’t want to spend more than this time in community college, because living at home has become increasingly taxing.
Sorry, that turned into kind of a rant. I just need help with credit hours math. Thanks.
Twelve hours in a semester is considered full-time for Financial Aid. A student planning to graduate in 4 years (and not taking summer courses) typically takes 15 credit hours a semester, or 30 hours in an academic year.
If you only have one semester’s worth of college grades, your high school record will still have an impact.
24 credits in one semester (assuming that full-time students take between 12 and 18) would be credit overload and very difficult for most students. 60 would be impossible.
If your grades are truly abysmal, you will need more than one semester of college to make a difference.
Do you need financial aid? Generally speaking freshmen applicants get better aid than transfers. Did you eventually graduate or complete a GED? Without one of thse, you can’t file the FAFSA and you won’t be eligible for any federal aid.
Do you have a formal plan in places to keep your mental health support system together? It may be best that you do a full AA or AS degree before transferring. That would give you more time to get the mental health issues sorted out, and would give you time to find places where you will have a guaranteed transfer to finish up your degree.