<p>My parents couldnt afford to send me to 4 year university after weeks of pleading with the financial aid office so now I am stuck going to a Community college. I am depressed that almost everyone I knew from high school is going to a 4 year college `and make friends while I have to live at home with my parents for at least two more years. Virtually all of the classes that account for transferable units are closed. The best I could manage to get was waitlisted for two classes. The counselors dont want to help me with planning out a transfer to a real school, instead they yell at me for not trying to register earlier for classes. If I get lucky, I might be able to take 1 or 2 classes this semester and thats about it. </p>
<p>What can I do to keep my first semester at CC from being a total waste? This surely will kill whatever chance I have of transferring out in 2 years.</p>
<p>what CC are u attending?</p>
<p>unfortunately with budget cuts and with the large increase in CC interest…getting classes is difficult for freshman and many students in general.</p>
<p>sorry about more bad news but that is the truth.
however, on the bright side there are ways to obtain prioirty registration.
you will have to ask your CC how to do that but most usually give priority to student atheletes, student government, disabled, and a few others. </p>
<p>and since you have so little classes this first semester, to optimize your time, i suggest building up your EC list because transferring is like starting over. everything in high school is nearly obsolete in some cases. so go be president of the student body or start a club, do research, internships, anything that will boost your app and show your dedication to self improvement.</p>
<p>transferring out in 2 years is still possible depending on your major and school of choice.
where do you want to go? major?</p>
<p>it is a bummer that you didnt get the FA needed…but that doesnt mean you wont make friends at your CC and certainly dont let the CC stigma stop you from doing so. ive met extremely great people at CCs.</p>
<p>If I were in your situation, I would figure out what classes I want and go to each professor with a drop/add slip in hand and ask to be added to his/her class. You could send an e-mail ahead of time and ask whether he/she would be willing to add you as an overload and tell why you are interested in taking the particular class. </p>
<p>If you were planning to attend a four-year school and finances did not work out at the last minute, most CC professors will be sympathetic to your plight. I added kids this week without stories–they just needed the class. One of my colleagues told me that she requested that a student write a bit about why he wanted to get into her course, but she did let him add. Good luck.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear about your family’s financial situation. It’s always so tragic when things like that happen.</p>
<p>1.) Maybe don’t start until next semester, if you can’t take any transferable classes. If this, then register on DAY ONE for next semester.</p>
<p>2.) If you get into those classes, then devote yourself utterly to getting fantastic grades. Maybe build relationships with professors who may write you recommendations (a second to the fact that being friendly with a professor leads to better education). Also, next semester, DAY ONE registration.</p>
<p>Do everything you can to succeed, and transfer. If your community college has a chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, try to get in (good GPA and certain number of credits, and you’re invited in). That will help with admissions and tons of scholarship opportunities.</p>
<p>BillyMc–even CCs have dates for registration. Our registration for spring starts in November. Registering early is good advice, but obviously too late for this semester. I think the OP might be able to get the classes he/she wants. Also, the OP might be able to check on-line registration for drops–every day.</p>
<p>MD Mom, I was saying that the OP should register for next semester’s classes on the first day available. I do so online right when it opens for registration, then go do paperwork later. I assume there is a way for the OP to register for Spring classes on the first day available, to prevent a similar problem.</p>
<p>I’ve had my fair share of classes I’ve gotten into thanks to add/drop, people not paying, or simply asking the professor. The only professor who ever turned me down was for an online course…</p>
<p>You still have some options if you are willing to do a bit of work.</p>
<p>You can self study for CLEP exams and earn transferable college credits. Google CLEP and learn about this way of earning college credits that are accepted at most colleges across the country. </p>
<p>You study at home and then register (probably at your local community college) to take the exam. </p>
<p>My kids have earned many colelge credits this way while still in college. As a high school grad, yous should have no trouble doing this as long as you are willing to do some self study. </p>
<p>Many, many students go the comm. college route to save money and then transfer. Your situation is not unique. Make friends at the comm . college as you will meet others who are just like you.</p>
<p>@BillyMc - from what im aware, most CC’s give you a registration date “appointment” type deal where you can only register in that time slot. and being that the OP is a freshman at the CC and someone who has a very late registration date, most classes would be closed within the first week of registration. worse part is, he wont even have a chance to touch most GE’s classes unless someone drops.</p>
<p>ive never heard of being able to register for classes on the first available day…wouldnt that just mean a free for all? first come first serve? server crash lol?</p>
<p>if that is the case…then that is one interesting registration system haha.</p>
<p>Hm, well, I’ve been dual enrolled at a local community-turned-state college for several semesters (this is my third semester of being full time, not counting summers), and yep, that’s my school’s system. Registration opens at 8am on the appointed day. The schedule has already been out for weeks, so I’ve decided on my classes. Then, at 8am, I sign up for all my classes online (it is, indeed, a free-for-all), to reserve the spots, then go do the paperwork before registration is done. Lines are huuuge (out the door, waiting for 2 hours+) at the beginning and end of registration. Then all those who haven’t paid (my high school pays for me) are purged from the system and add/drop begins, where everyone is scrambling to get in their classes. You can sign up for emails to alert you when certain classes open.</p>
<p>wow! </p>
<p>that is really interesting billyMc. how crazy haha!
that kind of works for freshman but sucks for seniors who are trying to get their classes…
either way, it sounds like chaos haha. </p>
<p>thanks for posting that, i really didnt know anyone did this. cool beans.
thank you 
you really do learn something new everyday haha
what CC is this btw?</p>
<p>
Well, the students who have been there a while are generally the ones who know to be up and on the computer at 8am when registration opens.</p>
<p>
Indian River State College, formerly Indian River Community College (they added like 3 BS programs, so “upgraded” to State College, haha).</p>
<p>Find out how to get priority registration. At our local CC, honor students get first dibs. To become an honors student is a 1 page form and very modest qualifications–and once approved don’t have to even take honor classes, but the early registration is still a perk.</p>
<p>Join a club, go nuts on an EC that will boost your transfer chances. Take a class just for fun because you can. Work more and save some extra cash. </p>
<p>See if there is another CC within driving distance that you can take classes you need.</p>
<p>Realize the semester is just 15 or so weeks long–this too shall pass.</p>
<p>Plan to take summer classes to catch up if possible for that 2 year transfer goal.</p>
<p>Realize that many kids at four year colleges will NOT graduate in four years… so if you take 3 years at CC and 2 years after transfer, that 5-year grad rate is rather, uh, normal!</p>
<p>Note colleges publishing their 4-year grad rates… only the elites hit that 80% mark… many public schools have more like a 60% rate… and many schools boast their <em>6 year</em> graduation rate. </p>
<p>Just use this time wisely no matter what. Hopefully you will be healthy and active well into your 90s. It may be frustrating today, but you have decades and decades of life ahead of you and a one year delay (esp if used creatively) is really just fine. Your story is not uncommon, lots of students/families are having to reassess their college path these days. </p>
<p>Do something a bit unusual with the extra time this semester – can you get into a foreign language? Take up golf or modern dance in the PE department? Take guitar in the music department? Again, if all else fails just take the 2 classes and work extra this semester.</p>
<p>Pasadena City College.</p>
<p>I read up on their website that even if classes are full, I can still attend the first session of each class and ask the professor to give me a code that will allow me to enroll in that specific class. I guess I will do that. Id rather get some of the core classes out of the way so I dont pile things on later on.</p>
<p>My ultimate plan is to transfer to UCLA’s school of engineering and pursue either bioengineering or aerospace engineering. Anyone have an idea on how many classes I should take this semester if I can sneak my way into some of them?? I heard there are several transfer programs for going to a UC such as TAG or something but I dont know if it applies to engineering majors.</p>
<p>oo nice PCC is one of the best transfer CC’s in cali. and certainly one of the nicest…</p>
<p>[Welcome</a> to ASSIST](<a href=“http://www.assist.org%5DWelcome”>http://www.assist.org) will tell you all you need to knwo as to what classes to take for your major.
IGETC will tell you all the GE’s needed to transfer.</p>
<p>TAG (guaranteed transfer) is only for lower tier UC’s like UCI, UCSD etc.
UCB and UCLA have TAP (transfer alliance program) this gives you prioirty over other transfer applicants.</p>
<p>you should be taking atleast 4 classes if you can. and yes you can attend the 1st session an attempt to add the class, but there will be lots of competition so dont be discouraged if you dont get the class. </p>
<p>majors like bio engineering and aerospace engineering sound to me like they would be really competitive since its engineering. however im no expert there…</p>
<p>if you need guidance with PCC, i suggest you talk to a counselor there.
but here is what you will basically do…
- fight for classes
- get classes
- take major pre-reqs that count for IGETC and pre-reqs
- do this for 2-3 years
- apply
- transfer :)</p>
<p>and one plus about PCC is that it is one of the easier CC’s to get classes. make sure you join the “scholars” program. (honors). you will get prioirty registration!!!</p>
<p>Don’t be afraid to take evening or weekend classes if all of the weekday daytime sections are full. Some of those sections might still have space.</p>
<p>I just sent some emails to professors, asking to add me to their class and talked a little about the situation. Hopefully they show some mercy.</p>
<p>online classes at another college near by school. you are not restricted to one school</p>
<p>Look into any honors transfer programs they may have at PCC. Students can qualify out of high school or after their first full time semester with a 3.0 gpa. They get priority registration when it comes around.</p>
<p>This may end up being a blessing in disguise. I know tons of people that originally intended to be biology or engineering majors and ended up doing something else because they couldn’t make it in the lower division classes. These classes at the CC level are just as good (especially at PCC) and you have easier access to your professors since class sizes are a lot smaller.</p>
<p>For bioengineering or engineering in general I would look at Cal or UCSD. UCLA’s engineering/physics dept is not as good as those two.</p>
<p>For engineering DO NOT follow IGETC(a mistake I made), the most important thing is the try and finish the physics series for engineers, all the math classes (calc I,II,III, linear algebra, & differential equations), and at least 1 semester of general chem (2 for bioengineering). For bioengineering add the biology series offered at PCC (probably 3 semesters) and 2 semesters of Organic Chem.</p>
<p>The more pre-engineering classes you finish the better your chances of getting into the school you want to, with a decent gpa of course.</p>
<p>went to the classes I wanted to take today. All of them were full and I got turned away. None of the teachers bothered to respond to my email. I’ll go to some more tomorrow but I highly doubt I’ll get into any of them. Theres too many goddamn people taking classes there.</p>
<p>If you can’t get the classes you want. Try to get enough classes for 12 units and make sure you get a 3.0. That should qualify you for the Honors Transfer Program. Once you’re admitted to the program you’ll have priority registration and a better chance to get the classes you want/need.</p>
<p>Since you’re still a new student your registration time for next semester will be near the end of the registration period and chances are that the classes you need will be filled by that time.</p>