<p>I'm not exactly sure what I want to major in yet. So I plan to go to a CCC to "find myself?"
I plan to go to a UC or a program towards my major after I get my general education. Should I attend a CSU, CCC, or a UC (for all 4 years)? Money is not a huge problem, as I can get scholarships. </p>
<p>I want to be guaranteed to graduate in four years or less. But where are classes easier to register for? I know they're all public schools, so I know I'll probably be waitlisted for my required courses, where a five year graduation becomes inevitable... </p>
<p>Or, should I just go to a private school....
I don't know, really confused right now</p>
<p>I go to Sonoma State and I have NO PROBLEM getting classes. I’m in thirteen classes for the fall. You have to be willing to take either morning or evening classes and a Friday class but it is possible. You can graduate in four years easy, you just have to be willing to work hard and not fail any classes.
If you have any questions about Sonoma, let me know.</p>
<p>I really think a CCC for your first two (or three, depending on how things go) years is a smart choice. Why not take your general ed where it’s cheaper? And if you decide you want to take some extra electives, or experiment a bit with different classes, you have that as an affordable option. </p>
<p>Plus if you decide to go to a UC, coming from a community college really gives you a leg up.</p>
<p>hmmmmmm… do you think it matters what community college i go to?
also, does it make sense to go to a UC for my general ed? if we don’t worry about money.</p>
<p>Normally I would say no, but I am currently in community college, and I switched from the large nearby one to a smaller, more remote campus. After years of on and off attendance I was tired of dealing with the 20,000 people at the larger campus and that particular sort of student body. The other campus is newer with better labs, fewer students, and much cleaner. It’s also attracted some of the better teachers from the other community college campuses as well as the local CSU. Whatever community college is nearest to you is probably just fine, but if there’s another option you feel might be better, go for it. I wouldn’t bother moving for the sake of a community college, though.</p>
<p>My personal recommendation would still be the CC over UC for general ed stuff. Freshmen classes are usually large, but “community college large” and “UC large” are different things. My biggest classes at my CC have been around 100 students in a lecture hall. At a UC you’re going to be looking at several hundred in your largest classes. The quality of your education is going to depend more on your individual professors and the effort you put in, at least at this level. I still feel like I’m getting a very competent education where I am.</p>
<p>If you’re very eager to get to the UC there’s nothing wrong with doing that, either. Besides graduating in four years-which may be hard no matter where you go-what are your goals? What do you want out of life right now and out of your education?</p>
<p>Going to CC means that you won’t have as much (financial and administrative) pressure to decide a major early on, since you can take several years and many more than 60 semester units of courses at CC before transferring. But most people don’t want to spend a lot of years at CC…</p>
<p>If you do have any majors in mind, use [Welcome</a> to ASSIST](<a href=“http://www.assist.org%5DWelcome”>http://www.assist.org) to see which CCs have the prerequisites for the majors at UCs and CSUs.</p>
<p>Graduating in four years as a full time student likely has a lot to do with not needing remedial course work, taking an average of 15 units per semester or quarter, following a reasonable course plan for your major, and not changing major late in your college career. But four year graduation rates are low at many state universities – highest are around 70% for Berkeley and UCLA, but many CSUs are under 20%.</p>
<p>An additional variable is overcrowded classes. This is reportedly worst at many CCs, and a problem at some CSUs. Some CSUs (e.g. Pomona, Fresno, Fullerton, San Bernardino, Stanislaus) have four year graduation pledge programs where if you do not need remedial courses and agree to follow the course plan for your major and not change major, you get priority registration, so that you won’t be overcrowded out of a class you need to graduate in four years.</p>