<p>Hey CC!
I'm a senior and unfortunately I've slacked off BIG time in my 4 years of high school.(2.7 gpa with mediocre classes). Surprisingly, I've been getting straight A's my senior year now that I'm trying. I'm planning on attending a community college in California for 2 years, possibly 1 year, and transfer to UCLA or UCB. I'm dead set on going to UCLA and I would want to have a realistic goal of if I would be able to achieve it? Is community college hard? I've also been worrying that if I do transfer to a college, not in particular UCLA, that I wouldn't be able to fit in; the juniors would already be settled down when they were a freshman. Anyone help?</p>
<p>Ppl have started out way worse than you on this thread and got into UCLA and UCB. But it will take two years. You need 60 transferable units. The only way a person could do it in one year would be if they had a lot of AP and you aren’t sounding like that person. ;)</p>
<p>UCLA and UCB are tough for anyone to gain admittance so don’t assume you’ll just go to CC and have an easy time of it by getting everything done in one year. You need to apply to transfer safeties because the UC’s reject a lot of students so, wanting to go, is not the same and being able to attend.<br>
As far as fitting in, that’s on what you make of it. A number of students will have their social groups established but you will have students in your major that you will be with and meet.</p>
<p>Both Cal and UCLA’s overall acceptance rates are ~25%, lower for selective/impacted majors.</p>
<p>It’s not impossible to transfer, but it’s certainly not easy, at least not for everything. You still have to work hard, build good study habits, and get great grades in order to transfer. You also need to plan carefully to get the courses you need, especially in STEM fields where there are long chains of pre-reqs. Keep in mind that admission criteria is different for transfers, you’re supposed to be decided on your major. Most of the focus will be on completing the coursework (pre-reqs) for your intended major and your GPA… no more test scores, and ECs mean a lot less. The way you’re graded changes too, less busywork, and a lot more emphasis on exams and large projects/papers.</p>
<p>I transferred a couple years ago, to Berkeley (EECS). I didn’t have too much trouble fitting in, apart from some bad luck with roommates my first year. Apart from the usual problem of new person, new place, don’t know anyone, and making friends takes time, it wasn’t too bad. Sure, a lot of students already have friends, that doesn’t mean they aren’t open to making new ones. There will also be other transfers around, they’re as new as you are. If you can, aim for transfer oriented housing. Berkeley has apartment-dorms, Wada hall, and a vast majority of residents there are new junior transfers, that was my favorite housing. Or if you live with freshmen, you can make friends with them too… two years isn’t that huge a difference. Adjusting academically will be tricky though, at least at UCLA/UCB, but if you’re willing to work hard, and you were getting close to straight A’s at your CC, you’ll be okay.</p>
<p>OP you said on another thread you attend a super competitive HS so CC should not be too difficult for you.</p>
<p>Trust me, you can do it if you’re willing to work hard for it.</p>
<p>Don’t let folks deter you. It is very doable as @cayton said. Just keep your GPA high and get your req done. Stay positive. :)</p>
<p>It’s all about what you put into it. So many kids walk into CC unprepared and either give up, or never had the right passion for it to start with. It’s got to be a decision, not just a passing interest or curiosity. If you go into a CC, go into it knowing you’re ready to go the distance. Plan ahead, clear your table of all distractions. That seems to always be the first major hurdle. Too many kids roll in and forget about their finances, eventually choosing work over school to survive. Plan ahead by first visiting financial aid. </p>
<p>Do everything necessary first to insure there will be no financial burdens or social hurdles in front of you. If you are used to hanging out with friends all week, or sitting on the couch playing video games, you need to consider this in your decision. Are you ready to place school ahead of friends, games and at times, family? Again, it’s all about what you’re willing to do. The above is needed for those who want UCLA or Cal. The less you put into it or or unwilling to sacrifice, the less chances for the best schools.</p>
<p>Before starting school, map out a general plan using IGETC and assist.org. Email a transfer counselor at UCLA. Tell them your plan. I did this and she has helped me every step of the way over the last year. Thats their job, to help you get into their school, so use them for advice. Vist your CC counselor first thing to map out a plan. I have noticed counselors are more helpful if they see you are willing to help yourself first, so go in with your own map prepared. it helps them and they will adjust it to make sure it’s the best fit for you. Also, go see your TAP counselor right away and get on a plan to reach the goal of being accepted into that program. You might also want to consider taking on a small volunteer position somewhere right after registering, so you can spread those volunteer hours over the 2 year cycle. I would do ALL of this before registering for classes.</p>
<p>BTW, I will be transferring to UCLA after attending CC for one year. It is doable, but very difficult. it takes a certain type of person to pack on 17-20 units a semester, on top of 6-9 units in the winter and summer. So if that’s what you want, go for it. Or just take the two year path and save yourself the stress. :)</p>
<p>Also, be proud of yourself for finding this forum. That’s the first step to success. There’s a lot of helpful people around here, and you can learn from their success and mistakes along the way. Good luck.</p>
<p>You’re off to a good start posting here. Transferring into ucla is definitely possible! Don’t worry about the transition yet just focus on getting good grades in JC. </p>
<p>It’s not hard, but this is coming from someone who has been trained from birth to put school in front of everything. Also, my high school’s academics were very rigorous, so community college coursework was really easy for me. CC might be harder fo you, judging by your hs GPA. But I may be wrong. It also depends where you go for cc and which professors you have and which classes you take. You can transfer in one yr, if you have units going into cc. Ask me more about this if necessary. I did it in a yr :)</p>
<p>Will you fit in? Like someone said already, it’s all you. It is harder, but very doable. Also, @fulload, gave you good advice about planning. A lot of cc students don’t plan well. They take classes they don’t need, don’t prioritize, blow off their registration date, etc. </p>
<p>Best of luck! :)</p>
<p>I was the ultimate slacker in HS. Cut class, just like to hang out, HS was a major waste of time for me. Around my senior year, I decided to home school. Best decision of my life. It was set up like a college, no hand holding, had to pass with at least 80%. I actually finished ahead of my class. I sometimes wish I had done that since my freshman year, I would’ve likely been done in 2.5 years.</p>
<p>After HS, I decided to enter corp America, with help of family and friends. I wanted to sway away from school a little bit, wanted to make a bit of money.</p>
<p>I got a bit tired of that after 6 years or so. Started to take a course here and there in between. It helped me out, so, after I got laid off, which was perfect timing since my job had me at a standstill for the last couple of years, it was time to shift my focus on school. I basically busted my butt. I took the right professors, took some with friends and I basically got straight A’s. I dropped around 4 courses. 2 were because of math, but I nearly ended with A’s in those courses after retaking them. I finished my CC with around 70 units and a 3.83 GPA. If I truly tried, like my 1 unit lab course or 4 unit French 2 course, I would’ve had A’s in that as well. </p>
<p>You appear to be serious, you just can’t fall back into old habits that made you a slacker. Just work on everything, and you will surely get good grades and can get into UCLA, worked for me. Best of luck.</p>