<p>I've had 2 or 3 people told me that due to the huge number of students at De Anza, it's almost impossible to transfer out in 2 years. Now, my first thought is that these people are just lazy.</p>
<p>If I take 3 classes per quarter (De Anza is a quarter school), can I get out in 2 years?</p>
<p>It is possible to transfer out in 2 years <em>if</em> you can get into all the classes you need. The problem some students are running into at CCCs is being shut out of classes that are required for transfer and having to spend a semi-idle quarter either taking fluff classes or going only part-time.</p>
<p>If one needs “Math 101 and Math 102” and can’t sign up for for 101 for a few quarters (classes full up) and then in turn can’t take 102 until they finish 101 – you can see how getting done within two years can start getting tricky.</p>
<p>A few tips to try and get done in two years at a CCC</p>
<p>1) Try to take some of the classes at a less impacted campus nearby… check West Valley College, Foothill, Evergreen, and another dozen or so within a 45 minute driving distance from De Anza… requires some juggling but if De Anza is full up you can take your transfer classes at ANY CCC</p>
<p>2) Be prepared to take the classes at any obnoxious time - can’t get too fussy about one’s schedule, just need to cram them in</p>
<p>3) See if De Anza has a priority registration system. At West Valley, students in the Honors Program get first dibs – it is easy to qualify for and one doesn’t need to do anything once accepted but enjoy that perk.</p>
<p>4) If you have the academic chops - take 4 classes per quarter to try and get ahead. </p>
<p>5) First quarter take fulltime credits no matter what – you need to gain “credits” in order to move up the in the registration chain otherwise you will always register dead last</p>
<p>6) Realize that the CCCs are <em>not</em> dedicated to getting a student in and out in 2 years. They don’t have the funding to handle the demand. Students in California are making a lot of alternative plans because this is a rock that isn’t about the budge.</p>
<p>Haha, not getting out of Foothill/De Anza in two years does not mean a student is lazy. It all depends whether they are from a California High School, how close to completion they are, and where they want to transfer. It is possible to get out in two years but very unlikely with a normal 12 unit fulltime load and with so many cut and impacted classes.
I’ve attended both Foothill and De Anza for a total of 5 years because many rotating advanced classes are only offered every 2-4 years depending on student demand and budget. I have a 3.81 GPA and am signed up for 15 units this fall at DA which is my average unit load. It took me three years to get into the classes I’m enrolled in now and those classes all filled up in less than 5 days after registration began.
Realize by state stats the average time to complete your first two years of community college in California is 3-5 years. As much as students think its a race and that other students are stupid or lazy the fact remains that barely a third actually completely finish their first two years of necessary requirements. I think De Anza has a completion rate of about 25-28% which is slightly above average.
If you are already in the quarter system I would not recommend overlapping classes concurrently in a semester system such as West Valley. If a class is full at DA then best to remain a FTES within the same school district and take what you may need at Foothill.</p>
<p>I am at SMC since Fall 2009 and finished one year with 40 credits. I am taking 15 credits this semester and I’ll be applying to transfer for Fall 2011. So ya, it does seem possible. But I guess it also depends on your prerequisites.</p>
<p>It is possible to complete 40 semester units a year at SMC because they offer winter and summer six week sessions. For example…Student X takes 6+6 units during winter and summer which is a full time load plus 15+15 during Fall and Spring. Then the total units in a years time span is 42. SMC is one of the few CCC’s that do have a winter Semester where the majority only have Fall and Spring Semesters.
Also Quarter and Semester schools are very different animals in how they are structured overall. Plus there is the issue of whether you are seeking an Associates Degree with or without transfer or just GE/IGETC with plans to transfer. An AA/AS is more preferable in that once granted those classes and units are locked in forever and not subject to institutional time limits.</p>
<p>yes it is possible if you get take all the classes you need for your major/program at your transfer school and for your AA degree if you want to get it. I think most students are told it’s hard to transfer in 2 years but it depends on each person’s case, so don’t worry too much about it.</p>
<p>If the person is from a California High School they can start taking community college classes by junior year in HS and apply everything. If you have home field advantage, then one ideally should be able to complete requirements in 2 years, especially if you are streamlining along the transfer path. It is much different for out of state and international students since many California institutions are picky on what classes they accept, if any at all sometimes. I had to take nearly 4 years of classes over again that I had already taken in HS because of such stipulations. Damn those HS counselors for lying to me telling me if I took hard classes in HS I’d never have to take them again!!!</p>