<p>Hello,
I'm a CC student and I just finished my freshman year and I just have a few questions..</p>
<p>I was first a little confused on my major. I chose Business/econ as my major for my first semester at the CC but I absolutely hated it. I did more research and I decided that Mechanical / Aerospace engineering is my field. However, this wasted a semester for me since my first semester was classes such as Econ/Accounting, etc.. </p>
<p>Anyway, to make a story short, according to assist I need to take calculus I, II, III, differential equations, and linear algebra. That's 5 classes. From what I was told earlier was that I only needed up to calc. II to transfer to a UC. However I did some more research and from what I had found is that I need to take all of the classes listed on assist that are given at my CC. Meaning all 5 math courses, 3 physics courses, and 2 chemistry courses.
I placed in calc. 1, took the class, and passed it.
(unfortunately with a C, which put me at a 3.4 GPA)</p>
<p>I couldn't take physics 1 yet because it has a pre-req of calc 1, therefore I must wait till the fall to take it. </p>
<p>Therefore, (according to assist) I still have 4 math classes and 3 physics classes ahead of me. That's at least 2 more years after this year at a CC.
So my question is, should I apply before I finish all these courses? Or should I wait those two years to finish them?</p>
<p>I personally do not mind taking them at a CC. I just need to know what is more beneficial. Will my application be "incomplete" if I do not take all of these classes?
Will my application be seen as worse if I spend another year at a CC to 'complete' my app?</p>
<p>you can take Linear Algebra and Differential Equations and MV Calc all in the same term if I’m not mistaken…</p>
<p>might be hell, but it IS possible.</p>
<p>and you don’t ABSOLUTELY need every course done, though more is definitely better, especially for UCB and UCLA.</p>
<p>also, time to transfer doesn’t matter much to the UCs I doubt it’s even a factor in most cases unless you’re aiming to be a single year transfer.</p>
<p>If you stay an extra year i’m sure it wont end up being that bad, in fact most CC students take longer than 2 years, i read somewhere that only 18% of students finish in 2 years. The extra year could give you some time to grow, and also be more prepared for your upper division studies. but you can apply if you want, but i think it will hurt your chances a lot if you don’t have all the classes done considering that engineering is such an impacted major. if you apply this year only thing your wasting is money i guess, i don’t think it will hurt you if you apply again in a year. Hope this helped some, best of luck with your decisions.</p>
<p>I know plenty of CC students who take an extra year and your case is completely understandable. You technically don’t have to finish all those classes before you attend your UC, but it’s better to complete them (save money and better for cal/ucla) and they will probably be easier at a CC. You can also apply in the fall if you know you will finish all your reqs in the spring (just don’t overload yourself/fail any courses).</p>
<p>@Leuzinger: It really depends on the person’s major, if they change their minds on their major, or if they want to complete their major reqs first and put off their GE’s to the end. I just finished my 2nd year and I already completed all my lower divs, GEs, and a couple of upper divs. I also have several friends in econ, engineering, socio, and psych who finished all their lower divs, but most of my friends in pre-med are still trying to complete their’s.</p>
<p>according to it, the average college student takes 6 years to finish, it doesn’t say anything about university or community college so i’m guessing the stats are from both. either way im sure a lot of students do end up taking longer than 2 years to finish lower division, but like midnightgolfer said many students do finish in 2 years, its all about having a good plan and sticking to it. also like he said if they are pre-med it can be really hard to finish on time.</p>
<p>The #1 stresser I see in CC students is “OMG I HAVE to transfer in 2 years!!!” and they drive themselves crazy thinking they have to do it or they are a failure. I even did it to myself.</p>
<p>I am now entering my third year at CC. When I went back to school I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to be doing. I just knew I really liked History. I had been out of school 9 years. I took music classes, physical ed classes, along with my gen ed classes. I thought I would be lucky if I got into a CSU. But I got accepted into the Honors Program at my school, and was exposed to so much I never even knew was available to me. I went from a History major, to a Poli Sci major, to a Double major, to possibly a Psych/Theatre major, to all sorts of other things. Ultimately I decided on Anthropology. It is such an amazing subject and exactly what I should get my undergrad in. </p>
<p>The point being, CC is very cheap and convenient. It is a much better place to be able to explore yourself and your options rather than paying $10k a semester to discover what you like and don’t like. </p>
<p>Part of me hates that I am still in CC at 29 years old, but I am so glad I took the time to take the extra year at CC and really feel confident in my choice of major. I am so glad I took every class that I have taken over the past 2 years. I was always so unsure exactly about my major, but now going into my 3rd year at CC, I am more confident writing my applications and feel a lot less stress on my shoulders by trying to rush through everything. I also feel that now I am a much stronger candidate for Berkeley/UCLA and will perform much better when I get there because of my extra year.</p>
<p>Don’t feel like you need to rush through it. Take the time at CC and build yourself up to be a strong student where it is cheaper and more relaxed, then when you transfer you will be stronger and more prepared, and definitely get out of there in 2 years once you transfer.</p>
<p>I would definitely stay the extra year… especially if you are planning on applying to Mechanical Engineering at Cal and Aerospace Engineering at UCLA. Both programs are uniquely strong at the schools, and extremely competitive. I’ve heard that UCLA’s AE program is better ranked than most of the other programs there because it is very well funded and supported due to UCLA’s close proximity to the actual industry.</p>