<p>ucb - Thank you for designating the classes to the proper area ! Helps immensely. I’ll look up in the school catalog for the class descriptions. The two American Institutions electives I think he would find interesting… maybe only three or four classes to bellyache about. Sounds normal to me. Thanks again ! </p>
<p>Hubby, DS1 and I are visiting/tour Cal Maritime next Friday. Looking at Mechanical Engineering/and then as mentioned Facilities Engineering Technology, the two “non-marine” related majors. The hands- on, practical application is great! We’ll see how it goes over with DS. It appears as if he has already taken 15, possibly 18 of the 34 units required freshman year. Perhaps 7 or more units Sophomore year. Will inquire. He could take further necessary classes at local CC next year (Calculus I, II, English, Critical Thinking, and the dreaded lower division Humanities class,etc.) keep working part time, and apply for Fall of 2015. Applications closed for his major/s for Fall 2014. I think that is okay though… might as well take what classes he can at CC for less $$. It’s nice to have an option that might actually work to investigate ! </p>
<p>“keep working part time, and apply for Fall of 2015. Applications closed for his major/s for Fall 2014. I think that is okay though… might as well take what classes he can at CC for less $$. It’s nice to have an option that might actually work to investigate !”</p>
<p>Is he taking classes now? If not, can he work full time NOW, and save as much as he can for when he has CSU to pay for? I realize that he’ll be going to a CC next fall, but if he’s not in school right now, he has 6+ months that he could be earning/saving a good bit of money. </p>
<p>Can’t wait to see how he like it. the sea experience and co-ops seems like it should be appealing to him. Sounds so ideal. I’ll bet he will be very interesting applicant to them.</p>
<p>Please report back to us, I too can’t wait to see how he likes it.
Re: “dreaded humanities classes”: he took a philosophy class and that’s a humanities class… one many Engineering students would dread or not take voluntarily. So might it be he got turned off such classes by his high school classes and would enjoy them better at the college level, choosing the instructor carefully ( asking classmates whom he trusts + while not entirely reliable, ratemyprofessor can be useful, especially if you discount the “hot” criterion and overly vindictive/lazy students - the kind who hated a class because there was too much hw and they got marked down when they turned it in late )</p>
<p>I’m excited to go with DS and Hubby tomorrow! I will most definitely report back. I drove to CMA earlier in the week to check it out. Small and pretty campus, tucked away under the bridge and in it’s own little world - can’t beat the view being right on the ocean there! Tough to imagine DS wearing a khaki uniform daily, but that’s a small price to pay for the location so close to home, the degree offered, the price, the small size which is a positive, and most importantly - the hands on approach ! I had no idea this was a CSU as it only became part of the Cal State System in the 1990’s. I had long graduated from the CSU system by then. </p>
<p>Mom2, he is working part time and also assisting in the machining classes in the morning. The past 6 months he has been trying to find a new direction and has a more mature outlook now… was necessary to take 2 semesters off school and see what the machining working world has been about and what opportunities are/are not out there. He is the kind of kid who has to experience things for himself. He has saved almost all his earnings from his jobs the past five years so he has a good chunk of change saved. More than half of the four years of tuition. If he continued on working part time in the afternoon and then going to classes in the morning starting summer semester he would have the rest of the tuition saved for four years by the time he started Fall 2015. (He would be living at home; one semester he would be required to live on the ship on campus.)</p>
<p>This is about as good as it gets as far as being the perfect place for DS! The big picture and pros far outweigh the few (and minor) cons. My DS, however, is choosing to focus on the cons for the moment,as that is what he does. He needs some time to let it sink it. In the meantime, we will meet with the transfer admissions gentleman and review transcripts and options. They definitely consider unique situations. While the mechanical engineering major is currently “impacted” - full for the fall 2014 - it looks as if there may be leeway for transfers. We’ll see. Average age current freshman class is 21. At the very end of the tour, as a group, we had a few minutes with the transfer guy. When he learned DS was also a machinist he beamed and said we would need to get him introduced to the machine shop head. Apparently in the spring (coming up quick) Seniors are working on their end of the year projects and need a ton of help in the shop! That gave DS a confidence boost. (I keep on telling him how unusual it is to have academic brains AND the hands on talent. One day he will understand this. ) This is definitely a unique place, and perfect for the right situation and student! </p>
<p>happy to hear that it does sound like a very good fit.</p>
<p>"My DS, however, is choosing to focus on the cons for the moment,as that is what he does. He needs some time to let it sink it. "</p>
<p>Obviously, I don’t know your son, but when some people do this it’s because of anxiousness and being unsure, so they focus on the negatives which can stagnate (and we all know that with EVERY situation there can be some negatives). If that’s going on, hopefully he can work thru that or maybe even talk to someone professionally about that.</p>
<p>Absolutely right, Mom. He is anxious about making the next step and currently accentuating the negatives. We are sitting down and going over the pro and con lists and concentrating on communicating the positive facts and our things can work. In the meantime, we are proceeding to keep the options open - appt. with transfer person, etc. Thank you for your input. I’m also excited to be visiting UA with DS2 next week ! </p>
<p>Yes…anxiety and focusing on negatives gives people excuses not to go forward. You might encourage him to talk to a professional about that because that kind of thinking can get in the way over and over again. </p>
<p>Glad to hear that you’re visiting Bama next week! Let me know how that goes. :)</p>
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