<p>I'm planning on attending SMC but have been put back for a couple of concerns....</p>
<p>I get the feeling that JCs in general wouldn't provide me with the best college experience in terms of academics and social life however, seeing that SMC is supposedly ranked #1 I remain optimistic. I'm willing to attend SMC in hopes of transfering to a reputable college (ex. USC or Berkeley)..So here are my questions to those who attend (i appoligize for the lengthy post)</p>
<p>How is the social atmosphere like at SMC?
How is the surrounding area/ living expenses (I understand it's one of the highest)?
How are the students/professors?
How is the business program?</p>
<p>Any question answered would be greatly appreciated....Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>RATM, i answered ur question 1-3 in the community college thread. As for #4, i hope u realize that business/econ is the hardest to transfer into. FOr Berkley u need around 4.0 to get accepted. </p>
<p>SMC has very good business and econ classes</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If u have grades to get into a good school and can afford it, don't go to smc over it.</p></li>
<li><p>SMC is the closest to a real UNIv academicly as it gets IMO, careful planing of classes and chosing the right professors is necessary.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>smc is like any cc. If you have the chance to get into a good to lower UC than take it over smc. I could have gotten into most csu's out of hs, but i decided to go to smc and try for the uc's. It worked out for me.... so far, but i hate every day of community college. SMC is like a highschool with ash trays. Everyone at smc is either working their ass off and pulling down a 3.9 or partying way too much and pulling down a 2.0. We just built this multi-million$ library and have a new l/s building currently under construction. a prop just passed which gives the school another 2(?) million to build some more. the atmospher is horrible.I've been here for 1.5 years and have made about 7 friends, and i'm pretty outgoing. the teachers are hard, but fair and the school is far too over crowded.it takes 2+ hours to get your books, about 20 minutes to find a parking spot and then another 20 to get out of the structure.It took me 2.5 hours to see a counsler today-- (he didnt even answer my question) There are a lot of dumb people (you get that with every cc) and the homeless are there everyday preaching about larouche. The only reason smc is #1 amoung transfers in cali is because our student population is so large, i'm sure we're #1 in rejections as well. I heard that some colleges take smc students over other cc's, but you'd have to have identical g.p.a's and similar ec's/essays.I suggest checking out el camino college... i hear it's nice and less crowded. or maybe w.l.a college. it doesnt matter too much which college you go to, there all the same.... community college is a roller disco with books-- anyone with 12$ can get in</p>
<p>LOL!!!!!!!! CC<em>Is</em>Prison, i share the same feelings u do. I've been there for a 2 semesters, can't wait to transfer. It especially sucks if u're somewhat intelligent caucasian. I am surrounded by internationals mostly asians and then the persians. I am the minority. Most of the white people that go there are borderline dumbasses. </p>
<p>And thats a good CC for u. lol</p>
<p>But, it will be sweet if i'll get into LA or SD. </p>
<p>btw, ur takes on parking, book store, crowdedness, i couldn't agree more U're so right, i am glad i am not the only one who feels that way.</p>
<p>wow....doesnt sound all that appealing anymore..lol</p>
<p>I'm just hoping that i can transfer out to a good uni...I'm pretty sure I have the stats right now to go to a decent college but i want better. Hopefully SMC won't be too bad *crosses fingers</p>
<p>My son spentt 2 years at a ccc before going to UCSD tihis year. The important thing is not to expect your social life to revolve around the school. Get a job you'll enjoy, stay in touch with old friends, etc. These are commuter schools with students of all ages and they do not hang out on campus.</p>
<p>RATM--i dont want you to get your hopes up. Being at a cc is not the same as being at a 4 year uni. think of it as highschool partII. The best part part of a cc is transfering out... i cant wait until march!</p>
<p>CC Is Prison- I see...thanks for the heads up. I just had higher expectations for SMC considering it is "#1" but as you pointed out its probly becuase they have the greatest number of students..</p>
<p>Do you have any clue on how SMC as a whole weighs against other CC's like say Mt. Sac? If you could've done it all over again would you have chosen a diferent CC?</p>
<p>well-- smc is my home cc so if i had the chance to do it all over again i would have. If i was a senior in h.s with all the info i have now i would still have gone to smc over a cal state. i'm glad to be in my postion-- already applied just waiting returns and getting out of the hell hole that is CC. I hope your 2+ years isnt as bad as mine.</p>
<p>I go to Saddleback, which is basically Orange County's equivalent to SMC, and a lot of this stuff is definitely true. Its much more difficult to make friends at CCs than at universities simply due to the commuter culture. Its hard, but its certainly not impossible. Generally people who get involved on campus have a much easier time of being social, because otherwise youre literally driving to school, going to class, and going straight home. </p>
<p>Living expenses at SMC are going to be high, but the area is generally worth it. Lots and lots to do as far as entertainment, culture, etc. </p>
<p>Ive had a relatively good experience at my CC and its allowed me more opportunities than I would have been afforded if I had settled for a Cal state straight out of high school (which isnt to imply that cal states are inferior or anything, but just not right for me). </p>
<p>The best advice I can offer as someone who's getting out of here really, really soon is to keep your grades as high as possible and get involved on campus, particularly in stuff like honors, student council, or any EC that relates to your major. Ive made countless connections through these extra curriculars and theyve been hugely beneficial during the application process. Ive heard the "highschool part II" plight before and I guess Ive been lucky to not have had that kind of experience. However, Ive definitely witnessed that CC is entirely what you make of it. If you go into it with a positive attitude about the opportunities itll give you for transfer and how itll help you in the long run, you'll focus less on the negative aspects. No reason to make your two years any more difficult than they need to be. Its all temporary.</p>
<p>I go to Irvine valley college...although I am registered at saddleback...CC is okay...not really involved with much. just can't wait to get the hell out of here.</p>
<p>in my first semester i had a professor attempt to expel me on a weak cheating argument. (his main argument to the dean was eraser marks on my scantron). i spent hours and hours in meetings which draged out for about 6 weeks. The admintration would schedule a meeting and not show up. (they would call me when i'm at home and ask me to get to the college within the next hour-- i was taking the bus at that time so it was nearly impossible.) All this crap dragged out for about two months until finally i went to a higher authority and both the school and professor dropped the case. the admin. still held a grudge.. when i attempted to sign up for classes the following semester my registration was locked. i had to re-register and take care of this whole hassle. I couldnt prove they were behind this and i havent had any problems since. (there were 3 of us that had to go through all this $h*t)-- that is why i hate cc</p>
<p>Well... a lot of the professors work at other colleges so they cancel class often. parking is so bad that i takes longer to park and leave than time you're spending in class. I dont know how your higschool was, but mine was VERY overcrowded. Well SMC is about twice the size of my highschool, but the student population is atleast five times that of my highschool. Overcrowded in an understatement. A lot of the professors add as many students as possible and the system works for the most part, enough kids skip class every day so that there are enough seats, but when test time rolls around you'll be lucky to sit against the wall. The professors also teach at nearby universities (ucla, usc) and so they make class as hard as the universites and treat us like four year college students. I wouldnt mind it so much, but those teachers are the type of teachers that leave notes on the door telling you to read chapters a,b,c on your own and be there for the test on MM/DD. Other than that-- SMC is harvard by the sea.</p>