<p>Just curious about everyone's thoughts/memories/experiences etc. from SMC. Anything to share (your story or someone else's) would be helpful :)</p>
<p>Super competitive, over crowded, hard to get classes, hard to get good grades, traffic…etc. This is my third year at SMC and I am currently waiting for my transfer decisions! In my opinion, most classes here are definitely harder than those of other community colleges. You have to be really committed and focused to school to do well. The most frustrating thing is getting classes and getting parking spaces! (parking permit costs $85 per semester and you can never get parking unless you come to school before 7:30 in the morning) Many people who go to UCLA or graduated from UCLA go here too so you have to compete with them. Also filled with a lot, a lot of smart international students who want to transfer to UCs. I swear those Asians learn calculus when they are 7 or something… So sometimes I feel like its unfair competing with them! Maybe I am just a complainer but I never expected spend so much time studying in a community college! So yeah… Prepare yourself! Haha :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply! I have just a few more questions:
- What is your major?
- Are you involved in the Scholars Program?
- Where did you apply to transfer?
- Is transfering after 3 years the norm? Or can people do it after 2?
Good luck with your transfer!</p>
<p>I am a bio major and no I am not in scholars program but many of my friends are. I think the good thing about scholars program is that you get priority enrollment which is HUGE because it’s so hard to get classes here. I applied to UCB, UCLA, and UCSD! And the reason why I did 3 years is because I was a different major the first two semesters and also bio major has 10+ pre req classes, so it’s common for bio majors to do 3 years or even longer! But other non science majors usually transfer after 2 years :)</p>
<p>I attended SMC and overall I would highly recommend it. I also largely agree with @wintergreeen about his/her experience. Although classes are hard to get, you’ll run into this at any community college now-a-days. SMC is very popular for a reason, it is one of the most successful CC’s in terms of UCLA transfers and beyond. As for the slightly “harder” classes, I will argue that classes will not get any easier at the UC’s and especially UCLA/UCB. I did Scholars program which I also highly recommend. Transferring after 3 years is actually the norm. 60 units is tough to come by in two years unless you do 15 units/semester and chances are some semesters you won’t get the classes you want, etc. You can do it in 2 years with either summer/winter courses or AP credits. Lastly, parking is always tough and probably the worst part about SMC.</p>
<p>PS: My technique for parking would be to immediately go into Lot 4? (on the immediate right upon entering SMC), driving all the way up to the roof, then just stalk people coming up the stairs and ask if they’re leaving. Don’t be shy, ask an ye shall receive</p>
<p>I don’t go to SMC, but I completely agree with UCorB on the parking ordeal. It’s pretty easy to get parking at my school and I almost never have to worry about it, but If you want to get the good parking spots, you’re going to have to stalk people as they walk out into the parking spaces and ask them where they are parked and what kind of car they drive. You can usually get a parking spot that way. Some of my friends actually offer them rides to their car. I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re a guy asking a girl.</p>
<p>Wow everyone thank you for the responses/tips!
Do you have one specific memory (funny/sad/frustrating/eye opening etc) that you would share?</p>
<p>wintergreen - what made you switch your major?</p>
<p>I will share an experience that I had just last week:</p>
<p>All semester I had noticed a girl wearing a sweatshirt from a high school that a girl I knew went to. Curiousity got the best of me last class and I sat next to her in the front to ask about my friend. It turns out she knew her and we began to discuss transferring/future plans.</p>
<p>She told me she got a full-ride to Berkeley last year. A bit puzzled, I asked her why was she in community college. She said the school she left was withholding her transcripts or something to that extent. I inquisitively asked which school was this.</p>
<p>She told me she was at UPenn. Wow, an Ivy League student somehow ending up at community college. Furthermore, she asked me if I was enjoying our class, and she told me she was taking classes this semester “for fun”. FUN? This really opened my eyes and showed me that we are lucky to be in the position we are. Some people dread coming to an 8 AM class while others are enthused to learn.</p>
<p>The end.</p>
<p>PS: sorry if this was too long/uninteresting. I’m at lunch and typed it out on my phone to pass time :-)</p>
<p>^That was perfect. I hope to be in classes with people just like that girl.
Thank you for taking the time to post, if any other stories come to mind (or you need to pass more time 
post away!</p>
<p>I changed my major because when I started school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do! and speaking of UPenn, there was this guy in my chem who also went to Upenn lol so yeah and in that same class there were 2 girls from USC, 2 from Berkeley, 1 from UCSD and like 3+ people from UCLA.</p>
<p>I currently attend SMC and I can say that I’m doing very well, academically speaking!</p>
<p>One fond memory of mine was from my first day at the college in fall of 2011. On my first day, I bumped into a friend of mine who enrolled in SMC a year before me. He then introduced me to all of his friends and I became friends with them all that day.</p>
<p>About 45-60 minutes later, I had to go to my first class in the morning, English 101. To be honest, I was a little nervous because I didn’t know what to expect from my first college class. Turned out not be so bad. :)</p>
<p>25 minutes later, I had to go to a history class. That was cool too!</p>
<p>Man, that first day is definitely nostalgic for me!</p>
<p>YAY! I love these stories keep 'em coming!
How about teachers? I know there are websites with specific ratings, but any great/funny/horror stories?</p>
<p>I actually go to a nearby college called El Camino. I’ve only heard stories about SMC, but most high tier (ha) community colleges are the same. </p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Make sure to join the Honors program (I think SMC has one) and stick with it. As long as you dont get sucked into a CC for more than 3 years (4 is pushing it) you should be fine.</p>
<p>^ thank you !</p>
<p>SMC was awesome… I would highly recommend it. </p>
<p>Some pointers:
If you put in the effort to make a transfer plan and stick to it, you should be fine at SMC. Check the IGETC list (or whatever matriculation list your desired transfer university provides—the USC one is different from CSU/UC), and plan out your semesters accordingly. I planned my schedule a month or so before the class registration date. On the registration date, I would sign in right when it opened, and usually had no problem registering every class I needed. I found most people who complained about getting into classes were the ones who waited until 2 weeks prior to the semester only to find every class full. Also, use [Rate</a> My Professors ? Find and rate your professor, campus and more ? RateMyProfessors.com](<a href=“http://www.ratemyprofessor.com%5DRate”>http://www.ratemyprofessor.com) as it is surprisingly accurate. </p>
<p>Parking is horrendous, but it’s no different from anywhere else in samo/LA. Arrive 30 minutes before, and you should be ok getting a spot. The parking lot is full of ■■■■■■■■ rich kids who double park to ensure their new lease wont get dinged (my parking related bitterness is coming out, sorry). It’s generally easier to find spots on the top floor of the garages, as I assume the rich kids want to avoid leaving their car in the sun.</p>
<p>If you want to transfer to UCB L&S (eg., non engineering/business), apply as a non-impacted major, and then you can switch majors once admitted as transfers are admitted as undeclared.</p>
<p>I got into UCLA and UCB after 2.5 years at SMC, and it was pretty cool overall. Good luck dude!</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>Im at a CSU right now and I honestlh enjoy SMC a lot more.
I don’t know if its the teachers I had or something but the professors are a lot more personable imo.
They enjoy integrating their personal experiences, meaning they actually enjoyed majoring in what they did, and encourage you to be active in class. There isn’t that bs “im going to pick on you” ego and my professors told me to spam their inboxes! </p>
<p>Tip: make sure your parking sticker is in FULL VIEW and not in the corner. Parking patrol is an ass to deal with.
In regards to the admissions people, I say try to be nice and not so that you want to strangle them. I’ve seen what some of these peeps do and theres a ■■■■ ton of paper work and one mistake can delay your transfer status or your eligibility to enroll in a class. ← ( true story at my CSU )</p>
<p>Im actually contemplating on transferring to SMC from my CSU.
- Current Dietetics and anthropology major</p>
<p>I didn’t really enjoy it…I had to take the toughest math teachers the first few semesters(nestler, hong,wong…), which ruined my GPA!
my enrollment dates were not early, so classes used to get full…make sure you apply for EOPS or Scholars Program so u get that priority enrollment…I’m happy I’m transferring this semester after 3 years…can’t wait to go to UCSD finally :))</p>
<p>Haha, I had forgotten about this thread! I sound very naive in the OP.</p>
<p>To catch up: So far I really enjoy it! The drive and the parking are awful, but manageable. I have loved most of my teachers so far, and I use rate my professor to scout them out. I am in the Scholars program, which is nice because the counselors are SO MUCH BETTER. I feel pretty confident that I will be up to speed when I transfer, hopefully Fall 2015! Thanks everyone for this and the continued advice! </p>
<p>@luckie1367</p>
<p>Yeah, as a fellow member of SMC’s scholars program, I must say that the counselors there are definitely on top of their game as far as counseling goes. They really do look out for you during the transfer process.</p>
<p>Good luck in transferring to your dream school, luckie!</p>