<p>Hi there, i have a question and wanted to see if some ppl could enlighten me. </p>
<p>Well, I am a veteran going back to school on the GI bill. I was an engineering student 10 years ago and finished calc/physics/chem sequence. I would love to go to UC school, but I would have to get my gpa up and retake some classes to become familiar with everything. I took some classes during my military stint and didnt do well because of working hours and just plain ole work stress. I took a chemistry and calculus 1 class this fall and after about 6 weeks, I was starting to remember things and didnt have to study to do homework. I dropped the classes since I already have the credit. </p>
<p>Now I think I am just going to take classes I never took, like organic sequence and bio sequence and some other gen eds. (I have most of them done). In the mean time, i will study on my own to relearn calc, chem, and physics to be proficient. </p>
<p>So my question is, should i apply to cal state school to get my degree faster ( I found out cal state long beach is accepting engineering transfers with at least 12 credits) or stick it out in CC and relearn what I need to in order to transfer to UC. I really want to get my degree in chemical engineering and later go to grad school for materials. </p>
<p>Its hard for me to realize that with my work experience, I could find a job making what I would after getting an engineering degree. But I'm willing to stick it out. I want to use my brain and not just be a tool monkey. What would some ppl here do. Can i still get into a good research program w/ a degree from a cal state school? Or should I just apply in a year or 2 to a good UC school- I am leaning towards santa barbara (ranked 9th in chemE and 4th for grad materials or maybe Irvine for undergrad (Irvine has a materials minor). </p>
<p>Lookin4ward, if you really want to go to a UC and you can why not. I don’t really think you will get superior education at a UC compared to a CSU at the undergraduate level. What you might acquire is a better network through the alumni. You can go to Cal Poly SLO and from what I hear is that you get a great education with plenty of labs which carry over to your job. I hear UCs emphasize research over labs but this might not be true until you get to graduate school. It depends on what you want to do after your degree too. I’ll tell you about my situation. I’m a 26 year old male that recently went back to school. I was doing lousy in school because of working 60+ hours similar to you. I started working full-time in a manufacturing company since I was 16 and recently stopped working for a major aerospace company in order to finish my degree. I’ll be starting next semester at a CSU after attending a community college on and off for who knows how long. When I went back to school, I remembered Calculus and actually did well this semester. Since I have worked in the aerospace industry, I don’t see the need of a UC. I know people working at three companies and they know my work ethic. My goal is to finish as soon as possible because time is money and maybe I’ll go to a UC for graduate school depending on where I settle. I plan to start working after I acquire a bachelors degree but I’ll continue with graduate school. It’s really up to your current situation.</p>
<p>I know it is none of my business but your comment about having to get your GPA up before you could apply to a UC and the fact that you took a lot of the prerequisite courses years ago and then left school and joined the military leads me to wonder if you might have dropped out of school and joined the military partly because things were not going that well for you at school. If that is the case, CSU Long Beach is probably not an option for you unless your current GPA is well over 3.0 since it is considered an “impacted CSU” and has substantially increased its standards for admission for both Freshmen and transfer students and is probably harder to get into than UC Riverside and UC Merced. Admission standards for Cal Poly SLO are even higher still and in fact are probably higher than all of the UCs except for Berkeley and UCLA.</p>
<p>If your GPA was lower than 2.8 when you were last at a CC, you will probably have to spend more time at a CC and raise your GPA whether you choose to transfer to a UC or a CSU for your engineering degree. If your ultimate objective is graduate school and research a UC would be the best choice. If you decide you want to enter the engineering profession as quickly as possible you should consider San Jose State University. Although it is a CSU it is located in the heart of silicon valley, enjoys an excellent reputation with the companies there and its engineering graduates are highly sought after by the technology firms in that area. However, again, as CSUs go admission is highly competitive.</p>
<p>It’s not that I can’t do the work…its just alot of things have effected my performance. I grad high school w/ a 4.2 and 13 college credits. For me, work was always getting in the way.</p>
<p>Yes my g.pa. is horrible, but I am taking classes full time, without having to work for anything. I am really looking forward to this opportunity and will take advantage of things I never have before- such as clubs and volunteer opportunities. I will be in CC for at least a year and a summer, taking no less than 17hrs during the year…i was just planning for the future and will just apply when the time is right to all schools that will fit me academically.</p>