<p>I have already registered, but i really lagged it for financial aid. I'm also stuck because the classes i need will not available because current SMC students get priority.
Any advice on how to turn this situation around?</p>
<p>For right now, I would advise California Community College (CCC) students to be aware that it may take them more than 2 years to get their General Education classes finished and be qualified for transferring to a CSU or UC.</p>
<p>A few things you can do are</p>
<p>1) See if another local CC has the classes you need - usually you can mix and match CC classes from different campuses with no problem, and sometimes a neighboring CC that is less popular will actually have open spots</p>
<p>2) Take classes this first semester even if they don’t help you out much because accumulating credits is a major way to get bumped up the registration priority list</p>
<p>3) Look into other ways to get priority registration - at our local CC, if one is in the Honors Program they get to register first. The only criteria for the Honors Program at our local CC is to get an A or B in College English 1A, have completed college 12 credits, and fill out a one page form. No requirement to <em>finish</em> or even <em>take</em> Honors Courses once in the program yet priority registration continues! Other ways include being part of EOPS program, DESP program, etc. So look into a program you qualify for and see if priority registration is a perk.</p>
<p>4) Be aware of your major req and GE req – and watch each sem/quarter how fast these classes fill up… if you have the academic chops you may be able to take a harder class that fills up less quickly that fulfills the same requirement. Lots of kids like taking a SOC 101 class and thus is it full… but ECON 1A which is harder and less popular fits the same IGETC req and may still be open. (This exact example may not apply to your school but the general principal might).</p>
<p>5) If money isn’t an issue - look into applying/transferring to a private college. There are many mid-ranked privates in California and many do not require you to have your GEs finished before transferring.</p>
<p>The reality is that the days of a fast, cheap public education in California is in jeopardy. I hope things swing the other direction, but I don’t expect it to for several more years at best. It will likely get worse than it is even right now. CCC is still quite affordable, and once one has priority registration or enough credits to register on the earlier side it is quite bearable at CCCs - though the warning of that it may take 3 years to get through the 2 year degree/transfer sequence still applies.</p>
<p>I figured that it would take a little longer, but I am going to be living independently from my parent so money will be VERY tight.
My goal is to go to UCLA and trying to pay as little as possible, while interning every summer in NY because that where i want to work.
I will defiantly look into how you said to take classes just to get priority and to get into the honors program.</p>