Stuck in a bad spot and need some help deciding what to do

@momcinco Thank you so much. That’s really motivating

In my experience, it’s pretty easy to be the top (or at least a notable) student at your community college which can yield you some really nice letters of recommendations. Whereas at a university, it may be hard to stand out in lecture halls of about 500 people or so. At least until you get to the upper-division courses where there are fewer people, upwards of 35 at most (usually).

I hated attending a community college at first, but in the end I miss it quite a bit because I was able to just be so active in the environment. Meet new people, make a difference in others’ lives, and getting involved. It was fun. I have had a harder time after transferring just because of the larger scale. It’s 35,000 students I’m getting mixed in with, versus just 1,500.

No one will remember you went to CC when you have that UT degree. There’s a certain president who transferred to an Ivy league school after two years and never mentions his first two years. The best thing you can do is minimize your educational debt.

My son is a college freshmen and has several friends who go to CC and work. They don’t seem to me to be missing out on anything. One girl won a full tuition scholarship at a state CC. I think she was in about the top 20% so see if your CC has any scholarships you can apply for. Good luck. You do seem to have a great attitude.

I’m from the Austin area and you will be surprised at the number of students who are having to take the same route and ACC is a good communtity college. Keep your GPA up as close to 4.0 to make sure that you can make that transfer. Good luck to you.

@mom2collegekids @OspreyCV22 @momcinco and to everyone else who commented on this thread,

I just wanted to say thank you. It’s been a few months and it was rough at the beginning to realize that I wouldn’t get to go to a 4 year right away, but now i’m seeing what a blessing it is and that it’s something I should have considered long ago. I got a great scholarship to the CC and will be able to save almost all of my earnings for 4 year. I met with the academic adviser and I only need to attend CC for one year, since all of my AP credits transfer and I will have completed my associate’s degree in Biology.

You guys were all right- a lot of my friends who planned on going OOS or to private schools ended up not being able to, with the majority staying here and attending UT Austin. That definitely made me feel a lot better about the situation. A lot of students seem to have unrealistic goals about finances and the cost of college, I know myself and my parents did.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to get a better GPA, do more, and really improve my study skills before heading off to 4 year. I have a lot of cool opportunities lined up for this year- i’m volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation center, possibly working at a zoo this summer, and I have several internships i’m applying for next summer. I’m going to take this year to really improve myself both as a person and a student.

Thank you all for the motivation and advice, I still read some of the comments on this thread when i’m feeling down about it, which thankfully isn’t very often anymore. Thank you all so much!

So glad it worked out for you blackkittey! UT is a great school and with friends in town it will be even better!

do. With that kind of positive attitude, you will be successful in whatever you do. You took lemons, were honest about your frustration, considered practical advice without being defensive, corrected us when our understanding was not complete, and effectively created a new plan in a short time. That, my friend, is exceptional. You are amazing…truly. Good luck in your future!!!

Congratulations Blackkittey!

A thread with a nice wrap up! Good for you @BlackKitty. Be sure to get involved at your CC. There will likely be a student government, volunteer opprotunities, etc. Of course school work comes first, but I suspect you can balance doing very well in your courses and being a student leader. Embrace and enjoy.

SO glad to hear from you, BlackKitty. You sound so mature and motivated and you were so thoughtful to come back and let us know how it is working out. Your parents must be proud of you! And…be proud of yourself. Enjoy it – and keep in touch!

@blackkitteycat

I am sorry your parents threw you such a miserable curveball at the worst time.

i would recommend that you NOT attend community college, because you would lose eligibility for big freshman scholarships that you qualify for based on your GPA/SAT.

i would suggest that you apply ASAP to Prairie View A&M University. If I am reading this correctly, it looks like you would qualify for the full-ride scholarship there (Tuition, Fees, Room, Books, Meals):

http://www.pvamu.edu/faid/home/types-of-aid/scholarships/university-scholarships/

“The Regents’ Student Merit Scholarship is the University’s most prestigious award. The Regents’ scholarship covers up to $10,000 per academic year for tuition and mandatory fees. Each Regent Scholar will receive additional scholarship funding to meet the cost for up to 18 credit hours, on campus housing, meals and books ($600 per semester).”

so you could go there for 2 years on a full ride and pay less than what you would for community college, PLUS live on campus and enjoy the college experience. and you would have the option to transfer at that time, or continue for 2 more years to earn your free college degree.

please apply and contact them to verify if this scholarship is still available to you for 2017-2018 school year.

there are other automatic scholarships listed here:
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/

@blackkitteycat

oh, for heaven’s sake. that’s what i get for jumping in without reading the whole thread first. i was responding to posts from January thinking they were from today.

good to hear you have a plan for CC + UT that sounds doable.

i still might call Prairie View A&M though, to see if that full-ride is still available. if it is, then maybe that might still be a more appealing option.

@blackkitteycat You have shown a lot of maturity. I think your plan to keep debt minimal is a good one. Try to join a couple of clubs at CC and go to the office hours of some of your instructors. You may find one who has the power to find you internships or help with your future transfer. Good luck!