My transition to Contra Costa College was not what I was expecting. I never thought that the classes were that hard in a community college. It’s was probably because I am currently taking classes I never had during my high school years, classes I thought that I never would have needed in the future. One of them is chemistry the other is philosophy. Unfortunately, I didn't get to enroll in my philosophy class because it was too full.
I have had a hard time adjusting to college. For example, I didn’t knew I had to sign up for classes online myself. I thought a counselor would do it for me after I saw them. I had my entire schedule planned out but because I didn't sign up for classes on time I didn't get into many of them. However, I am doing well in the class that I am taking. I am not taking the classes that I wanted at first but at least I am doing something that will help me transfer to a four-year university in the future.
Over the summer I unfortunately couldn't do much to prepare myself to college. I had to work full-time to pay for my living expenses. The most that I probably did over the summer was to take a tour of the campus to make sure I knew where every building was. It wasn't much, but at least it helped me get to know the school a bit better.
I am looking forward to do my best in my chemistry class this semester, not because I just want to pass, but to learn and understand the concepts taught in class. I am also looking forward to meeting new people and to registering for spring classes on time.
- Hector, Contra Costa College '13
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Preparing for College
This summer I was given the opportunity to travel. Not only was I able to go to Mexico to to visit my father, but I was also given the opportunity to participated in a pre-college program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The purpose of the program is to prepare students coming in from low-income families for the college environment. It was an intense Psychology course that prepared me mentally and physically for this quarter. I had an idea of study techniques I could use and the pressure I would face entering this Fall. I was excited to start my first quarter I am still not sure what to expect.
During the time I was in Cal Poly I met new people in different fields of study and connections with people who can help later on in my career here at Cal Poly. I discoverer resources that I could use to guide me my first quarter in order to stay on track;such as: free tutoring, counseling, academic advisers, and so forth. As preparing me, the course challenged me with a heavy work load of material that was completely new to me. I learned through trial and error of the best setting and study habits worked for me. The course was at a much higher grade-level than I was accustomed to, however I was aware that I would face this problem soon I did what I could to understand and taught myself most of the material.
In addition to adapting to a different environment and habits I was able to open up more. Thus enabling to network and interact with my fellow peers, as well as my professor. I learned how to become less afraid because of my professor’s ability to motivate me through his lectures. I was able to prepare for the college routine I would soon face. However I am really excited for this quarter because I will begin to take introductory architecture classes, I will meet new people with common interest and I will finally be able to receive a proper education.
- Beatriz, Cal Poly '15
During the time I was in Cal Poly I met new people in different fields of study and connections with people who can help later on in my career here at Cal Poly. I discoverer resources that I could use to guide me my first quarter in order to stay on track;such as: free tutoring, counseling, academic advisers, and so forth. As preparing me, the course challenged me with a heavy work load of material that was completely new to me. I learned through trial and error of the best setting and study habits worked for me. The course was at a much higher grade-level than I was accustomed to, however I was aware that I would face this problem soon I did what I could to understand and taught myself most of the material.
In addition to adapting to a different environment and habits I was able to open up more. Thus enabling to network and interact with my fellow peers, as well as my professor. I learned how to become less afraid because of my professor’s ability to motivate me through his lectures. I was able to prepare for the college routine I would soon face. However I am really excited for this quarter because I will begin to take introductory architecture classes, I will meet new people with common interest and I will finally be able to receive a proper education.
- Beatriz, Cal Poly '15
First Quarter at Cal Poly
When I applied to the California State University, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, I also applied to the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) of the school. I was lucky enough to get in the program for it has already provided many resources that have been very helpful in my college career.
During the summer, I attended the summer program by the EOP called the Summer Institute. There were approximately sixty students, and about seven staff members that run the program. During the three week program, I lived on campus on the Cerro Vista Apartments and took Psychology and English Preparation Class. Although it was only three weeks, the Psychology was very fast paced and provided the students with four units just like in the fall quarter. We were also graded on the course. On the contrary, the English course was just a preview of how a college English would be like. Instead of the letter grade, we received pass or no pass.
The main objective of the program was to provide the first generation college students a preview of the college intensity and also build the student’s confidence in them. My Psychology instructor Don Ryujin was particularly helpful in that department. He first set the stage in which all of the students were comfortable enough to interact with each other and the instructor. He made us believe that anyone who really wants to finish college can do it, no matter the color, or their income level. He identified with us that some days were going to be difficult without any doubt but on the long run, it is always better fight through that phase.
The summer program really boosted my confidence and I am looking forward to working very hard in college. I know that even though taking Psychology over just three weeks was quite intense, the college courses will challenge my mental toughness even more, even more so without the structural supported provided by the summer program. I am also looking forward to learn as much as I can, enjoy it and apply it on practical life. I truly want to enjoy the Cal Poly SLO philosophy, “Learn by Doing”.
- Utsav, Cal Poly '15
During the summer, I attended the summer program by the EOP called the Summer Institute. There were approximately sixty students, and about seven staff members that run the program. During the three week program, I lived on campus on the Cerro Vista Apartments and took Psychology and English Preparation Class. Although it was only three weeks, the Psychology was very fast paced and provided the students with four units just like in the fall quarter. We were also graded on the course. On the contrary, the English course was just a preview of how a college English would be like. Instead of the letter grade, we received pass or no pass.
The main objective of the program was to provide the first generation college students a preview of the college intensity and also build the student’s confidence in them. My Psychology instructor Don Ryujin was particularly helpful in that department. He first set the stage in which all of the students were comfortable enough to interact with each other and the instructor. He made us believe that anyone who really wants to finish college can do it, no matter the color, or their income level. He identified with us that some days were going to be difficult without any doubt but on the long run, it is always better fight through that phase.
The summer program really boosted my confidence and I am looking forward to working very hard in college. I know that even though taking Psychology over just three weeks was quite intense, the college courses will challenge my mental toughness even more, even more so without the structural supported provided by the summer program. I am also looking forward to learn as much as I can, enjoy it and apply it on practical life. I truly want to enjoy the Cal Poly SLO philosophy, “Learn by Doing”.
- Utsav, Cal Poly '15
Monday, November 14, 2011
From Richmond High School to Cal
As my senior year in high school approached to an end, I was terrified for what was coming next. College! No one said college would be easy and of course I was not expecting it to be easy. But after constantly hearing negative comments on how Richmond High did not prepare its students for a higher education scared me even more. In some part I did agree that Richmond high did not prepare me well enough for college but then again I feel that it is our responsibility to find and take advantage of the resources offered in high school so that we get a better preparation. I feel that I did get a good enough preparation for college. Thanks to Upward Bound Math and Science I was able to get an early taste of what college would be like. After three summers of rigorous classes and mandatory tutoring I felt that I was ready for college.
During the final summer before I started college I applied to Summer Bridge during the spring of my senior year. Summer bridge made my transition to college much more easier. I did not find it as hard as most of the upcoming freshmen because I felt the same intensity I felt during my Upward Bound summers. During Summer Bridge we were placed in two rigorous classes, I was placed in College Writing and Statistics. Statistic was a nightmare for me, because the material was intense, but other than that I had an amazing time. To be well prepared for my first semester at Cal I researched for available resources offered on Campus, like counseling, tutoring, and advising programs, as well as organizations that interested me.
The first day of college was more that I expected; my Political Science class was huge, about 400 students, bigger than my graduating class. I was shocked to see so many students in one class. Unlike high school, here the professor was not going to know who I was. He would not care if I went to class or not, and he was not going to now my name. Being the first and last class of the day for me, when it was time to go, I was walking back to my dorm when I passed through Sproul Plaza. Hundreds and hundreds of people were there, either tabling or exploring. I knew this was just the beginning of an interesting college experience.
My intended goals at the moment are to double major in Political Science and Legal Studies, so that later on I can apply to Law School and become an attorney. Meanwhile what I look forward to the most this semester is finishing strong and getting good grades in my classes. I hope to learn a lot from programs like Undergraduate Political Science Association (UPSA), and making new friends in Hispanic organizations like TENZA, and Hermanas Unidas (HaU).
- Lizbeth, UC Berkeley '15
During the final summer before I started college I applied to Summer Bridge during the spring of my senior year. Summer bridge made my transition to college much more easier. I did not find it as hard as most of the upcoming freshmen because I felt the same intensity I felt during my Upward Bound summers. During Summer Bridge we were placed in two rigorous classes, I was placed in College Writing and Statistics. Statistic was a nightmare for me, because the material was intense, but other than that I had an amazing time. To be well prepared for my first semester at Cal I researched for available resources offered on Campus, like counseling, tutoring, and advising programs, as well as organizations that interested me.
The first day of college was more that I expected; my Political Science class was huge, about 400 students, bigger than my graduating class. I was shocked to see so many students in one class. Unlike high school, here the professor was not going to know who I was. He would not care if I went to class or not, and he was not going to now my name. Being the first and last class of the day for me, when it was time to go, I was walking back to my dorm when I passed through Sproul Plaza. Hundreds and hundreds of people were there, either tabling or exploring. I knew this was just the beginning of an interesting college experience.
My intended goals at the moment are to double major in Political Science and Legal Studies, so that later on I can apply to Law School and become an attorney. Meanwhile what I look forward to the most this semester is finishing strong and getting good grades in my classes. I hope to learn a lot from programs like Undergraduate Political Science Association (UPSA), and making new friends in Hispanic organizations like TENZA, and Hermanas Unidas (HaU).
- Lizbeth, UC Berkeley '15
First Semester at Whitman College
The transition to college has definitely been hard because the expectations have suddenly risen to a new level than I was use to in high school. During the summer my first college assignment was to read The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. When I was reading the book I started trying to read the book more as a college student rather than a high school student. I feel that in high school when I was assigned to read I would read and take in what was in the pages, but not really immerse myself in the text. As I read this book in the summer I began paying closer attention to certain words I would have just glimpsed at before. Closed-reading now in college is majorly important when we are analyzing passages and going deeper into its ideas. Reading during the summer definitely helped me prepare for the challenging reading I would have to do in college and the ideas I would have to analyze.
Transitioning to college also comes with more obstacles that have less to do with academics. At least for me, it has been emotionally challenging transitioning to college because I am living in a different state away from home. It has definitely been hard for me talking to my parents and knowing that they are at family gatherings and I can’t be there with them. The most important thing that has gotten me through the tough process of leaving home is the frequent communication I have maintained with my high school friends. The fact that some of my friends are going through similar things as I am helps me feel that I am not alone and that I can do it on my own. Another thing that has helped during the transition is taking risks.
College in my opinion is all about taking risks; a risk like taking a course you know nothing about, but you might be surprised you love it or you might totally hate it and know that’s not something you will do again. I look forward to taking risks here in college and learning about new things that I would have not considered before coming here.
- Fabiola, Whitman College '15
Transitioning to college also comes with more obstacles that have less to do with academics. At least for me, it has been emotionally challenging transitioning to college because I am living in a different state away from home. It has definitely been hard for me talking to my parents and knowing that they are at family gatherings and I can’t be there with them. The most important thing that has gotten me through the tough process of leaving home is the frequent communication I have maintained with my high school friends. The fact that some of my friends are going through similar things as I am helps me feel that I am not alone and that I can do it on my own. Another thing that has helped during the transition is taking risks.
College in my opinion is all about taking risks; a risk like taking a course you know nothing about, but you might be surprised you love it or you might totally hate it and know that’s not something you will do again. I look forward to taking risks here in college and learning about new things that I would have not considered before coming here.
- Fabiola, Whitman College '15
Friday, November 4, 2011
To Berkeley City College and Beyond
I am Janeth, a Latina who lives in San Pablo, CA. but am from Mexico. I attended Richmond High School but now I am attending Berkeley City College. For now I am not sure of what I plan to study but I am currently working on trying to get my requirements done so I can transfer to another school as soon as possible. I would like to transfer to either UC Berkley or UC Santa Cruz when I am ready to do so. I wish I could have gone as a freshman and be there now but I couldn’t afford it. High cost of education is a big obstacle for many and it was for me even though I applied and got into most of the schools. I had to settle for other options, having to stay at home and commute to school is not easy but what I had to do.
Community college is not bad after all so that’s a great way to go as well and much cheaper! I never expected college lifestyle to be like this though; it is completely different than high school. Now you have to pay for books, classes and fees. I can’t tell what some of the fees are for or why they’re charging me them.
It does have its brighter side though, your weekly schedule is not the same because you don’t have much school but the rest of the time you usually use it for the all the homework they give you. I can’t really say I prepared but I did make sure to get my classes on time and that is what I expect to do again for the following semester. I would never want to go back to high school now, college is much better I believe. So get ready because it does change your life but also make good decisions because now you’re on your own.
- Janeth, Berkeley City College '13
Community college is not bad after all so that’s a great way to go as well and much cheaper! I never expected college lifestyle to be like this though; it is completely different than high school. Now you have to pay for books, classes and fees. I can’t tell what some of the fees are for or why they’re charging me them.
It does have its brighter side though, your weekly schedule is not the same because you don’t have much school but the rest of the time you usually use it for the all the homework they give you. I can’t really say I prepared but I did make sure to get my classes on time and that is what I expect to do again for the following semester. I would never want to go back to high school now, college is much better I believe. So get ready because it does change your life but also make good decisions because now you’re on your own.
- Janeth, Berkeley City College '13
New Beginnings at Sonoma State
During my high school carrier, I felt as every year got harder, I got wiser. I believe the same will be true in college. I'm also happy to say that my decision to attend Sonoma State is working out well. Some of my biggest fears about coming to college were being away form my family and friends, not being able to cope with course workload and lastly, not being able to get involved and reach out to others.
Even though it has been difficult being away from my family they have managed to come visit a couple of times and I have gone home occasionally. I have also felt pressured from my classes, but I have dealt with those by visiting my school's writing and math tutoring centers. My friends and I are spending at least four hours a day in the library to get our homework done. In the beginning of the semester I felt as if getting involved was going to be easy, however once I began to look around at the clubs I found it a bit challenging. Here at Sonoma State there are over a hundred clubs and organizations to choose from, yet due to my homework and schedule conflicts I've only been able to join 3. I am part of QSA (Queer Straight Alliance), MOSAIC (Making Our Space An Inclusive Community) and TRUST (Teaching Responsibility Utilizing Sociological Training), an organization run by prisoners in San Quentin trying to make the best out of themselves. I also plan on enrolling in a dance class next semester.
Ultimately, college has been a great experience so far. I'm very happy to say that I have also been nominated to be a leader for the student body next year.
- Yadira, Sonoma State '15
Even though it has been difficult being away from my family they have managed to come visit a couple of times and I have gone home occasionally. I have also felt pressured from my classes, but I have dealt with those by visiting my school's writing and math tutoring centers. My friends and I are spending at least four hours a day in the library to get our homework done. In the beginning of the semester I felt as if getting involved was going to be easy, however once I began to look around at the clubs I found it a bit challenging. Here at Sonoma State there are over a hundred clubs and organizations to choose from, yet due to my homework and schedule conflicts I've only been able to join 3. I am part of QSA (Queer Straight Alliance), MOSAIC (Making Our Space An Inclusive Community) and TRUST (Teaching Responsibility Utilizing Sociological Training), an organization run by prisoners in San Quentin trying to make the best out of themselves. I also plan on enrolling in a dance class next semester.
Ultimately, college has been a great experience so far. I'm very happy to say that I have also been nominated to be a leader for the student body next year.
- Yadira, Sonoma State '15
First Semester at UC Berkeley
Honestly, I was not very excited to begin my Fall semester in college. I finished summer school only two weeks before the fall semester begin. During the summer I was part of a program in UC Berkeley called Summer Bridge. Summer Bridge was designed to help student with disadvantages –low income, came from school with a low API, etc.- to get a sense of what college is about so they can have a better transition into the Fall. Each student attended two classes and lived in the dormitories. Co-ed bathrooms were quite awkward in the beginning.
Anyways, I took a math class and a Chicano history class; both are very interesting. I did well in those two classes and it showed me what to expect in the Fall and made me adjust my studying habits. Also the best thing was that the Summer Bridge counselor helped me mapped out all the classes I needed to take for my major.
The first month of school was a wreck for me because there were some issues with my financial aid. The school had charged me out-of-state tuition and withheld my refunds from the summer because they did not receive a copy of my green card. I was charged with late fees because I didn’t have enough money to pay for all my fees. And the funny thing was that the Billing department told me they couldn't release the checks until all my bills are paid but I needed that check to pay for my bills! Eventually, the Office of Registrar realized their mistake –the copy of my green card was in some other student’s profile. I made at least 15 trips to the Office of Registrar, the Financial Aid office and farthest of all the Billing and Payment office. Because of this, I missed many events that happened during the first month.
Classes are going pretty well. I am currently taking Calculus, the Beauty and Joy of Computing, Chemistry (very hard!), and an Ethnic Studies class called Minority Living in a Majority Culture. The Ethnic Studies class is extremely interesting to me because it showed the struggles of each minority culture in America and how it is preventing them to succeed. It broadens my scope of world greatly. And I am thinking about maybe I can minor in Ethnic Studies. Of course good news often comes with bad news. I have failed my first midterm in UC Berkeley and I am sure there are more to come. I felt awful when the midterm was returned to me, but this just help me strived to study better and harder! Nonetheless college midterms are brutal!
I knew college is not going to be easy and I told myself every time I fall, just get up and STUDY!
- Xue Xue, UC Berkeley '15
Anyways, I took a math class and a Chicano history class; both are very interesting. I did well in those two classes and it showed me what to expect in the Fall and made me adjust my studying habits. Also the best thing was that the Summer Bridge counselor helped me mapped out all the classes I needed to take for my major.
The first month of school was a wreck for me because there were some issues with my financial aid. The school had charged me out-of-state tuition and withheld my refunds from the summer because they did not receive a copy of my green card. I was charged with late fees because I didn’t have enough money to pay for all my fees. And the funny thing was that the Billing department told me they couldn't release the checks until all my bills are paid but I needed that check to pay for my bills! Eventually, the Office of Registrar realized their mistake –the copy of my green card was in some other student’s profile. I made at least 15 trips to the Office of Registrar, the Financial Aid office and farthest of all the Billing and Payment office. Because of this, I missed many events that happened during the first month.
Classes are going pretty well. I am currently taking Calculus, the Beauty and Joy of Computing, Chemistry (very hard!), and an Ethnic Studies class called Minority Living in a Majority Culture. The Ethnic Studies class is extremely interesting to me because it showed the struggles of each minority culture in America and how it is preventing them to succeed. It broadens my scope of world greatly. And I am thinking about maybe I can minor in Ethnic Studies. Of course good news often comes with bad news. I have failed my first midterm in UC Berkeley and I am sure there are more to come. I felt awful when the midterm was returned to me, but this just help me strived to study better and harder! Nonetheless college midterms are brutal!
I knew college is not going to be easy and I told myself every time I fall, just get up and STUDY!
- Xue Xue, UC Berkeley '15
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