Advice To Finish College/Community College
 

I was reading the Community College vs. College thread and plenty of advice came to my mind for the young one getting into college, community college or graduate school.

I personally have zero experience getting into graduate school but many members have. Next year I am going to start applying to Film School so I will tell you guys how that goes.

Going to college is a big deal to anyone especially for undocumented students. Many students want to go to college right away because they do not want to miss what their friends are going to have. The reality is, you are not like your friends. Still, that does not mean that you can achieve even more than your friends, it just means that your choices are different.

I am going to make a list of advice but if you have some good information please share it.

Well, the first truism, not only for dreamers, the longer you wait to get into community college/college, the less likely that your will actually do it or finish it. That is also true for people that are in their last college year and decide to go to work for a year and come back and finish the last semester.

So, this is the first bite but there is plenty more.

Thanks

Re: Advice To Finish College/Community College
 

Plan, Plan, and Plan. Make sure you know what classes to take. You can go to a counselor and ask, but they can only help so much given the number of students that they have to attend to. Hence, look for transfer sheet plans. In California, we have the IGETC and BREATH sheets which is a plan, contract, telling you the exact classes and number of units needed to transfer to a 4 year. Completing such type of plans allows you to transfer without any complications. In addition, it allows you to get GE certified so that when you are about to obtain your B.A. or B.S., the 4 year university will not need to translate the community college stuff into their system. They will just take you as a person who is done with all of their General Education.

They have the same type of plans at the 4 year univ, but they are specific to each major. Make sure you take your classes according to such plans and to have your adviser approve your plan.

As far as grad school goes, shhhh, get ready for some mind bending shit. By the time you start your upper division courses, you should know if you are going for a Masters, PhD, ect. This will allow you to plan accordingly. Getting into a Masters program is a lot easier than getting into a PhD program. So if you are planning on a masters, then there is no need to do the extra work needed for the PhD; contrary to common believe, you do not need a masters to get into a PhD program.

Getting laid will also help you enjoy school more, and thus, motivate you to do well.

Re: Advice To Finish College/Community College
 

Don't apply to grad school if you have no idea how you're going to pay for it. Only apply to fully funded programs.

Re: Advice To Finish College/Community College
 

Erase / Rewind

Re: Advice To Finish College/Community College
 

Hear, hear! Right on target. At the end of the day, smarts is a skill more than anything.

Re: Advice To Finish College/Community College
 

Well, there are some tricks to keep perseverance. One of them is to first, finish all your general education classes. The hardest years are the freshmen and Senior year in college. Most of the people that drop out are either in their first or last classes.

Unless you are a math or science major, finish those requirements first. You cannot believe the amount of people that are about to transfer and get stuck because they waited so long for those classes that now they are behind and need to take extra classes to get into the only class they need to get the diploma. Usually, those classes also have more units and they can break your sleek schedule.

In the same page, finish your general education courses first. Take those 2-3 years taking some classes that will be interesting and some that you will hate for sure. It is going to be a pain in the butt first but it will help in two fronts. If you decide to change major, very probable btw, you are not going to be stuck with a bunch of classes that you don't need but already took. Second, it is going to make you love your last years in college, all day, in the same buildings with the same people, in classes that you love because their fit your interest and that compliment each other so much that is going to make studying and reading easier.

Re: Advice To Finish College/Community College
 

I don't have very much time so I'll keep this short and sweet. For people with less opportunities and less resources, like us, it is very much about who you know. I'm very grateful for everything I have, and I know that what I have is in no small part due to some wonderful people who believe me. I have very persistent parents backing me up and wanting me to get an education. If you surround yourself with the right people (not just people that can get you places, but people with good energy) you can get very far; it'll rub off on you.

Re: Advice To Finish College/Community College
 

To piggy back on what dreambaybeh said... Surround yourself with "successful peeps". To be more specific find yourself a mentor, you'll be surprised at how many people are willing to help you, if you ask nicely and prove yourself worthy. I know that I wouldn't have gotten this far without my parents support and the support of other individuals outside my family who have lend a supporting word or lending hand when I've most needed it!

Also, join organizations that relate to your field of study and volunteer at events that relate to your interests! I've surrounded myself with a lot of international students, that although they have had the "legal" opportunity to study here, have gone through so many struggles and what not!! You'll be surprised at how many international students are going through similiar situations that we're going through and how supportive they can be through your schooling!! ;)

BEST OF LUCK!!