Mr. Wiggles

iTrader: (12)

I still want to go to SLO...I have some buddies that go there and they said the school is nice, but as far as girls and the town itself...well; it's not UC Irvine. BTW, they're both computer science majors, if that helps any.

i'd say go for it, but if you're not sure, maybe it's not a good idea to get into the full four years right now and you should start looking into perhaps doing a junior college stint just to sort life out. i'm doing that right now, and I'm glad i did

dSpec

iTrader: (10)

Don't let the phrase "I go to a community/junior college" let you down. A bunch of people at my school are going to CC and they usually get put down by people who are going to a UC or state.

chocolate

iTrader: (11)

Apply to Cal-tech in Pasadena, they are top notch in science and mathematics. Cal Poly is considered a Csu, but that doesn't mean anything in comparison really (at least as an undergrad). UC's are known for their research faculty and depts. UC's really count when you are doing post-grad work because they will have the funding and faculty to accomodate, thus most UC's offer doctorate degrees rather than ma/ms.

G'luck in college!

jvick125

iTrader: (2)

From the few posts that I read, no one answered your question about switching majors.

Last time I heard you couldn't. I would recommend calling the advising/counseling office and getting that confirmed, screw e-mails. Or the admissions office.

CreoWRX

iTrader: (2)

I have a friend doing her graduate work at SLO in Biomedical Engineering. She seems to like the people/campus, aside from a somewhat isolated city.

Huh? My program at UCLA offered an M.A./Ph.D. I would assume most UCs also offer a host of M.A./M.S./Ph.D. programs. Usually, you have to complete your masters before you can move on to doctoral work (or the programs are combined).

http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/gasaa/library/pgmrqintro.htm

Here are the graduate degrees offered at UCI;

http://www.rgs.uci.edu/grad/academic...es_offered.htm

-Mike-

verc

iTrader: (12)

Let me give you some (try to be as truthful as I can but I'm not know-it-all) long run prospect.

Engineering at most state schools is a hard way to go. Cause there are many graduates, and employers do not look upon state schools for the really good engineering jobs (you know, the ones that pay more) if you have low GPA. Go to a more recognized school (I didn't say better mind you, I am not implying a private school has a better education, I just said more recognized) and maybe you'll get by with a lower GPA.

Cause face it, you think you'll do good in college. Then you start partying and realize that although you are underage alcohol is everywhere. THERE GOES YOUR PLANS FOR ACADEMICS.

Cal Poly is top notch engineering. However it's also pretty competitive once you are there. I did not go to cal poly so don't take my word, but many of my coworkers and friends did, and that's what they told me.


You say you want to go to SCU for accounting. While it's cool that friggin' Steve Nash went to SCU, accounting kinda sucks as far as jobs go. As far as in silicon valley goes, senior accountants with MBAs and into their late 20's still make less or similar than a lot of 21 year old software and electrical engineers with Bachelor's. I know this for a fact. At least where I work, and at a few other companies I know about.



Community College is definately a great choice to get some experience in different fields before you decide. However be aware a lot of people get mired/bogged down in CC. As in, end up spending 4 years there, or transfer to a university then go back to CC.... so be careful.

You mentioned SCU. Private schools take better care of you than public schools. I will debate this with anyone. Regardless of how good the education is, private schools take better care of you and overall there are more resources per student to go around.

This, is why there are people who are at UC Berkeley for 7 years even though it's a top world-class school and they are really smart.... cause they got left behind.




Lastly, since you are considering community college. DUDE freshman year is absolutely going to be the best time ever. You can get drunk off your **** and no one will sneer at you because after all, your "just a freshman". You'll meet tons of people in your dorm. (lots of schools only have dorm living for freshman.) You'll party till dawn and hook up with random girls who you'll kinda then by awkward with for the rest of your 4 years (but hey you were freshmen you're forgiven!) and talk about random crap over a hookah with your dorm buddies. You'll go to parties and still get let in b/c you're with other freshman chicks you just met. You'll go on trips with your dorm and form great friendships I guarantee you.

Go to college

verc

iTrader: (12)

and if you're ever in doubt about going to a 4 year university instead of going to CC and transferring - go rent a bunch of movies about college and watch them. Start with Animal House

DeZt

iTrader: (1)

haha, thanks alot for the comments! Btw verc, if i go to community college i'll be living at home so i assume that last paragraph is referring to if i move away from home (cal poly in my case).

I'm still undecided, but i have to make up my mind by may 1st.

slow04wrx

iTrader: (3)

you are an idiot if you don't go, cal poly is an amazing school/ area, or you can stay here and hate life at community college.

mot

iTrader: (5)

i go to cpsu. its really hard to change ur major because once u start, you start takin a few major courses already. the campus is cool. its not as big as some UC's but its alright. if u want, you can just take a few courses that are required for ur applied major and take a few from the major u want to change in to. i gotta finish this later. time for class!

DeZt

iTrader: (1)

Oh, so the major core classes start right away? I wanted to switch to maybe some type of science field thats not physics related, mot do you have any idea if the biology at cal poly is worthy?

verc

iTrader: (12)

Dezt this is a good point to consider - in public schools it's usually hard to change major. Of the top of my head I know for Berkeley if you want to do their electrical and computer engineering, you need to specifically apply for it. Private schools, usually easy to change major.

So that may be another thing to consider for Santa Clara U., if you are undecided. Personally I know a LOT of people who changed their minds half way, or even going into their senior year of college - they would have been screwed if they did not have that luxury!

mot

iTrader: (5)

honestly i dont know how they are compared to other schools. i have a few friends who are bio majors and they seem to like it. though, they said its quite difficult. most of the science and engineering majors here are difficult.

DeZt

iTrader: (1)

Ok, an update!
So i went to visit today and they said the dorms were all sold out already and there is going to be no waiting list. (In previous years it took about two weeks to fill up but this year it filled up right when the housing applications were open, which is ridiculous because the open house was after the housing applications were open, and thus all the dorms were already sold)

Do you think i should go and live in off campus housing? I think that it won't be the same because there will be no "first year connection" or the other socializing program that's for freshman that is included at dorms.
What do you guys think? It's either cal poly or deanza.

I need to hurry up and make a decision because the applications are due May 1st and the off campus housing is filling up fast. Stenner Glen (one of the nicer ones) is already filled and has a pretty long waiting list.

Thanks for all your advice and opinions!

verc

iTrader: (12)

No one's going to be able to tell you. So I'll just tell you about my friends.

All my friends, all of them, who went to a community college and then transfered, regretted not being in college from the start.

Few of my friends who went to college then dropped out, still think about their college year or two as the best they had so far.

I just don't want to diss community colleges since you know, lot of my friends, lot of people here go to them, but there's just too much of a difference between them to even compare.

And I mean one of my good buddies went to community college and transfered to Stanford. I'll say this, if you want to go to CC you better have a DAM.N good reason for going there instead of a university, like your mom is sick and you need to take care of her, you are already engaged to a girl working locally, uh.... i dunno.