Interview with a Transfer Student

1. Do you believe CC was a good choice for you?
Yes, I do believe CC was the right choice for me. When I graduated high school I had no idea what I wanted to do with my future. CC allowed me the opportunity to really figure out what major I wanted and the type of higher education I wanted to pursue.

2. What was a positive about attending a CC? What was a negative aspect about going to a CC?
                The positive about attending a CC was the cost. I was able to get all my General Ed classes completed for way less than it would have been at a University. The negative about attending a community college is that it is really easy to get stuck there. You can take your time and switch majors so easily that students end up losing motivation to continue to a university.

3. What types of programs helped you stay on track to transfer?
I wasn’t involved in any programs, during CC. It was mostly the support from my family that kept me on track to transfer.

4. If you would have chosen to not attend college, where do you think you'd be right now?
                Honestly, I would probably still be working at Klondike Pizza.

5. Since you are a transfer student, how was the transition from a CC to a University?
                The transfer from Hancock College to Cal Poly was really rough my first quarter. CP is on the quarter system, so classes are only 11 weeks unlike AHC’s 16 week semester schedule. I had to learn how to handle a bigger work load in a shorter amount of time. I was reading 3-4 novels a week and having to write research papers almost every 2 weeks.  It was quite an adjustment. Also AHC had not prepared me to write a university level research paper. I had to take an additional writing and research class just to get up to speed with my peers.

6. Do you think college prepared you for the real world in anyway?
                Yes, I think college did help prepare me for the real world. College taught me discipline, determination, time management, team work, and commitment. I think these characteristics are extremely important because they are crucial in further developing our personal and professional lives.

7. What stresses you out the most in college?
                Money stresses me out the most about college. It cost so much and it doesn’t even guarantee you a job.

8. What is the difference between the professors at a CC and a University?
                In my experience there’s a huge difference between professors at a CC and a University. The instructors at a CC don’t really have a flair for their subject. They also don’t want to be challenged; they expect you to agree with everything they teach. Most of them seem to just be counting down the days until they retire. Professors at a University are so passionate about their subject, their passion becomes contagious. Also they encourage you to challenge them and do not take offense if students do not agree with what they are teaching. They really want students to go outside the box and draw their own interpretations and conclusions from the class.

9. Were you ever involved with any organizations, Greek life, clubs, ect? If so did it help you out in anyway?
                I didn’t have time to get involved in anything while at Cal Poly. Between work, school, and my commute I had no time for extracurricular activity.

10. How long did it take you to decide what to major in?
                It took me one semester at AHC to decide to be a history major. I loved History, so it just made sense to continue learning about it.

11. What is the best advice you have gotten about college? And what is the best advice you can give future students entering the college life?
                The only advice I have really gotten is to not give up because all my hard work will pay off in the end.  My advice to future students is to pick a major or area of study not because of the money you could possibly make from it, but because you genuinely like it. All the money in the world won’t make doing what you hate worth it.

12. Because you attended a CC and soon transferred, did this allow you the freedom to explore with class options before you figured out what major you wanted to pursue? And if you had went straight to a four-year, do you believe you would of been able to explore the variety of classes the CC offers?
I knew fairly early that I wanted to be a History major so I didn’t need to explore other class options. If I would have went to a University right after high school I think I would have chosen the same major. The university does allow you to explore classes with electives and General Ed classes.