Transfering From a Community College to a Uni

[ValenceElectron]

I want to become an astrophysicist, but I don't have enough money to attend a 4-year college once I graduate (may 2024) so my dad said that I should plan on going to a community college and then transfering to a university.

Will I still be able to become a physicist if I go to community college and transfer? Do community colleges offer the neccesary courses, and if so, which should I take, especially for math?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Millions of people start out in community college and finish at a 4-year. Some states, like California, even guarantee admission to their state schools for people doing this and meeting pre-determined requirements. As for specific classes in community college, you should talk to an advisor there, because they will be familiar with the transfer requirements for that state.

 

[ValenceElectron]

Millions of people start out in community college and finish at a 4-year. Some states, like California, even guarantee admission to their state schools for people doing this and meeting pre-determined requirements. As fgor specific classes in community college, you should talk to an advisor there, because they will be familiar with he transfer requirements for that state.

Thank you for the answer, I was worried about it but this is good to hear!

 

[berkeman]

One thing to keep in mind when using a 2-year CC for the transition to the last 2 years at university -- the level of the competition from other students in your classes at CC will likely be a fair amount below what you will experience at university. So depending on how good your study skills are coming out of high school, you can experience a big shock when you start university.

If your study skills are a bit lax leaving high school, then you likely still will be able to do relatively well at the CC but then will experience a big shock when you transfer to university as a junior. That shock will be compounded by the fact that upper-division classes are typically harder than lower division, so it's kind of a double-whammy to experience that shock as you are starting your junior year.

I went to a small high school in the countryside in Northern California, and was able to graduate salutatorian in my class without having to do much studying at all. So my study skills were nowhere near what I needed when I started at UC Davis, and I struggled for the first couple of quarters. But I buckled down and improved my study skills (and studied my butt off), and improved a lot and did much better after that.

So my point is that it is extra-important IMO when taking the CC route to university that you work on your study skills a lot, even if it seems like you don't need to be that sharp at CC. Hope that helps a bit.

 

[ValenceElectron]

One thing to keep in mind when using a 2-year CC for the transition to the last 2 years at university -- the level of the competition from other students in your classes at CC will likely be a fair amount below what you will experience at university. So depending on how good your study skills are coming out of high school, you can experience a big shock when you start university.

If your study skills are a bit lax leaving high school, then you likely still be able to do relatively well at the CC but then will experience a big shock when you transfer to university as a junior. That shock will be compounded by the fact that upper-division classes are typically harder than lower division, so it's kind of a double-whammy to experience that shock as you are starting your junior year.

I went to a small high school in the countryside in Northern California, and was able to graduate salutatorian in my class without having to do much studying at all. So my study skills were nowhere near what I needed when I started at UC Davis, and I struggled for the first couple of quarters. But I buckled down and improved my study skills (and studied my butt off), and improved a lot and did much better after that.

So my point is that it is extra-important IMO when taking the CC route to university that you work on your study skills a lot, even if it seems like you don't need to be that sharp at CC. Hope that helps a bit.

Thank you, do you have any good study tips? I'm getting better at studying but I don't think I'm really reaching my full potential with it.

 

[berkeman]

Check out the rest of the Academic Advising forum threads -- there are lots of threads with good study tips.

For me, the extra time invested was probably the biggest factor in my marked improvements. I basically studied about 40 hours a week outside of classes, and did all of the practice problems I could find. I also kept a couple sheets of "Crib Notes" for each class, summarizing the important equations and concepts as I learned them. Those were always handy when reviewing material for exams.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

Thank you, do you have any good study tips? I'm getting better at studying but I don't think I'm really reaching my full potential with it.

read textbooks with paper and pencil. do not peak at solutions. If trouble arises, re read and work through relevant sections. Nothing complex.

 

[PeroK]

Thank you, do you have any good study tips? I'm getting better at studying but I don't think I'm really reaching my full potential with it.

You have to be disciplined and use the time effectively. These days perhaps getting away from the Internet and your phone are important.

You need to find a regime that works for you - one that allows you to focus on studying.

Once you start putting in significant hours of focused study time you should make good progress.

Physics is a hard subject. Expect to be struggling all the time with new material. We've all pulled our hair and banged the table in frustration at some stage. That's an inevitable part of choosing a hard subject.