Attending Community Colleges
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Attending Community Colleges
Dec 2007
I'm curious if anyone can tell me if Berkeley City College has any
special help
for students with ADD. My son will be taking Spanish and Math, classes
he
failed twice at Berkeley Independent Studies. His math teacher there
told me
that languages and math were particularly hard for students with ADD.
His
problem is less about comprehension than about the tedium of the work
for
him, but it is also about remembering what he has learned in those
subjects.
He's very bright and does well in English and History. He's trying to
transfer
to a 4 year college but has to pass these hurdles first. Anyone have
experience with this?
Still Hoping
Dear Still Hoping:
My daughter, who has been diagnosed with ''mild ADD'' will be attending
BCC for the first time this spring, so I don't have any direct experiences
yet for her. One bit of good advice I received from another Parents of Teens
poster was to check out the instructors on ''ratemyprofessor.com''. It
consists of students' ratings of their professors, so you get what you pay for
(those who do poorly tend to complain the most, whether or not it was the
professor's fault!). But it may give you an idea of who to steer towards or who to
steer away from. There is a counseling center for students with
disabilities, but you have to have a doctor's evaluation of ADD in order to use it, I
believe. It looks like they have a lot of resources there but you have to be more
your own advocate than in high school.
You are welcome to e-mail me, though I don't have much more info. yet.
I've been hoping my daughter would have a way to connect to other younger
students at BCC, as she is only 16 and starting college full time.
Liz
Nov 2007
My 16 year old daughter will shortly be ''done'' with high school,
having taken the CHSPE exam because she wants to move on. She gets
almost all A's but often doesn't feel challenged or respected in the
high school environment. She is very self-directed, a bit of a loner
who still manages to have ''followers'' due to her intensity. She
often relates more to her teachers than her classmates.
She will be starting classes at Berkeley City College this spring.
We're starting with BCC because it is easy for her to reach, close to
my work, and has classes in digital photography, which is her eventual
profession goal. I think she can handle the college work
organizationally and hopefully socially. I've explained to her that
not all community college teachers will be inspired or skilled in
teaching, just as not all high school (or university!) teachers are.
I am interested in talking to other parents of teens who have left
high school and started college early and in talking to anyone who can
recommend good instructors at BCC or Laney, either for art and
computer tech courses or general UC transfer courses.
Liz
My son took the CHSPE at 16 and then left high school after
the 1st semester of his junior year. He had been quite happy
socially at HS, but quite unhappy with classes and school
work, and his grades were sliding. He enrolled in Expression
College for Digital Arts, in Emeryville, and started about a
month after leaving HS. They have a 30-month, year-round
immersion program to complete a BA--it's quite structured,
with from 24 to 36 hours per week in class, plus additional
work outside to complete projects. He graduated on time,
having missed maybe 5 or 6 days over the whole program. It
really was an education that he chose, and for him, that
made a huge difference.
Not all of his teachers were terrific, but some were. Some
courses were definitely more interesting than others. But he
bonded with a batch of students all going through the
program at the same time, and they helped encourage and
motivate each other. He was the youngest by a stretch, but
that didn't seem to matter.
He is 20 now, and finding that he has to face the
after-college questions earlier than many of his friends
--like ''now what do I do with my life?'' He has a couple of
part time jobs, and is gradually sorting out ''what next''.
In some ways I think the hardest thing is being at a
different stage now than his closest friends, who are still
the ones he went to HS with. Plus most of them went away to
college, and he has missed that experience. (He still lives
with us, and given the cost of living around here, probably
will for at least another year.)
For him, leaving HS early and switching to college was
absolutely the right thing to do. Going to a very structured
program really helped. I'm not sure things would have worked
as well if he had been at a Community College, but it's hard
to know, since he didn't go that way.
As for art classes in our local Community Colleges--My
husband took a number of art courses at Laney and Merritt in
the late 90s, and had some really terrific instructors. Some
have moved on, but I know that Dorcas Moulton is still at
Merritt--she is quite good (watercolor).
I hope the transition goes well for your daughter. Good luck!
anon
April 2007
I am helping my senior BHS son decide what community
college to go to. He is primarily looking at Santa Barbara
City College or Cabrillo (Santa Cruz). His main goal is to
do a transfer program into communications, journalism or
film studies for his bachelors. We're looking for feedback
on the student experience at SBCC versus Cabrillo. For
Cabrillo where do kids live? And for SBCC is it better to
live close by or are the dorms near UCSB a good option
(Fontainebleu). He's concerned about how much partying
(alcohol at SBCC or pot at Cabrillo) goes on, since he
knows he'll do better with fewer temptations. Other
possibility is Cuesta in San Luis Obispo, but it seems
pretty small and isolated...thoughts?
Mom
My daughter is a freshman at UCSB and loves going to school
there. She lives on campus in a small room with 2
roommates. They get along well and all study hard. My
daughter is academic and goes to all her classes and
discussion sections. She joined a sorority and does
community service work mostly. They are only required to
attend one meeting per week. The sororities do not put on
any parties. They stress doing well academically and keep
track of students grade point averages. During Halloween
week police patrolled the streets of Isla Vista and only
residents could enter. No alcohol was allowed outdoors and
my daughter's roommate's brother was arrested for drinking a
beer on his porch. I was concerned about drugs and alcohol
and partying. So far it does not seem to be an issue on campus.
anon
I grew up in Aptos and I know that Cabrillo College has
fantastic reputation these days. My brother, a life-long
student, has taken classes there forever, and my nephew got
his AA degree there recently and has now trasfered to Cal
State Monterey Bay. He had a great experience at Cabrillo.
My nephew lived at home, but I think students must find
apartments to share. Housing has got to be expensive. On
the plus side, there is lots to do in the area -- the beach
and mountains are right there and the towns of Capitola and
Santa Cruz are lively.
Cabrillo feedback
I don't know anything about either Cabrillo or SBCC but I'm
a firm believer in the community college system. Great
teaching and the cost can't be beat. Several thoughts---one
reason that I went ahead and sent our kids to 4 year schools
was so they could have the freshman dorm experience.
It was always something that I thought I missed out on by
going to Delta College (in Stockton) and then transferring
to Cal. There are community colleges with dorms; see
http://www.cccco.edu/find/dormitories.htm if that's appealing.
Also, you might decide between the two community colleges by
looking to see which school he wants to transfer to. Is he
planning on transferring to the UC system? He might end up
wanting to transfer to the school near the community college
he attends and I don't think that UCSC has much
communications or journalism to offer. I don't know about
film studies. But good to look ahead.
Sally
Oct 2005
My son, now 17, dropped out of Berkeley High, and passed the
high school proficiency exam this past summer. He's now at
Peralta, and enjoying school for the first time since
starting high school (and doing well!). Does anyone know
anything about transferring to a 4 year college, other than
a UC? UC has told me that they look solely at the grades
obtained at junior college. What about other schools. Do
you need SAT i/II test scores? Are there are requirements?
Thanks.
I know that Laney and Merritt have excellent Transfer
Centers, contact Manuel Alcala and Kimm Blackwell,
respectively. I'm not familiar with Vista's or COA's but
call to check.
anon
Nov 2004
Just wanted to let people know there are 11 community colleges in california
that have dorms! I'm very happy to have discovered this. See http://www.cccco.edu/find/dormitories.htm
Joann
May 2004
I need advice about the junior colleges in the area. I
have guardianship of a bright and determined 18 year old
who is going to graduate from Napa High School in June.
Before she came to live with my husband and I about a year
and half ago she was getting a 0.00 grade point average.
After 1 semester of a little guidance and encouragement
her gpa raised to 3.32 and has hovered there since. She
did this all while commuting from Richmond to Napa and
working about 30 hours a week. That said I want to help
her find a junior college in the area where she can meet
other young adults her age and stay serious about school.
She will continue to live with us (in Richmond) while
going to a JC but would ultimately like to go to UCB. She
has an interest in becoming a nurse practitioner (she is
already a CNA) or maybe even a doctor. Any suggestions on
the schools in the area? I originally thought Vista would
be good since she would get to take some classes on the
UCB campus. We also thought about Diablo Valley so she
could meet other young adults. Then I spoke with an old
college professor of mine and he suggested Laney or
Merritt. There are just so many.. Thanks in advance for
your help!
Sarah
I have attended WAY too many junior colleges in the Bay Area,
including Laney, Merritt, San Francisco City College, and DVC, and I
BY FAR had the best experience at DVC. I ended up staying there until
I transfered to a University. Their councilors are extremely helpful
when it comes to transfering and meeting academic goals, and nearly
every teacher I had there treated me with respect. That seems like it
should happen everywhere, but trust me, it doesn't. SF City College
was AWFUL in that department--high school all over again! If you have
any specific questions about my experience at DVC, feel free to
contact me. And congratulations to your
18-year-old! 0.00 to 3.32 is quite a feat!
Mercedes
For us, one factor is transportation. From Richmond, both
Laney and Vista are easily accesible by BART. We live there
and my kids go to Contra Costa College in San Pablo. They
take the bus. Also, I think it depends on the person's
interests. Vista has an interesting English dept. My son is
a musician so CCC works well for him. They have a good
music dept. and a student-run recording studio. Also a good
journalism program and culinary arts. If I were you I would
compare the catalogs which you can read online or get in
hard copy.
Good luck!
Amalia
If your teen is interested in becoming a nurse practitioner
(NP), she will need to find the most time and cost
efficient method to get to a graduate nursing school. That
said, there are three main routes for her: 1) Junior
College Associate Degree nursing program + BA or BS
completion program, then apply to a graduate school like
UCSF for the 2 year Master's program providing NP
education/training; 2) BS in Nursing program at CSU
Hayward, San Francisco, San Jose; or private colleges like
Samuel Merritt College in Oakland or University of San
Francisco in SF - after graduation, she applies to a
graduate nursing program (there are several graduate NP
programs in the area); 3) She can earn a BA or BS in a non-
nursing major from CAL or any other 4 year institution (or
2 year college + bachelor's completion program) then apply
to an accelerated 3 year program to become a nurse and
obtain graduate education including the NP training.
Several schools in the area have the accelerated programs:
University of San Francisco; San Francisco State University
and UC San Francisco.
If you have additional questions re: becoming a nurse &/or
NP and wish to contact me at work, I am at UC San Francisco
415-476-4801.
Judy
Both Merritt College and College of Marin have good
nursing programs, but she will probably be better off
taking the prereq classes (in any of the community
colleges) for the SFSU BSN program and transfer there when
she is ready. The NP programs are master level and you
usually need a few years of nursing experience to be
accepted. Cal does NOT offer any nursing programs, but
will be a good place to get her pre-med if she is going to
go to med school.
anon
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