Do not be discouraged! Do not give up on that dream! Some of us won’t be able to take that direct flight to the university of our dreams. The good news is that special college or university isn’t going anywhere. So, we need an alternative route. That’s all. Let’s figure how we can still get there.
The first thing you should do is go into your local community college and apply for the fall semester to get started on your collegiate journey. You will need to take a considerable amount of courses to complete your general education plan and if all goes well, you could be ready to transfer in as soon as a year and a half, depending on your plan.
Sit down with the college counseling staff and create an education plan for yourself. Here is where you have complete control of your plan and matriculation. You will have the opportunity to create an education plan that will give you the opportunity to build your GPA. For example, if math is not your strong point, you would want to take an easier load while taking the math classes to ensure you can maintain a competitive GPA. Taking math, English composition and science with a lab in the same semester, for example, would probably be too much. Also, take into consideration the amount of homework you will have for each class.
During your time at the community college, you can also beef up your extracurricular resume by joining a club, participating in student government or signing up for a sport. Most colleges also have theatre, art, and music programs. Try to get as involved as possible to really start feeling that college lifestyle!
In many cases, colleges have agreements with the local CSU/UC schools for guaranteed admission. You will have to decide if you want to do a straight transfer or if you want to grab an Associates of Arts (AA) degree while you are at the community college.
So remember. If you didn’t get with the school of your dreams yesterday (May 1- College Signing Day), don’t worry. You can still do it. It will just take a little longer! But no matter what — always know that the best investment you can make in life is in your education. It’s something that can never be taken from you! And there’s no shame in attending community college.