Berkeley City College to UC Berkeley?

You and thousands of other OOS students.

As everyone is telling you above, if you attempt to attend school and work at a fast food restaurant, you will be assumed to have arrived for educational purposes. Transferring to a UC will cost you $60K for two years because your OOS HS transcript is a red flag and they will assume you are trying to get instate residency.

You have to be self-sufficient with absolutely NO HELP from anyone. Your W2’s and state taxes must match your budget and expenses. You cannot get discounted rents (even if the Bay area had them) because you must pay current market rates. You cannot live with relatives to establish residency. Assume rents starting at $2000 per month, not including your utilities, fees, transportation and food. Most people require first and last month’s rent. My dd will be paying $2500 for a 1 bedroom apartment shared. Even though you hope to work fast food for two years, you may have difficulty finding a job. There are plenty of takers.

The problem is that the cost of living in California is ridiculously high (especially in the Bay Area). Its not Florida, where everyone can afford to retire.