Warning: This response will be long. Sorry! I had a lot to say.
It’s awesome that you’re so dedicated to turning things around. Your determination will set you up on a great path to success. With that said, here is some of my advice as someone who is at a CCC and transferring next fall semester:
- Pick a major ASAP. The sooner you know, the sooner you know what classes you need to take and can plan. With STEM majors, they have a lot of prerequisites, so it's not uncommon for people choosing CompSci or Engineering to be at their CCC for three or more years than the conventional two. Knowing your major will help you reduce the amount of time at your CCC.
- Assist.org is your BFF. It can be kind of confusing to read it, however. So if you want help PM me.
- Try to take summer classes. It'll give you a head start and allow you to transfer classes. Summertime is a great way to knock out IGETC/general education classes so you can just focus on major prerequisites during the fall and spring, when more classes are offered.
- Join the Honors Program! It looks great on your application and some schools even have transfer agreements specifically for honors students. If anything, you may even get priority registration which is amazing to have since it gives you a greater chance of getting a spot in impacted classes.
- Have a backup plan. Schools such as Cal, USC, and Stanford are difficult to get into even for transfer students with 4.0 GPAs, tons of ECs, etc. The best part about going to a CCC is the ability to have a TAG agreement with one of six UC campuses (UCI, UCSB, UCD, UCSC, UCM, UCR). In the case that something doesn't work out, at least you will have another great school to go to.
- Do undergraduate research! It's one of the best ECs that you can have on your curriculum vitae. Even better if you can get published. There's a conference called HTCC which is geared towards honors community college students that allows for you to present and publish research. I presented there this weekend and it was an extremely rewarding experience.
My time at my CCC was one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences in my academic career. I did a complete 180 from the person I was in high school so it’s very much possible for you to be able to study at a prestigious university. If you have any questions/want more advice, feel free to PM me. My inbox is always open to you!