<p>I’m currently a OOSer working off my first year in California to gain residency. I am starting my first semester at DVC next fall with transferring to Berkeley as my ultimate goal. I have never had trouble maintaining a 3.5 GPA for all four years at my Catholic H.S., including some college level courses during the latter 2 years. I don’t anticipate maintaining the same, if not higher, GPA at DVC to be a problem. But Berkeley is a different story, or so I’ve heard.</p>
<p>Even if one possesses the right study habits and gains admission, Is the transition still overwhelming? If so, what should one do to to further prepare for taking on such a challenge? Any advice, especially any gained through personal experience would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>I don’t want to sound cocky, but I did not have difficulties adjusting to Berkeley coming from a CC. I went to SMC and I can imagine that DVC offers equally good/challenging courses.</p>
<p>The biggest difference is the <em>amount</em> of work you will get at Berkeley, not necessarily the difficulty of that work. The best advice is can give you is: Take a lot of units at once. Taking 20-22 units at SMC was about equal to taking 16 units at Berkeley. I once took 24 units and had a 20h/week part-time job which was a little crazy, but taught me a lot about time management. If you can handle >20 units at CC, you can probably handle a regular workload at Berkeley as well. Also, I was working part time during my time at CC which added to the workload I had. </p>
<p>What is your major? Everything I write here applies mostly to Engineering/Science. Certainly Berkeley’s courses are much more challenging, but science classes at CC still cover the same basic material, just in less depth and with less competition. That is not necessarily true for Humanities courses. The two history classes I took at CC were a joke (I studied a total 5h for them over the whole course of the semester and went to lecture less than 5 times. Got a perfect score. I took the easiest teacher) and completely different from humanities at Berkeley. If you major in something humanities related, don’t take the easy teachers. Take the hard ones. That’s what will prepare you best.</p>
<p>The first two year classes are considered survey classes anyways. </p>
<p>I don’t know who you took at SMC but I took western civ I and US History II at SMC in the six week sessions there. The texts and tests we used were written and the same ones used at UCLA and would hardly call a joke but I took the best teachers I could find. </p>
<p>The Dude, welcome aboard!
I did 3+ years at DVC and can tell you whatever you need to know about the place. What counselors, classes, teachers, degrees etc are the best there; admissions policies, fin aid, public transportation, best housing options, where the jobs are at etc. </p>
<p>I don’t agree with Thomas that I would start out with 20 units and maybe just 14-16 tops until you get into the groove. SMC is awesome but DVC does tend to give a bit more work and just has a different structure and feel to it. There isn’t much to do in Pleasant Hell so a healthy majority of the population like to smoke weed and party. Ironically the stoners who study and don’t watch TV or play video games tend to get some of the highest <sic> grades in class.</sic></p>
<p>Many I know who went from DVC->CAL did fine in the transition but depends on ones major and study habits. I’d say the average number of years for a L&S transfer is 2-4 years at DVC and for the sciences and engineering transfers 3-5 years.</p>
<p>kmazza, you are arguing against things I never once said.</p>
<p>
Where did I say something like that? I said I took the <em>easiest</em> teacher available, <em>that’s why</em> it was a joke. I never once said that <em>all</em> humanities classes at CC are a joke, but they can be if you take the easiest teacher. Thus I recommended not to do so. There is a big difference between “the easiest teacher at Cal” and “the easiest teacher at CC”.</p>
<p>
Again, where did I say that? Nowhere. I said that 20+ units will prepare you for a workload at Berkeley, not that he should <em>start out</em> with that. Yes, you should start out with 12-16, just to get used to a new life.</p>
<p>The biggest difference between CC and Berkeley (in my humble opinion) is: at CC they tell you what is going to be on a test. At CAL they just throw 5-10 books at you and say “know this.” And kiss precious scantrons goodbye if you’re a humanities-type major. All my tests are essay questions and IDs. Overall, the workload was the biggest adjustment. But trust me, if you can get into Cal - you belong here.</p>