@sethwilliam offers good advice. The main thing is to just do the work. I don’t really think most CC classes are hard–it’s just that it’s so easy for commuter students to allow life to get in the way. You have to have the same mindset as a residential student. That includes staying on campus long hours and getting your homework done at the library whenever possible. There’s something that happens when you go home where you mind often shifts away from work and it’s too easy to drift. Also, make connections with faculty in your field, and go talk to them in office hours. You may be surprised at their diverse professional experiences, and you will likely learn a good deal about your professional options–plus they can help with those transfer apps. For courses like freshman English, you can go to the CC bookstore now and see what books people are teaching, and choose a professor based on that. You might want to confirm that they are teaching the same thing next year. Also, read Rate My Professor with a grain of salt. If your aim is a UC, you don’t want the guy everyone says is the easiest professor in the world. You need someone who will challenge you and really teach you the material. It is quite easy to spend two years and get a crappy education–there is an immense pressure to grade inflate, particularly on adjunct professors. Challenge yourself. You can get a fantastic education at a CC, but you have to actually want a fantastic education. It seems like you do! Good luck!