I will be transferring to UCLA in the fall as a Poli Sci major, I did 2 years of community college, one year at Palomar, one year at Grossmont (50 miles away) in order to get all of my pre-reqs. I came right out of high school with one class of IB credit. I did 18 units my first semester, 17 my second and I worked 50 hours a week and maintained a 4.0. I am a good test taker, and I hated busywork in high school. Combined with my chronic laziness, I didn’t do too hot in high school. I liked the fend for yourself environment of community college, and I would recommend assessing your ability to retain spoken information. Quite frankly, many professors couldn’t care less if you come to class, but I would greatly recommend attending as many classes as possible and PARTICIPATE. Most classes have many opportunities to participate, and I make it my prerogative to ensure that every one of my professors knows my name by the second class meeting. I’ve felt that this has ensured that I have a relationship with the professor, and many of them take interest in students that they know care because they are dealing with a lot of students that couldn’t give less of a crap about the class. Don’t ask for too many favors though because professors will get annoyed, but do go the extra mile to impress them (just don’t be a pompous weenie about it). I would also recommend taking easier GE’s online because you won’t be wasting precious time in a class that could be spent focusing on another more difficult class.
And not to totally crap on your dreams but I would highly recommend any major but psychology… Check out this link, it will show you what percentage of people get in per major and psychology is only about 22% however I don’t know what your interests are, but something like anthropology is 56%. If you’re dead set on psychology be prepared to maintain at least a 3.7.
http://www.admission.ucla.edu/prospect/Adm_tr/Tr_Prof15_mjr.htm
The IGETC and assist.org will be your bible for this process. Counselors are more often than not, useless. Try not to take anything outside of what you are told to by IGETC and Assist.
Good luck