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There is a lot of misinformation out there, or sometimes what they intend to say and what is heard differ. And you have to be careful even at a CC since people post their counselors have told them the same thing, or that they have to get their AA to xfer (also not true). In general, yes, you do take classes to fulfill most or all of the general ed while at a CC. But general ed is not required to be completed and <a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/requirements/additional-requirements/igetc/”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/requirements/additional-requirements/igetc/</a> says that in bold type. You may get an advantage in admission for some majors by having done so, and the majors will say so if that is true.</p>
<p>If there is a CC near you then you should look online at their transfer center. They should have info on how to transfer, but more importantly many will have frequent workshops about how to transfer, visits from UC reps, etc. These are generally open to anyone, they’re not going to check ID or require a sign up to attend. For example <a href=“http://207.62.63.167/offices/transfer_center/calendar.asp”>http://207.62.63.167/offices/transfer_center/calendar.asp</a> Going to some of these may help you plan better.</p>
<p>Lastly, since you mentioned UCSB, if that is your top choice then you might want to look at a thread I started about getting much of the 4-year experience while starting out at Santa Barbara CC. See <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-santa-barbara/468098-backdoor-way-to-get-into-ucsb.html”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-santa-barbara/468098-backdoor-way-to-get-into-ucsb.html</a></p>