I echo what @enpz45 and @snowy606 has said. I just have a few things to add:
- Consider doing undergraduate research! This looks great for colleges/resumes. If you can get published, even better. There are conferences such as HTCC that is specifically tailored for California Community college students that give opportunities such as this. I recently presented this past weekend at this conference and it truly is an amazing experience to present!
- This may be controversial/debatable advice, but I'm only speaking from my personal experience as a CCC student who is about to transfer: try and pick a major as soon as possible. I know that many CCs advertise the fact that going there gives you time to pick; however, if you don't want to be spending more than 2/3 years at a CC, then it's important to pick your major and do IGETC/pre-reqs ASAP. When you transfer in as a junior to any of the UCs/CalStates, you will need to declare your major already. There is no way for you to go in undeclared and decide there (unless you want to switch, which is a whole other situation). Start thinking about what your interests are now and looking into career paths that you might enjoy.
- Stay on top of your coursework/required classes.I know people who have been at my CC for 4/5+ years because they can't seem to buckle down and do what they need to in order to transfer.
I found my time at my CCC to be extremely rewarding. I’ve learned a lot in these past two years that I don’t think that I would have if I had just gone straight to a university. I hope that you will have the same fulfilling experience that I have. Going to a CCC was one of the best decisions I’ve made academically. If you have any questions, need help, or just want to talk about what to expect going to a community college, my inbox is always open so shoot me a message!