Q&A with T-REC

Don't keep your chocolates in your pocket!

A guideline in our component, served as a reminder to share our information (chocolates) or else they'll melt (deprive others who can use the information).

Here's T-REC Q&A

What Are Your Regrets About Your Transfer Process?

Raine : I regret not thoroughly reviewing the specific requirements for both individual colleges at UC Berkeley and the university. For example, as a student in the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS), I am required to have certain "Essential Skills" for my major, which include Reading and Composition, Computational Reasoning, Human and Social Dynamics of Data and Technology, and Statistical Reasoning. In hindsight, I should have checked Assist.org to determine whether any community college courses would transfer and help fulfill these requirements to get it over with.

Dylan: As a Business Administration major, I regret not taking the time during community college to join career fellowship programs such as Sponsors for Educational Opportunities (SEO) and Management Leaders for Tomorrow (MLT) and applying to freshman/sophomore Start Programs in tech and finance firms. If I had done this, I would have been more prepared and confident heading into my junior year recruiting season (the most important recruiting season!!).

Sammy: I also regret not using Assist.org!! During my first two semesters in CC, I didn’t review with a counselor and signed up for classes I thought would fit into IGETC but did not. I ended up with a lot of elective credits and some lower-division history courses that didn’t transfer over 1:1; now, I have to take 2-3 lower-division history courses on subjects I already had. Also, I definitely should've figured out 100% that I wanted to go here to avoid that credit problem; I was way too iffy and indecisive with the transfer process, largely because I didn’t go out of my way to learn more about the schools until application season.

Jhoana : Pretty similar to Raine, I regret not utilizing Assist.org for major requirements, especially when I changed my major my second semester of freshman year from Business Administration to Economics. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. It was an impulsive decision to change my majors as Berkeley was my target school, and I lacked the confidence to apply to HAAS. I should have spoken to my counselor but I got lazy!!

Anne Marie: I regret not looking into more of my major requirements for Berkeley and having more conversations with my CC academic counselor. When I spoke to my CC counselor, I was told that I was good to go for everything. When I came to Berkeley I realized that I was just fine for the application and not for some of the requirements at Berkeley. I wish I knew that before coming to Berkeley because I feel I wasted some time at my CC due to me having to retake some classes for my Berkeley major requirements.

Rhianna: Though the transfer process is scary, there are also lots of resources that I wish I had taken advantage of, like the Zoom info sessions, transfer social media groups/discord, etc.. I also wish that I reached out to more transfers that I had met at Cal so that I could gain more insight into what I should expect. I would like to emphasize that most transfer students, especially those who work with PASS, are more than happy to be a resource for incoming transfers, so please do not hesitate to reach out to us!

Giles: I regret not fully planning out my classes in community college. By planning out, I mean cross examining the requirements for the schools I applied to, and the requirements to receive my desired AA. Because of this, a lot of my classes ended up not transferring to my university but on the flip side, I received a second AA!

Shawn: I regret not reaching out to people and utilizing the resources available. Know that there are people and organizations out there that are willing to help you in your journey.

Did You Map Your Course Path? Share Your Experience!

Jhoana : Nope, no course pathway mapping. I occasionally had phone calls once a semester with my counselor to talk about the upcoming semester’s course plan but I found it to be an inconvenience to even call. Looking back at it, I should have utilized the resources I had. It would have prevented me from doing extra and unnecessary IGETC requirement classes. I eventually spoke to my TAP counselor more frequently during my sophomore year.

Dylan: Yes! I highly recommend using tools like Assist.org and reaching out to counselors and other student alumni that currently go to schools you hope to transfer to. I recommend searching for a counselor you can trust – and when you meet a new counselor always remember to take their advice with a grain of salt. I would schedule monthly meetings with the counselor I trusted to ensure that I am on track to transfer to the 5 different colleges I was applying to, as all of them have different requirements.

Sammy: I half did? I spent some time with counselors making a student education plan for an unspecified UC or SDSU. My SEP was very confusing and all over the place, though, as counselors wouldn’t properly communicate info with each other. It worked out because all the accidents with my SEP gave me enough credits to get my 2nd ADT.

Anne Marie: I did but not very well. I talked to a counselor to make the plan but I found that I was still missing stuff when I got here. I really wish that I went into more depth about that because it would’ve saved me some time here at Berkeley.

Rhianna: When I first started CC, I made a course pathway for myself without meeting an advisor. Though I was following the classes listed on assist.org, I was still unsure about setting my own schedule. A year into my coursework, I finally met with my CC counselor, who opened my options about which majors I could transfer with and provided a set course pathway for me. This became incredibly helpful and gave me peace of mind that I could confidently navigate and prepare for my semester schedules.

Giles: I did not. I highly suggest doing so that you do not overstay your time in community college by taking classes you may not be interested in nor necessarily applicable for your academic journey.

Shawn: In my first semester, no. I wasn’t aware of any resources available like academic counseling. However, when I joined my CC’s Filipino class, they connected me to various resources which include CCSF’s Filipino American Student Success Program. Since then I’ve actively worked with the counselor in planning my courses each semester.

What Did Your Transfer Process Look Like?

Jhoana : Messy, as you can see. I think I’m the model student of what not to do for transferring into a UC. I’m a walking cautionary tale. Everything I do, don’t.

Sammy: I very much felt like I was in the dark the whole time, and the idea of actually transferring didn’t feel real. Felt a little scary during application season, but once it was over, beginning to become acclimated with schools and learning more about Berk was awesome though.

Rhianna: While transferring, I found myself relying on a lot of support from fellow friends who were transferring alongside me and understood how stressful the process was. There are many things to keep track of, so my advisors and faculty at my community college were great support when it came to logistical planning. Despite the people in my support system, I still found myself incredibly scared and overwhelmed thinking of what could go wrong while transferring. Now that I’m here at Cal, I’ve gone through my own struggles as a transfer student with adjusting to the different academic environment and the larger campus. However, I continue to find community through PASS and other Pil orgs and events, and I know that now, more than ever, is not the time to be scared when it comes to putting yourself out there.

How'd You Feel Waiting For Your Admissions?

Jhoana : I was lowkey chilling as I was preoccupied with my full time job that made me travel a lot. But when I first received my decisions from UCI, it was really demoralizing to see a deferment from a school I anticipated was a safety school since I TAGged it. Then I saw my decisions from Berkeley on a work trip so I couldn’t be around loved ones to celebrate my admission. At the time, I was also considering declining Berkeley even before I heard from UCLA since I changed target schools, but my eldest sister convinced me to consider Berkeley. I was considering staying another year in CC to transfer to UCLA, but I knew my extracurriculars wouldn’t be as strong in my third year as I was so focused on working full time.

Aryssa: I was nervous because I really wanted to go to Berkeley since it was the only school with my current major (Engineering Math and Statistics). If I didn’t get in I would have to do Electrical Engineering which didn’t align as well with my passions. Once I got into Berkeley, I told my grandma the exact same day. She said “OH! I’m so proud of you!” I’ll never forget that moment. She passed away the week before I started at CAL, and that’s one of my best memories with her.

Sammy: I was a little nervous immediately after submitting them, but after a while, I chilled out about it a lot and forgot for a bit, LOL. Once I started getting my applications back, I very, very much calmed down. I was very lucky to get accepted into all 4 UCs I applied to, but ngl I wasn’t really phased by some of them, like UCI and UCSD, because tbh I wasn’t really aiming to transfer there, they just seemed like good options for history. UCLA and Berk made me a little nervous about the decision, but after touring here, I was locked in. The process of admissions was pretty straightforward and surprisingly easy for me.

Rhianna: I applied to UC Santa Cruz, Davis, and Berkeley. I knew that I was most likely going to be accepted into UCSC since I had done well in all of the requirements. I wasn’t super worried about getting into Davis, but I was really anxious about getting into Berkeley. I knew that I would be disappointed if I didn’t get in again, but I also knew that it would go against my parents’ plans for me to go to Santa Cruz. I got into Cal and partially felt selfish for wanting to go, but I ultimately received support from both of my parents to go.

Any Advice For Any Aspiring CAL Transfers?

Jhoana : Even though you may have missed out two years transferring into CAL, that does not stagger your ability to capitalize your personal growth and connections through people and resources available to you at CAL. You have some of the most highly educated people at Berkeley as your professors, advisors, or peers so make use of it to the fullest!! Attend office hours, attend mixers, attend those student-led events!

Aryssa: Don’t try and mimic your grades or experience from community college. Embrace the change of being in a new environment. Be ready to make mistakes, mess up, and feel different. In your first semester this is super important and once you’ve adjusted you’ll find yourself having a great time, despite all you’ve had to overcome to get there.

Rhianna: DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF. Comparison will be your own downfall. Just be genuine, honest, and unafraid to put yourself out there! Networking and speaking with faculty/professors/GSI’s will get you the most opportunity and understanding of your career field and pathways. Also take care of and be kind to yourself and don’t be afraid to say no to outings to take care of yourself.

Any Do's or Don't Advice?

Jhoana : DONT DONT DONT DONT do private loans. Let’s just say the interest I have to pay off is 1.5x the amount I borrowed JUST for the school year. You’ll definitely receive financial aid from the school, even if it is a subsidized or unsubsidized loan. Even when I was offered it, I got too busy / sidetracked to cancel the private loan and didn’t take any of the aid offered to me from the school. Just be patient and don’t panic because you can appeal for financial aid with the school!

As for housing? … If you attend CAL, don’t do housing with the Berkeley Group (co-op housings affiliated with CAL). If you are choosing another UC, explore every option with housing and don’t be impulsive - tour the place if you can, especially if it’s off campus!!

Rhianna: For off-campus housing, do look at Facebook groups, Instagram pages, Reddit, and the UC Berkeley Off-Campus Housing (och.berkeley.edu) will be your besties for finding a place and roommates. Just beware of scammers, especially on FB groups and Reddit.

Do also consider class size and how impacted your major is if it matters to you. When it comes to advising, you’re gonna have more trouble booking appointments if you have a lot of people in your major.

Talk About Anything!

Jhoana : Throughout a recent meeting I’ve had with an internship recruiter, assisting me in preparing for my final interview with the CEO and Executive VP of their company, she shared some words of wisdom to me. I shared with her my intentions and motivation behind creating this website for transfer students, as a way to prevent others from making the same mistakes as me and a way to create opportunities for others to access resources I wish I had known. She shared with me that the choices we’ve made are the reasons for what is consequently happening in our lives. And reflecting upon those words of wisdom, I have concluded that I have the fortunate opportunity to be a finalist candidate for an established international company, be able to attend the #1 public university in the nation , and had the opportunity to travel around the country for work prior to my commitment to Berkeley. Moreover, being able to develop interpersonal relationships in my life such as currently being in a happy and healthy relationship, consistently being surrounded by supportive friends and peers, all the while having an unconditionally supportive family who is proud of me. I think despite all the mistakes and missed opportunities I had, everything falls into place for a reason, and the trials and tribulations will ultimately pass. Opportunities I didn’t know would be possible for me, are proactively being created. Keep pushing through transfers! <3

Aryssa: People would always say online that in college your friends will find you. BELIEVE THIS. I’m a bit reserved but here I’ve connected with lifelong friends who I cherish so much. Don’t feel pressure to find friends immediately because they will find you and they will truly be YOUR people.