Movin' to LA or SD

[Mk1inCali]

Okay boys & girls...I've got a dilemma on my hands.  First, a little background...

Moved to CA from MN in June '03.  Started community (jr) college in Visalia, CA fall '04.  Currently on spring break from spring '05 semester at same J. Co.  Living with parents, got a sister in SD, who might or might not want another roommate, not quite sure yet.  

What I like:  Warm weather, traffic jams, lane splitting, short commutes, small apartments, lots of stuff happening around "home".

What I don't care for: Yardwork, ocean views ($$$), rain, mudslides.

What I'm going to have once I get there:  Either a Datsun 240Z or a small streetbike/street legal YZ426F.  Yes, either one will have an alarm and a hidden kill switch of some sort.  No bling on either.  

So...what would you do?  I've got 1 year left of j. college, and then 2 more years to get an EE degree from whatever 4 year university that has a bad-ass EE or engineering department.

Advice, cautions, suggestions?  Any and all are welcome and asked for!

Thanks in advance!

[davipu]

SD so I can hang out when I am down there and date your sister  :mrgreen:

[roguegeek]

SD so I can hang out when I am down there and date your sister  :mrgreen:

haha Very noble of you. I'd suggest LA. It's where everything happens in SoCal.

[pantablo]

What I like:  Warm weather, traffic jams, lane splitting, short commutes, small apartments, lots of stuff happening around "home".

What I don't care for: Yardwork, ocean views ($$$), rain, mudslides.

you'll get plenty of both in either place (okay, so SD is short of mudslides)...

which one has more college opportunity? LA has UCLA, USC as far as engineering schools. Cal state Pomona if you want to live in the 909. what does SD have. UCIrvine is a bit north, UCSD, Cal state SD (?).

these should be your main criteria...LA has more, er, ethnic diversity, I would say.

[Mk1inCali]

Dave- My sister already has a bf of 2.5-3 years, hence "another roommate".  SOL there, but I'd be happy to meet up with you and ride even if I've converted to the motard side, which it looks like I'll be doing.

I guess I need to spend more time down in both areas.  Good point on the school opportunities Pablo, I figure 1 year anywhere in SoCal will give me enough time to figure out how far away from school I can be, etc etc.

Pablo, your thoughts on "ethnic diversity?"  You almost make it sound like a bad thing...but you might have been hinting at crime, I'm too tired to tell.

[pantablo]

I'm actually hinting at a much broader selection of potential mates...pardon the pun.

[davipu]

damn, she have any single friends?

[Daniely]

Look at that Tony, people are already hittin on your sister. lol. Well I'm down for a move here as soon as I finish JC here in Visalia. My parents are moving to SD here in another year or so, so I might go with them (your welcome too if we do). As far as LA, if I can get cal grants to pay for school, or take out LIGHT student loans to finish my bachelors in business (probably a minor in Poly Sci) then I'm down. I do know that I want OUT of the valley as soon as I finish my associates here at COS. Ive been in the valley for 19 years, I want to see something else for a change, besides you know its bad when you dont notice the cow smell anymore.....

[Kee]

Both are going to be relatively expensive. Sounds like if you move in with your sister you can get a deal. If you don't like San Diego after a year then you can try LA. LA might be more expensive unless you know someone there to live with. But in SD, there are few places to live where everything is close, and those places are expensive.
Where in SD does your sister live?

[Mk1inCali]

Relatively expensive, yes, I'm prepared for that, been saving money, and paying almost nothing for school, and with either form of transportation that I choose (240Z or motard), I shouldn't have too much to pay besides the basics monthly.

I get it now Pablo.  Yeah, the San Joaquin Valley isn't exactly known for it's women, Cal Poly SLO is, but it's just as expensive to live there as SoCal and it's not as temperate...

Dave, I'm sure she does have friends through work, are you into nurses?

Kee-She lives literally a block away from Mesa College in Kearney Mesa, off of Mesa College Drive.  

As an update, I talked to her yesterday and she is now pretty much decided on moving to somewhere in Mission or Pacific Beach, so I'm pretty sure I won't be able to afford 1/3 of the rent there, so now I'm basically back at square one as far as roommates.

Danny, how about we move down this summer?  Sell your truck, give the '68 to an uncle for safe-keeping, buy a cheap GS, and get some student loans and we'll have a roommate that won't mind what the other does...

[davipu]

with as much as I crash my bike, burn myself at work, and do other unintentional bodily harm  a nurse girlfriend whould rock.  I'll have to hit you up for a phone number the next time I am down there.

[Mk1inCali]

I'm going down there next weekend to cruise around SDSU, UCSD, probably stop at some LA schools, just to check out what's off the beaten path and get out of the valley for a weekend.  Talked to sis tonight and she said UCSD has a ton of student housing, but I've gotta look into if SD is right for me...

Thanks very much for all the suggestions/ideas and whatnot.  Usually on the internet the gratitude is one feeling that doesn't get passed back and forth too easily, so I'd just like to thank everybody on this board and especially the guys/gals that've helped me out specifically with my myriad problems.

(Choked up voice)

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

(Choked up voice off)

Dave- How often are you down in SD area?  I'll talk to her next week before I head down, see if she's got any lonely coworkers...

[davipu]

about a week or so every month, is what it has been lately.  if the guide thing dosen't work out for the summer, I will be down there for school in may.

[conflicttheorist]

I lived in SD for three years after living in Porterville.  I attended San Diego State.  I also went to COS for one year and went to junior college at Grossmont in SD.  I had several friends go to Mesa.  Here is my advice:
Go to junior college where you can live with your sister and save money in San Diego because SD IS THE BEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES TO LIVE.  San Diego is a great beach city and there are a million ways to have fun there.  Plus, the freeways are twice as good as LA's- less crowded and you don't have to drive as far.  
 LA has more big city stuff going on but you'll have plenty of time to work or go to school in LA later, because there are more schools there and more work.  It is damn near impossible to get work in SD anymore, if you do get work they charge you a "sunshine tax" (lower pay) and the housing is going through the roof (think about how santa barbara is).  Secondly, Junior Colleges in San Diego are a lot more pleasant and the people are nicer in SD.  It simply has the most kick-back, open minded, young, fun, and welcoming environment of any city and any community colleges in CA, and I've attended four JC's.
    As far as transferring, go to the best UC you can.  The experience at a good UC anywhere in CA is far and above the experience at a state university, no matter where it is located.  The college experience they make movies about, like animal house or van wilder, is patterned after prestigious schools and not csu's, which are basically commuter schools.  Community college in SD had more of a "college" feel than San Diego State did.  I made very few friends while at SDSU, but some of my Pville friends made friends from all over the world at UCSD and were truly taking part in everything college has to offer- intramural sports, rushing, meeting with professors, etc.
Anyway, good luck.  It goes by fast.

[Mk1inCali]

Rock on man, thanks!  Great advice!  I've been leaning towards a UC after doing some more research on the web, and talking to more people, all seems to flow right with what you said in your post.

[conflicttheorist]

two last things
1. when you apply to UC's they ask you what other schools you are applying to.  Don't put just the other state universities-they are all in communicado and they'll reject you because they want you to boost matriculation at uc riverside or santa cruz.  The UC's want to know who they are competing with, but they won't compete with eachother- they'll cooperate and choose for you if they can.  Add in other Schools to the list like USC, Pepperdine, University of Texas Austin, and Stanford, even if you aren't actually applying to these institutions, and the top UC's are more likely to accept you.  My brother made this mistake and they put him at Riverside even though he had a 4.0 (he's now at harvard law anyway, but no thanks to that fiasco).
2.  Your first year at University live in a dorm or on campus apt's if you can- you'll meet a lot more people and have more hookups if you know what I mean.  It is well worth the money for that first year, in my opinion.

[davipu]

and if you go, I'll show you what you need to make your very own 80 oz. beer bong

[Mk1inCali]

Hah, actually my sister taught me how to do that in Madison at the Mifflin St. Block party...Yeah...it was cool, not even out of HS and double-fisting beers standing right in front of a cop.  Good times!

Talked to the sis again, she suggested I pony up the cash to go to a dorm for the first year too, so I don't know if I should go straight to a UC right now after 1 year of j-co or go to a j-co for another year and then head to a UC.

Any suggestions there?

CT-Thanks much man!!!

[conflicttheorist]

Talked to the sis again, she suggested I pony up the cash to go to a dorm for the first year too, so I don't know if I should go straight to a UC right now after 1 year of j-co or go to a j-co for another year and then head to a UC.

Any suggestions there?

CT-Thanks much man!!!

If you try and transfer after one year they will evaluate your application based mostly on your high school performance.  I don't recall knowing anybody who did this after just one year of JC, not to a UC anyway.  At any rate, I think it may be too late to apply to transfer for next fall.  In addition, The quarter system at some of the UC's combined with varied requirements for you G.E., would complicate things a lot.  These are a lot more uniform at JC's making it easier to complete all of your GE at various JC's like I did.  I don't really see a benefit to transferring as a second year.
Now, I am kind of an expert on this JC thing and I passed this knowledge on to my bro.  He finished JC a semester early with a 4.0 (from Grossmont), transferred mid-year to UC riverside.  He should have gone to a better UC, but was screwed by UCSD, UCLA, and UCSB- they all actually sent him rejection letters telling him that they thought he should go to Riverside- how'd they know that he got accepted there and didn't have any other choice? See above.  Anyway, he finished UCR with a double major, has his name on a plaque in the philosophy dept for being student of the year, and is now a second year at Harvard law.  If you take my advice, who knows...

Do you mind if I ask how your GPA is and your major?  That stuff all matters, too.
Getting through JC
1.  Take summer and winter sessions.- These courses are generally easier because the teachers expect less in the rush, and you can do better because you only have one  or two classes to keep track of.
2.  By taking summer classes you can take a lighter load, get better grades, and still finish on time (2 years).  Finishing on time is very important.  It is more important than your GPA.  Anyone can finish their GE with a 3.5 if they take long enough.  The good schools want to know you can handle the workload and meet deadlines, so do it.
3.  If you do well very in a class within your major, ask your teacher for a letter of recommendation soon after the term is over so they still remember you.  Discuss your future plans with these professors, they have insights, even if they don't have insights it helps to have them in your corner. Most schools have some sort of recommendation bank in their admin building (ask them if they do), then you can pick and choose the ones you want to send to the Uni's.
4.  Dropping classes- This is a valuable tool for your GPA.  Other schools don't know how hard a teacher grades.  If the teacher you are taking is notoriously difficult, drop it if there is an easier one.  Pay attention to drop deadlines, mark them on you calendar.  Do not drop a class if it will make you take longer than two years.  If you are doing poorly in a necessary class, ask the teacher how you can do better.  S/he wants you to do better and will give you the opportunity.
5.  Have you picked a major yet?  Pick one tomorrow.  Funk that, pick one tonight if you can.  There is this think called a career or transfer center or office.  you should spend lots of time there.  Go there tomorrow.  They should have a whole bunch of photocopies of different universities' available majors and the requirements you must fulfill as part of your GE at the JC in order to be admitted to that major.  You will not be admitted to a University for transfer unless you have a major and have shown that you have completed some of the requirements and will be able complete the rest before transferring.
6.  All those schools that I said you should pretend to apply to... you should also really apply to them.  But I'm getting ahead of myself... Fill out a FAFSA and a cal grant application.  The Cal grant deadline has already passed, maybe, the FAFSA one hasn't.  Remember to fill the cal grant out for next year.  You can do all this online.  www.fafsa.ed.gov .  you may not get anything this year, but it is easy to fill out and it is valuable to be in the system for when you apply for schools next year.  Check for any other scholarships you may be able to get at the JC financial aid office as well as at the schools you want to transfer to, there are a lot of random ones.  Start the FAFSA tomorrow.
7.  Apply to those expensive private schools!  Okay, I know you aren't rich... but that is the beauty of it.  Here's the scenario.   Lets say that you get 1$ in financial aid at a UC, based on expected family contribution etc. (by the way, every dollar you make trying to pay your own way for school is 1$ that the gov't will not pay for you to go to school, so work as little as possible and try and make cash money that you don't report if you absolutely need it).  They give you this because it costs like 12,000 to go to UCLA according to the govt and they calculate your aid by subtracting your expected contribution, which is $11,999.  See?
     Okay, now imagine you were accepted to USC which costs 30,000 per year.  So the government takes the cost of 30,000 and subtracts your families expected contribution of 11,999 and you get 18,001 dollars in financial aid.  Wow!  That's exactly the same price you'd be paying to attend public school and the government is footing the bill.  In addition, you are likely to be the recipient of need based grants from that rich private school itself.
conclusion-work as little as possible or not at all this fiscal year (from now through december) and apply to private schools to maximize your financial aid.
8.  Your guidance counselors don't know jack.  If  they knew anything then they would not be working that crappy job in community college, they'd be yalees.  I told them I wanted to go to a UC and they screwed me with classes that were not transferable to UC's (which is why I went to SDSU).   Make sure you are on the right track, taking the right classes etc.  They don't know you, they don't know the system, you need to find out for yourself.  That big book you get from the college with all the courses etc. in it is your bible and you can find most info in there.  The rest of the stuff is in other documents in the financial aid office, the transfer center, or at the school you want to go to.  Get as much info as you can Tommorrow.  Make copies and bring them home so you can map it all out and study it.  You should know more about your future and your education than your counselors.  They are idiots.  If you really feel lost, PM me with your number and I'll give you a call or we can chat online or something.
9.  Attend every class.  I don't care how late you are or if you didn't do the homework or whatever.  The professors give out the most valuable information in the first five and last five minutes of the class, and that would be info about your test or another asignment you can't miss.  If you completely miss class show up to the office hour and apologize, see if you missed anything vital.  Ask for extensions and give a good excuse.  Professors want you to succeed. Getting through JC is hard, harder than going to Uni because you have no support but yourself.  Trust me, I know how hard it can be.  The most important thing you can do to succeed, and this goes for anything in life, is show up every day.
10.  Ask me for anything else you may need.  My sister went to bakersfield college and is now an anesthesiologist in Santa Barbara.  My brother went to Grossmont and you know how he is doing.  I went to a number of JC's and graduated from the University of Chicago Law school even after going to SDSU (it is more of a burden than you may think).  These are very rare occurrences for people coming from community colleges and from porterville for that matter, but they shouldn't be with the knowledge of how to work the system.

[conflicttheorist]

I just noticed that you said your major was EE.  All the above advice still goes, but you have already picked a major so your should check all of the EE requirements for the schools you want to go to and figure out how you can have them done by next year.  Each school will probably have different prerequisites and this may affect your decision.  I also recommend the "backdoor" method if you don't think you'll get accepted to the program but really want to attend a specific school.  For example, my sister wanted to get a degree in biology from UC Irvine, but she didn't meet the gpa or some other fruity requirement for that program.  So, she applied as an Ecology major, which allows you to take all the same classes as Bio.  Just before her last semester, she made all of the requirements and was accepted into the Bio program, finishing as a bio major.  So, if you really want to go to UCSD but can't get into the EE program, see if there is something similar you can temporarily enter under that will let you take the same classes.  The same thing can be done, and has been by my exgrilfriend if you choose another major temporarily while keeping EE as a minor (she did this with business) so you can take all the same classes until you can get into the program rightfully.  Don't ever tell a counselor this or they will try and block your entry.  This is top secret and very sneeky.  If you fail, your affiliation will be disavowed, so don't come crying to me.