Transferring to UCSB

Since I figure that a lot of students who attend SBCC are planning to transfer to UCSB (as I am as well), I decided that it would be awesome to talk with a current UCSB student who transferred from city college also!

My boyfriend, Matt attended SBCC and actually graduated SBCC with several associates degrees and transferred to UCSB last fall majoring in economics. I've been talking with him a lot lately about what it was like to transfer to a university after several years at a city college and he has given me quite a few good pointers that I though would be beneficial to all of you guys planning to transfer as well.

What were your first thoughts of UCSB?
"Well it was a lot different than the City College and definitely a big change. We started on week 0 (the Thursday before week 1). My first class was a class that was specifically for transfer students, so that was nice because it was a sort of transition class, to help ease us into classes at the university.
Another thing to note... there is a ton more bikes, the bike paths are like freeways. Biking to class was interesting for the first couple of weeks, but once you get the system down, you won't even think twice about hopping on your bike and heading out to class.... just don't forget your bike lock... oh and only park your bike in the marked stales; do not, however, lock them to a tree... It will get impounded, and you will have to pay to get it out, trust me, I learned that one the hard way."


How did you have to tweak your study habits?
"Your course load honestly depends on your major, but for the most part all of the classes I have tarn have been much more fast paced as UCSB is on a quarter system. This also means that after the first couple of weeks you will probably have a midterm or essay due every single week, which is extremely different from the spread out course work that you come across at SBCC. OH and there is rarely any homework, your grade will consist of your midterms, possible essays, and finals. This makes studying everyday crucial to doing well in your classes. I study every day for around 6-7 hours, it's just something that I've added into my schedule. You don't spend much time in the actual class room as class times are relatively short, but let me tell you, your entire day is spent in the library."


Did you find it easy to meet new people?
"Yes, there are so many students in each class you take, which differs greatly from SBCC with class sizes of only about 30-40 kids. It's cool because once you're in your major, everyone is taking the same classes, so you will get to know one another and it's also a lot easier to get study groups together this way."

Did you recognize any faces from SBCC?
"Yes! It's also nice being a transfer student because you do recognize a lot of familiar faces from past classes that you took at the city college. This makes the transfer from the city college to the university a lot smoother by seeing familiar faces that are going through the same change as you are."

Any advice for transfers?
"Honestly, my advice to all of you would be to study hard... seriously. No one is holding your hand anymore, it is up to you to want to do well and you have to be dedicated to putting in the long hours of studying in order to do well. It's a big change, but it definitely gets easier as the quarter goes on and by the second semester you'll be a pro at maneuvering the bike path and tackling your long study sessions!"