Looking at community colleges

The biggest problem with starting out in higher education is making sense of all the information. There are way too many pieces to the puzzle, and you get to the point where you feel paralyzed. We've all been there and the only way to get past it is to focus on little steps you can take.

One relatively simple thing you can do is locate your community college. Often there are clusters of them in the major population centers where most Californians live (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento) so you have options. Sometimes one school might be a lot better than another for the degree or work you're interested in, but usually you can choose any of them.

People tend to think about three main issues with school location: family, friends, and focus.

Family: Do you want to return to your hometown? Do you have a family already and need to stay in a particular area?

Friends: Are all your buddies staying in a certain area after getting out?

Focus: Do you already have a school that's known for a certain program? Using Google helps a lot with this issue. Try putting in "community college criminal justice" or "community college industrial design" and see what comes up.

Regardless of the area you choose, there are resources you can take advantage of even before you start school.
1) Register at the school (this can usually be done online)
2) Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
3) Call the school and talk to the Admissions and Financial Aid departments.You can find out what tests you'll have to take to be ready to start school on time.
4) Talk to the VA Certifying Official at the school to get started on the GI Bill paperwork. Get their contact info from Admissions, and remember this process takes a few months.
5) For those who want to transfer to a four year school: Visit the website Assist.org to look at transfer programs at various CSU and/or UC schools. Before going on this site you should brainstorm about majors because you will be overwhelmed with the drop-down menu list.

Once you get started on these steps and actually begin school, you'll learn what else needs to happen for transferring, earning your degree, earning a certification, or whatever your goal is. Generally this info comes from a variety of sources: professors, staff at the school, friends, the internet, and so on. The important thing is to get moving on the first step so you can build momentum.