Being a Transfer Student
By: Kaylene Eyring
As I was finishing high school, the most common question I was asked was where I was attending college. Upon hearing that I planned to attend De Anza College, the responses were...mixed. There is certainly a stigma associated with community college, a stigma I did not quite understand until I transferred. I loved De Anza. I had amazing teachers who could devote time to their students as individuals, unlike the professors at four-year universities who had huge class sizes. I was able to live at home and save so much money on housing and tuition costs, and when I finished, I not only had an Associate’s Degree but an offer waiting for me at UCLA, one of the most prestigious schools in the nation.
Why is community college so stigmatized in a society that prides itself on its academics? We are the victim of our ambition. College acceptances have turned into a competition as over a hundred thousand students apply for the same schools, and when students choose to attend community college, it is seen as a personal failure. Even as students transfer to four-year universities, they are still categorized as transfer students, which separates them from the general population.
There is also the misconception that because community college is either extremely inexpensive or free, therefore the quality of education must be significantly lower. This notion is simply untrue, as after they transfer, community college students are 75% more likely to graduate. As a transfer student at UCLA, I felt very prepared for the coursework I was given.
Though I did notice that I was not represented as much as freshmen students were, I also felt that I was even more prepared than the students that had been at UCLA for years. In fact, as the school year continued, I became more convinced that I made the right decision by attending De Anza first. I was able to graduate debt-free, with a high GPA.
Despite the countless advantages of utilizing the community college system in California, enrollment in these schools has been steadily declining, and transfer rates tend to be low. Part of this is because these students are expected to navigate the education system by themselves, figure out what classes to take, and have the discipline, time, and responsibility to complete their coursework without outside pressure. This problem is especially prevalent in first-generation kids, who do not have the same resources as other students.
In Silicon Valley, we pride ourselves on academic excellence and achievement. Yet, when disadvantaged children choose to attend community college, they are judged instead of given the extra help they need to succeed in our increasingly competitive world. That is what The Reach Foundation is aiming to fix. Our goal is to create a sweeping, positive educational movement so that every student, no matter how socioeconomically disadvantaged, will receive equal opportunities.
We want to help these students, through mentorship, navigate the world of higher education so they receive the education they deserve.