“Hey guys, so College is not easy and I have made many mistakes in my day, in this article I have mapped out five steps for you to follow in hopes that YOU will have a great college experience here at Rio Hondo and a successful transfer to the school of your dreams.”
Learning from my mistakes: A Guide for the Incoming freshmen
This article is intended for students who are not wishing to attend a 4-year University immediately after High school; it is for those who are planning on attending Rio Hondo College for the 2-year transfer program.
Step 1: Counseling, Counseling, Counseling!
The first thing that you need to do is see a counselor. Back in 2010, I had no clue at the time what I wanted to study I was no help to a counselor ready to guide me in the right direction. Lucky for me he laid out a general plan of study that would extend to three major areas that I was interested in: English, Journalism, and Communications.
I encourage everyone to really think about what general area you want to study and set up a good plan. Also take care of your math early! Don’t put it off because when you are ready to transfer it will hold you back. Completing your math early is extremely important.
Step 2: Transfer Center
Informative transfer awareness to get you to where you want to go! After you see a counselor you really need to start thinking about what school you would like to transfer to.
Jose Lara is a great advisor and can answer many of the questions you have.
He knows the ropes and provides you with a great sense of motivation to get you to transfer and graduate at the University of your choice. The transfer center is great for: Workshops (Cal State orientations, UC personal statement, Transfer fairs) As well as Internship and job opportunities.
The Northern California University Tour: So much can be said about this amazing opportunity! In the Spring 2012 the Rio Hondo Student Union put together a proposal to have a Northern University trip funded to 50 lucky students who met the requirements. It was done in the past at Rio over 20 years ago and it was approved again and we hope it will be an annual thing offered by the Transfer center. It’s a once and a lifetime opportunity that I would encourage everyone to take part in. the best part about it is that it is Free! Your trip begins at UC Santa Barbara and ends at UC Davis it is an incredible trip.
For more information about the Transfer Center and all of its activities visit:
The Transfer Center in Room SS250 E-mail: [email protected]
Or call: (562) 463-3136
Degrees for Transfer (AA-T) include:
Psychology, Communications, Sociology, Kinesiology and Mathematics, these degrees are part of a Degree for Transfer program that sets up a great road into upper division courses that are needed for your major, and in some schools may guarantee you admission!
More information can be found on Rio Hondo’s website.
Step 3: Funding your education
Will all this nice stuff you are probably wondering how you are ever going to afford all of this? There are many answers to this question because there are many ways to fund your education.
The first step is to visit: Fasfa.ca.gov
This website will walk you through process of applying for government financial assistance. The applications are accepted based on income and if you qualify this will fund your stay at Rio Hondo.
BOG Waiver: In addition to the FASFA application there is something called the BOG waiver. This waiver will pay for your units and your student fees. This is a great opportunity, with your fees and units paid for you can use the full amount of your financial assistance for things like books, materials, computers, a car or anything else you might need for school.
FASFA will pay for your entire 60-unit stay at Rio Hondo this is intended for the 2-year transfer track. Once you get to the University of your choice you can then apply for scholarships at all levels to help you pay for school. In addition many University offer low interest loans and payment plans.
You will find the funding you need if you are serious about your education!
Step 4: Getting Involved
There are a few great things that I would like to mention that Rio Hondo offers:
The Honors Program: This is a great program and is available to all students who wish to enroll. Rio Hondo has many schools that will recognize this program and it will look great on your University applications. Talk to your counselor!
The Forensics Speech and Debate Team: This Team is also available to all enrolled students and is great for those pursing a degree in Language and Communications. For more information visit their headquarters in room SS305.
Rio Hondo offers a huge variety of clubs on campus and this is a great way to network and gain experience in certain fields of study, they are also very fun! Get involved!
Step 5: Some things to help make your stay a little easier
Parking: Buy your student-parking pass online. The line is ridiculous, so don’t wait, buy it online and it will be mailed to your house. Also, if you can, 8:00 a.m. classes are great when trying to beat the crowd up in the parking lot. 9:40 a.m. is the worst time when trying to park.
Books: Although the bookstore is very convenient it is very expensive. Check out Amazon.com or Chegg.com. Rent! Do not buy!
Library: The Library is brand new and is a great place to study, check it out. Also they have many books on reserve for you to use if you don’t have the book yet. Check out time is only for 2 hours.
Rio Hondo is a great school but there is still a lot that needs to be done. Join ASB and speak up about issues that you see around campus. Make a change and help better our school don’t just sit back and criticize.
This is my second year here at Rio Hondo College and I will be graduating this summer. I stayed very informed about what was going on around me and have asked many questions. I was in no way a fortunate student. I am 23 years old and have been supporting myself through school since I was a junior in High School. It is not easy but it is possible. I cant stress enough that there is plenty of help available to those who seek it. I encourage all those who are interested to seek that help and take your education to the next level because we are all worth it.
