It’s hard to say whether or not a 17-hour semester will be difficult or not; it really depends on the classes that you’re taking and your ability to multi-task. Give it a try and see how things go for the first few weeks, but keep an eye on the drop date so you can drop some hours from your schedule if you feel like you’re in over your head. (It would probably be better to drop a class and take it next semester than to have your grades in all of your classes suffer.)

Give it a try; it might be a little tough, but you can do it!!

Most colleges discourage freshman from taking more than 12 or 13 credits/units (4 classes) in their first semester because college is an adjustment from high school. So it is really up to you if you think you can handle 5. Personally, I took 5 classes my first semester freshman year and did fine (all As). It took me a little while to adjust and I had to work hard, but it wasn’t that bad and totally worth it. Freshman courses tend to be fairly basic and introductory in nature so the cours material itself isn’t that difficult; freshman most often run into problems with time management. Learn to manage your time wisely and you’ll be fine. Schedule time for studying as well as relaxing and fun. Find the study techniques that work best for you and don’t waste your time studying a way that isn’t that helpful for you. If you don’t know any good study techniques, you might want to ask around and learn them fast (I could probably give you a list of things, some work for me, others don’t). Just accept the fact that you will have to work a little and you might not make perfect grades.

And just so you know where my experience is from, I also went to a community college and then transferred after 2 years, I am about to start my junior year at my new university.

Community college can be tricky. You can learn to be lazy real quick, and even get an A sometimes. I do not know where you want to transfer to, but if it is a traditional university, start some good study skills as the traditional university environment is quite different from community college.

Alot of it will depend on who you have classes with. As a high school student, during the day, I was with a lot of high school students. I have been labeled as being ahead of my time and asked when I will turn 40 (I was 16 then). Obviously, being with a bunch of bratty 16 year olds who were there just to get through high school wasn’t cool. There were also adults who really should have never been in college, however, community college has an open door policy, meaning even criminals and really ignorant people are welcomed. I preferred night classes as I was with more mature, and professional people (my fun classes were IT, I took classes with many people from the government). Night classes are great if you’re working, but you also have to have a big attention span as you’ll learn a week’s worth of stuff in about 4 hours (and with the wrong teacher you’ll hate every millisecond).

Now, you need to ask yourself, will my associate’s degree transfer to the 4 year I want to go to, or is it a specialized employment degree. You may want to call your 4 year school of choice to see what classes will transfer (the lower classes usually do not, although in some cases they do).

Now alittle about my background: I have a 3.636 at my community college. My degree was an Associate of Arts: Liberal Arts. It was a transfer degree.

If you are going to take community college seriously, do not just take what you learn as face value. Study it further.

Traditional four year colleges are based on more opinion than fact. They make an assumption, whether or not you agree they do not care, and you must write up to 10 pages at times.

Community colleges have far more work to do and you learn alot more than a 4 year school, but you may also have trouble soaking in all the information.

Four year schools tend to have a paper per class per term, not so great attendance policy (you come and go as you please), but alot of reading with opinionated discussion, moderated by the professor.

Not all four years are like that, but usually traditional, liberal arts schools are. Now, I was also in two private colleges, one traditional and the other modern, and I really liked them both than that crapshoot state public traditional four year. You had alot more freedom of thought too.

Also, it depends on your politics and what you want to do with your degree. If you’re very liberal or conservative, I have lists that have schools that fit each political part. Conservative schools tend to have more strict rules and follow them, and the private ones are individually-focused. Liberal ones will basically let you get away with murder with, at most, a slap on the hand. TState-public traditional schools usually have huge class size for basic classes, sometimes 200. Private and community colleges have about 30 per class.

My teacher was available at Midnight at the private college on a walk-in basis if he was there, at the other one, you’d have to setup an hour appointment.

If you need further help in your college degree, I can help guide you. I’ve been in every college system except the Ivy Leagues.

I’m apolitical, by the way, and find that schools with a political focus turn me off. Although, I have gotten by with more at a liberal school than a private one.

Either way, do not be afraid to take that many. If you feel overwhelmed within the first two weeks, drop. It will give you a reduced refund but will be better than trying to drop at the 8th week of a 9th week period, where you get no refund and get an F.

You will get a syllabus on the first day of class detailing all the rules, assignments, and readings for that class. Keep it with you.

Also, make use of your library’s resource’s. Don’t be afraid to ask either a librarian or another student for help. Community colleges are nicer than traditional ones.

I was also a tutor for a high school program for kids from underpriviledge families, so taking alot of classes never bothered me.

I only took 12 credits in my last quarter at my community college, the smallest I had ever taken at the time.

Plus the traditional schools usually love academic competition, and you really have to work your way up.

Either way, aim high. In community college, go for Pi Theta Kappa, the International Honor Society for which I belong. Your 4 year college may give you a scholarship just for doing that, as well as a transfer scholarship btw.

If you take academics seriously, avoid partying, even if you are at a 4 year where it’s heavy and even encouraged in some degree by the President (Our President encouraged partying on the weekends, under the “Work Hard, Play Hard” technique). I was also at a very big party school in the middle of nowhere, very well-known for extensive liberal politics and loads of social frats and soriorities (Ohio University-Athens). Those people at that school are so school-spirited you really think you were in a bad high school drama (like that crapshoot 90210).

If I’ve offended you, sorry. If not, keep me in mind and just remind me who you are so I can answer any questions you may have. I love to help people where I can and have a worldly view.

I also know some prestigious college ranking sites, as well as some Web 2.0-based sites where you grade your professors, although at community college you almost are stuck with what you get.