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[music] (female announcer) Uhm...why did you decide to come to PCC?
(female student) Heard it's a good nursing transfer.
(male student) Because it was getting transferred.
(male student) To save money and then transfer out.
(female student) For me, it was like I just really wannted diversity,
and I know it was a total contrast for what I'm used to back in East Los.
Also I...it was like one of the top 5 community colleges in transfer levels,
so I was like, for sure I'm going there.
(female announcer) Can you describe your first experience, here, at PCC?
(male student) I don't know. It felt...it was pretty cool.
I noticed the campus was really beautiful.
(male student) My first experience. Well, first, like,
I wasn't able to get any classes 'cause I guess I didn't have priority,
but I didn't know what priority was, so like that was new to me.
But then, the only classes I was able to get were all at night,
so that kind of sucked.
(female student) The campus is bigger. There is way more people.
You don't recognize...anybody. Like, when you go to high school,
you...you know everybody, and then you're just, like,
I don't recognize anybody. I feel so lost. I don't know what to do.
(male student) Lost. (female announcer) Okay. What happened?
(male student) Lost. Confusing. I was stressing out 'cause I know nothing was at.
(male student) I came by myself and my car and stuff.
I was lost. No one was helping me on campus.
I think it was, like, lunch time, so I came,
and there was really no one to help me, to tell me where to go or anything.
Pretty lost with the admissions' process.
Like, I was waiting in lines and stuff. I was pretty lost.
(1st female student) A little bit overwhelming trying to find a class.
And the buildings, like, where's the first floor and stuff?
And like, just excited to go to class and meet new people,
so that was how it was to me.
(2nd female student) It was very... (3rd female student) I was very excited.
(2nd female student) I was very excited too. I was very welcoming.
It wasn't nerve wrecking like I thought it would be.
(3rd female student) I was surprised at how many,
like, different kinds of people are here.
It's like somebody from every walk of life is here, so...
(1st female student) Very diverse.
(female student) Well, first of all, I saw many different, like, diversity,
which like where I came from it was like all Mexicans, just Mexicans,
like, no like [speaking Spanish] SalvadoreƱos or anything.
It was just Mexicans. You know.
So I assume everyone here is Mexican that speaks Spanish,
but no, it is not like that.
It was...it was kind of sketchy.
I didn't know anyone 'cause I just moved in.
Like, the only person I knew was my sister, and she was like,
she's like old, like...28.
[Boots Randolph plays "Yakety Sax"]
(female student) I'm an AB540 student,
so there is absolutely no resources here on campus
for AB540 students up until very recently.
This campus has absolutely zero awarness of that.
(female announcer) What is AB540?
(female student) AB540 are students who are undocumented.
(female announcer) When you first started at PCC,
what was the application process like for you?
(male student) I was kind of confused.
It was online, and then no one was helping me.
I was doing it on my own, but I think I got it through.
(female student) I did it back at home in...on the computer,
and I'm like familiar with online applications, so that was cool, you know.
And then I found out that was the first time PCC did online stuff,
and I was like... [chuckles] You know like, "What!?"
It's like so big, and they're barely starting to do that.
So, but you know, I was like, "Whoa! That's crazy."
And then, so I started that there,
and then I had to come back over here like a couple of times.
I think like twice it took me like about a month to do the whole thing,
'cause I mean like I can come down here like all the time.
(female announcer) Did you admit yourself on your own?
(male student) Mmmhmmm...
(female announcer) How did that work out?
(male student) Not too good. (female announcer) Not too good?
(male student) 'Cause I actually passed my deadline, and it was just ugly.
(female announcer) So you couldn't classes at this semester?
(male student) Well, I just hope that someone like informs students like how to...
there's a better way to inform students how to do things on the first day like...
there was no, nothing on the website very specific to help you with,
even the online orientation was very fast.
It wasn't very informative, and then even if it quizzed you,
it didn't like help you that much
with all the information that was given within that...registration time.
(female announcer) Did you come on your own for the first time?
(female student) No. I come with my friend,
so we're both kind of like... We had each other, but like,
it was still...hmmm...where should we go? Should we go here?
Like where do people sit?
Like what are you suppose to do when you're waiting for class? And...
(male student) I came with a group of friends,
so it wasn't that...so it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
(female announcer) Okay. (male student) And...
(female announcer) Did somebody in that group know what they were doing?
(male student) Yeah. (female announcer) Was it you? [chuckle]
(male student) Nah, nah. I wasn't the one, but, you know,
we knew one of our counselors from high school.
He brought us over here, and he made everything smooth.
(male student) It's really time consuming.
It's an hour and a half over here,
so...add to probably be here from sun up to sun down,
just to get...things done as measly as a paper done, just to get signed.
(female announcer) How long did it take you to get admitted?
(male student) Maybe two weeks to get everything done with registration,
and then, after my...my...my...my test and stuff,
it took a long...it took a while.
The computer broke down, so that was confused in that beginning period.
(female announcer) How many times did you come on campus before you were completely done?
(male student) Completely done? Maybe...maybe three weeks it took. Three weeks.
(female announcer) So how many times did it take you,
visiting the campus, before you were completely enrolled?
(female student) Hmmm... (female announcer) And...admitted?
(female student) I'd say like...I traveled twice for,
and I came like here like everyday for like about two days,
so it was probably like four days of it, or like...yeah.
More or less four or five days.
(female student) I got involved with Puente,
so a lot of the counseling that I got in my first year was with Puente,
and I think if that program wasn't there, I would've been a little lost.
(male student) At first, nah.
I just didn't know what to do since it was my first year. I was just lost.
(male student) I didn't know where things were. I didn't know where...
I didn't know who to ask for help.
I came alone, so like pretty much lost at that point.
And then...I was...I don't know how to get classes and stuff like that.
I didn't know what the...how to register.
I didn't know what to do on the first day, like how parking was,
like some...no one told me about parking and that was like the worst thing.
I was in the parking lot maybe on my first day of classes.
I was in the parking lot for at least three hours.
(female announcer) And what were some of the obstacles that you were finding?
(male student) Probably, you know, getting the classes I wanted to was pretty hard,
the first year here.
(male student) I was able to get into maybe two of what it was required.
I was able to get in to a required English class,
but then all my other classes...
I couldn't get into any other general ed classes 'cause they're all taken.
(female student) When I was goin' to enroll into classes,
already like get into that classes...I had no class.
I only had like one class, and then, luckily, I was in Math Jam,
so they gave me all my classes.
And in Puente, so they gave me all the classes I needed.
So...that's how I got my classes,
but I didn't get them by like doing it like online.
(male student) It is just like classes being filled up
and not knowing what to take or do because counselors are full
or you're not having enough time to go see a counselor,
so you can go, you know...
(male student) I had very, very hard time doing that.
Probably the first day, all I did was do the same thing as Sunday,
and I mean...from sun up to sun down.
And...choose crash courses, and I tried, I tried,
and luckily, I got classes. So...
(female student) If they were open more sections
in the Social Science Department,
I wouldn't...I would actually be able to sit on a chair.
(male student) Yeah, definitely. (female student) Yeah.
(male student) At the beginning of the semester,
it was just ridiculous the way you see overcrowding in the...
in the classes, and each year, you just see it getting worse and worse.
It's escalating.
(male student) I've registered all my classes online since...
since I've started this school.
(female announcer) Is that easier than getting in line?
(male student) Yeah, definitely. You just sit at home and do it.
It's so easy. (female announcer) Okay.
[music]
[construction noise in the background] (female student) Be more active
because I...I know when I first came here I was very like shy and to myself,
and I really didn't wanna do anything.
Like, I wanted to stay away from the big crowds,
but once I got more active and stuff,
I actually started enjoying coming to school, and it like got me pumped.
Like, "Oh my God, I'm going to school today,
and I get to do this and this and this..."
Like I actually got excited to come to school, so just be more active.
Don't be so shy. Like, no one's going to bite you.
(female student) Just don't be shy.
And people are nice, so you'll be fine. (female announcer) Okay.
(female student) Oh! And...register early.
(1st female student) I actually have to study
like this amount of hours to get to this kind of grade, and stuff like that.
So...it's a lot different.
(3rd female student) Right. It's just hard staying focused sometimes
'cause it's like it's so fun here sometimes. (1st female student) Yeah.
(3rd female student) So it's just like...it's too easy...
(1st female student) Yeah.
(3rd female student) it's too easy to just not do stuff,
and to just hangout in the quad all day. [chuckles]
(male student) Definitely join an org...
or some student organizations here on campus. Definitely helped.
(female student) Definitely, like, seek out campus clubs
like SSJ, M.E.Ch.A., Puente... (male student) Clave. (female student) Clave.
(male student) The Feminist. (female student) The Feminist Majority...
just clubs on campus in general.
They really help out,
and you...you really feel a lot more integrated into the PCC community.
(male student) I would tell them to just go to the website
and just keep Googling everything on the website.
That's like the main thing I did. That's how I found out about MathPath.
That's how I found about...most of the programs here at PCC,
and how to do things. If...if it wasn't for that,
I would have been lost right now.
(male student) Ask around.
If you're clueless about anything and everything that I was,
probably do the same thing as me, and ask.
Ask, ask. And that's pretty much it.
(female announcer) Do you have any suggestions for new students
that are coming on board next semester? Or...
(1st female student) ...Definitely try to get your classes.
(2nd female student) Yeah. (3rd female student) Yeah. Do them on time.
(1st female student) Do whatever can. Make sure you look at your registration date.
Make sure you talk to your teachers to figure out your grades
and how they can help you.
(3rd female student) Talk to your counselors.
(1st female student) Spend a lot of time in the library. Definitely.
(3rd female student) Oh gosh. (1st female student) Library is your friend.
Study groups are good. And...try to get involved in the school.
(3rd female student) Yeah. Don't listen to what everyone says about PCC.
(1st female student) Yeah. (3rd female student) Everyone talks tough
about this school, but I really enjoy it.
(2nd female student) Yeah. It's a lot more school...
(1st female student) Yeah. It's a lot more school spirit
than I thought it would be.
(3rd female student) It is! Go Lancers!
(1st female student) Lancers.
[music]
(male student) Escape the bounds which entraps you.
Break free, and you can feel the other energy.
Not...not per say energy, but just like you can feel another essence of life.
Another way to learn. And you can quote from within yourself...
(female announcer) Thank you. (male student) ...expanding...