What Chaffey Means to Me
Chaffey College was not my first choice of where to go after graduating high school. My plan was to continue onto a California State University. however the plan had to change once I found out that I could not attend the Cal State I registered for. Because I was later informed that I took one of the placement exams too late and I could not sign up for classes there.
I was sad because it was July when I received the news and it was too late to apply to any other Cal State. I believed I would not be able to start college that year. I remembered how Chaffey College was still accepting students. I called my sister to tell her my news and registered right away. I registered in June 2017 and have been here for 3 years.
The good thing about Chaffey is that they accept everyone and that registration is open longer, which is a lifesaver to people like me whose plans fall through at the last minute. It felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders once I registered. I felt so relieved that it took away the pain of not being able to go to a Cal State. Chaffey turned out to be the last hope of continuing my education without taking a year gap.
Chaffey is well known for students getting their general education classes finished before transferring to a four-year college. My cousin Juan Gonzalez was also a student who first came to Chaffey then later transferred to a four-year college. It took him a while to transfer out of Chaffey, but he did not give into the urge to just quit. It was because of him I knew Chaffey was a good college to attend.
When I attended my first class I was racked with nerves, but I quickly learned that Chaffey was an amazing school. My first semester was more of a trial because my classes were filled with students varying all ages . It was hard for me to make friends in class because I was too shy to talk to anyone.
The biggest challenge was sitting next to students who were older than me, because I felt that I would not have anything in common with them. It turned out that was not the case. I made some good friends, who helped me loads of times during class. We would meet up in Starbucks or Chaffey's cafeteria to study for our upcoming tests.
Chaffey has helped me break out of the shell I was in throughout all of high school. I used to be a really shy person who did not have the courage to talk to other people unless they talked to me first.
Now, three years later I am a new person. I am still a little bit shy but Chaffey has made it easier to talk to new people. I can now hold conversations with strangers, like on the public bus, without feeling uncomfortable. Chaffey has made me into a confident person. I appreciate all the students and instructors who helped me get to where I am currently at.