Are you going to be a freshman at Santa Rosa Junior College? Take these classes!

You have to know that Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) has a lot of classes to offer, and it can be overwhelming if you don't know where to start. Trust me, I've been there, and that is the reason why I cannot say enough times how important it is to have a counselor.

The counselor’s job is to ask you about your interests, skills in specific subjects, the schools you plan to transfer to, your educational preferences, etc. This is how they will match you with the perfect class, and you won't lose time taking classes that don't approach your desired academic goal.

In-person classes

I have been an international student at SRJC since January 2021, and in my opinion, I have taken classes that have enriched my day-to-day and academic life while being far from home. I remember thinking I wanted to take real classes when I was registering for fall 2021. 

For me, this meant going to an actual class and meeting actual people. It's noticeable how badly I wanted to have the opportunity to live the college experience since COVID-19 has made it nearly impossible.

Important note: The regulations and requirements of the student visa state that you can only come to the United States of America if you are going to take at least one class in person. 

So, if you are in the process of getting your visa, this blog is the best place to be. All of the classes that I’m going to mention are held on campus and are also approved to transfer, so I would love to recommend some of those to you!

Class that will upgrade your emotional life

Psychology 1A is one of the two classes I am taking in-person this fall semester. I chose it because it is a transferable class, and I thought it was a good idea to learn about the human mind at the same time as I was experiencing college for the first time. 

Let me tell you that this class is one of a kind. It is designed to have a sneak peek of all the topics in psychology. In fact, I would describe it as a very general class since it explains only what you need to know in order to take the concepts you learn and put them into practice in real life.

Topics can go from the history of psychology all the way to sex and sexuality, happiness, attention, and more. If you are interested in understanding people and improving your own self, this is the best option for you. 

Also, the good news is that this class is part of the list of classes you need to transfer after completing your educational path at SRJC.  

Class that will upgrade your academic life

English 1A is definitely one of my favorites. I swear to you guys, this class is the most helpful class I could ever take! 

This is the class where you will learn how to properly do an essay, and read and analyze texts. Having those skills will help you write breathtaking papers to apply to the best universities in the United States and worldwide. I took this class in my first semester. 

To give you a little bit of context, it was online, and I am not a reading or writing person at all, but I was lucky because the professor and the students attending the class made it interesting, so it gave me a lot of motivation to learn. 

If you have the chance to take ENG 1A in person, I would have a wild guess and say that I’m sure that you will fall in love with it. I improved 100% of my writing and reading skills in 4 months, and I cannot even explain how incredible and convenient it was for me. Just take it!

Class if you struggle with chemistry

CHEM 42 is the perfect class if you struggle in chemistry like me. 

I have to confess that in high school chemistry was a subject in which I was not very good at; in fact, I was terrified that I had to take it in college because I barely knew anything.

Thankfully I had a counselor, and he asked me about my skills in chemistry. I had to be honest and open up about how hard it was for me. He, of course, matched me with the perfect class. And I’ll tell you exactly why!

The goal of this class is to introduce you to general chemistry through lectures but also laboratories, which makes it so fun and interesting! I have had the chance to do a lab once a week, starting from scientific methods to the actual calculations of chemical reactions.

I did 9 labs in one semester. That means I was putting into practice everything I was reading and learning from the books and my professor's lectures throughout the semester.

Sneak peek

These classes are the sneak peek you need from each subject to either take the next class in your upcoming semester and pass or have them as your transferable credits.

Remember… it’s on you how you decide to make all of your classes work! Just make sure you consider all the options you have. Good luck!

Micaela Baquero is a 19-year-old currently pursuing her engineering degree at Santa Rosa Junior College in California.