Many students have dreams of getting into their dream university. Some students may find the colleges in the Northern California area very beautiful and appealing and some colleges in this area may just be far enough from home to attract students who are looking for new adventures after graduating.
Thirty lucky students got to experience a 4-day trip to some of the best universities in Northern California. Students explore UC Merced, San Jose State University, San Francisco State University, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, UC Santa Cruz, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Each university has its unique characteristics and offers students an opportunity to experience a different side of life in Northern California.
“My favorite university was UC Berkeley, because I liked the campus,” remarked 10th grader Brenda Resendiz, “it felt so open and there was a bunch of space.”
The campus tour guides informed students of some of the majors offered at each school to start thinking about what they might want to study. “Especially when they said that the majors were business and psychology, which is something I want to go to, so I’m probably applying there,” continued Brenda. This trip provided students like Brenda the opportunity to start thinking of college seriously.
Vic Canon, the Community School Coordinator, also joined the trip with the students believing trips like these are good because they gives students an inside look of their possible dream university. “It can serve as a motivating factor to help them excel the rest of their high school career,” said Canon, “and it reduces barriers for them to be able to access these schools.” It is important for students to know that college is within reach no matter where it’s at.
She also talked about how it was a great trip for students to socialize with classmates and a great experience overall. “They [students] really enjoyed the pool and being able to travel with friends, having a nice hotel experience, and also being able to tour different college campuses and around San Francisco.”
This experience also allowed students to talk to people outside of their friend group. “I talked to more people,” said Brenda, “So, now I’m more comfortable with them than I would have if I did not go. It made me more social because it was out of school so that I could have been more like myself.”
Overall, these types of trips allowed students to be themselves and socialize with classmates outside of school. It also was an eye-opener for students to view a different part of their state and to think of opportunities that universities offer. From the beauty of Northern California, to the breathtaking college campuses, this trip gave the students a rich learning experience that will stay with them for years to come.