Leilani Reid-Vera, ‘14, is a freshman at Sacramento City College. She wants to become a nurse.
Q: What was your first impression?
A: There is a good number of people, and it’s a pretty chill atmosphere.
Q: What are your classes like?
A: I like them. I’m in a program, so I got first pick in all my classes. I can pick them, and I’m basically guaranteed to get in.
Q: What program?
A: A pre-nursing program (Sacramento City College) has. It helps to get into their nursing program. It gives me all the classes I need as prerequisites to transfer into another college or go straight into their nursing program.
Q: So you can just automatically get into their nursing program?
A: You still have to apply, but you have a higher chance.
Q: Any extracurriculars?
A: No. And I don’t think they have Greek life. I don’t mind. I don’t think it’s something I would be into.
Q: What classes are you taking?
A: English, two biology classes, child development, nutrition and a life-training class.
Q: What do you do in a life-training class?
A: It’s kind of like an “intro into college classes”—how to study in different classes.
Q: And your favorite class?
A: I like biology, which is weird, because I didn’t like it in high school. It’s more like an anatomy and physiology class. I found it really easy and interesting.
Q: Any classes you don’t like?
A: English. My teacher really wanted you to agree with her all the time. If you didn’t agree with her, she docked points.
Q: Has anything disappointed you?
A: I don’t think so. I knew what I was going into. I don’t stay at school that much. I’ll leave campus with my friends.
Q: How large are your classes?
A: I like that aspect. In my English class there were like 30 people. Only people who are in my program are in a lot of my classes. My biology classes had about 40-50 people. My biggest was nutrition, which had like 100 people.
Q: Do you like going to school close to home?
A: I like it. I have my family here, and I can go home. It’s very convenient if I need anything.
Q: Did anything surprise you?
A: How easy it was. I went in thinking college was going to be hard. It was a lot easier than high school! I didn’t actually have to study. I just showed up to class. Also, there are a lot of older people in the classes, people my parents’ age. A lot of people drop the class too. At the end there are like 15 people in the class. It’s kind of nice. You get more attention from the teachers.
Q: How’s the food?
A: It’s pretty good. It’s like really expensive. A soda here is like $3.
Q: Any advice for the class of ‘15?
A: In the beginning, (college) seems really scary, because you don’t know anyone. But you’ll meet people in classes and stuff. It’ll be fine.
