Justin Hoffman UC Berkeley, Political Economy My advice for being a successful transfer student at CSM can be summed up in two words: Mike Mitchell. He's the coordinator of Transfer Services and will be able to help you prepare to transfer to a university. Beyond that, meet with a counselor and prepare a Student Education Plan in order to get priority registration; attend UC/CSU application and personal statement workshops sponsored by Transfer Services. Within the first couple of semesters, decide two things: a major and your top university choices for your major. Join Student Government, honors societies (Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Gamma Sigma) and enroll in honor-level classes in order to surround yourself with a supportive, ambitious peer group and develop your leadership/communication skills. Don't rely on others to do everything for you—instead, learn how everything works as soon as possible, and take full responsibility for your actions/inactions. Meeting with the university representatives can open up vast opportunities. Be stubbornly proactive—and precise—about transferring to a university.