City College of SF

City College of San Francisco (CCSF) is a junior college, an intermediate stepping stone from high school to a four year college/university.  With Lowell's modular class scheduling, CCSF did not feel any different from Lowell other than the fact the campus and some classrooms were much larger.

Notable memories include....

• The mode of transportation to and from school was on foot.  I took the same route as the one for Farragut but with an additional 0.6 miles.

• Took longer than the two years one would normally need to complete studies at CCSF.  Since there was no college tuition and the only cost was for books, I decided to stay an extra year and take some additional courses with no bearing to my major. 
  Some memorable classes in this category were an Interdepartmental Studies course (IDST), "Science and the Future", and the "Introduction to Anthropology" class.

• A mandatory requirement by the city was to take two semesters of physical education.  I took archery and tap dancing.  Every now and then I remember the tune that we had to practice to for most of the semester..."Sophisticated Swing" by Dorsey.  I still have my taps.

• Joined the on-campus Chinese Club.  It was a place to hang out and get some exposure to Chinese college life.  I was a card carrying member, but did not find the time to participate in the club's activities.  I made acquaintances but no friends...not because I wanted it that way.  It might have been easier if I could speak the language.
  

  

• Thought about a posted ad for a 21 day European trip for under $2K.  Not following through with this was one of those regrets in life.

• Quit my job at Livingston's as it was interfering with my Chem 1 class.  I ended up dropping the class due to some poor test scores and retaking it the following semester.

• Found employment later at a local diner, New Manor Cafe.  Bought a MUNI Fast Pass to get to school and work.  It was short lived, but it gave me some job experience in the food industry.

• Did not score high on the Math and English entrance assessment exams.  Was required to take bonehead Math and English during the first semester.  I must have barely failed the exams as both classes were a breeze.

• On the way home from CCSF I would stop by the local Safeway and purchase can foods (soup, pasta, chilli), bread and margarine.  A favorite after school snack was a half a loaf of bread and a half a tub of margarine or maybe one of the canned foods.

• Lost my aluminum slide rule I receive as a present from my Aunt Betty for my 6th grade promotion. Left it behind after the Chem 1 final exam and could not find it when I went back to the classroom to check.

• My cousin Laureen Wu McClain taught Chinese history while I was attending CCSF.  I thought about taking the class as I was into Chinese culture at the time, but I did not want to embarrass my mom if I did poorly.  That was a thing back then, or maybe it was just my perception.

I did not attend graduation.  It didn't seem important enough at the time.  I did receive my diploma and a medal to commemorate the event.  Looking back I think I might have paid for the medal tho.  My grades barely allowed me to transfer to UC Berkeley.