Please help me patch up my college career

[ahappycamper]

'm so stressed out right now with what I should be doing for school to give me the best opportunity to get into a good graduate school.

At the current moment, I am a CC/JC student. Last fall 2008, I was a University of Riverside student, but was academically disqualified, with an abysmal 5 Ws and 5 Fs. I was told that I could take 8 UC transferable courses at a CC to be readmitted back into UCR. I have done that, passed with all As, and I am ready to be readmitted into UCR. However, I would eventually like to transfer to a higher college for my major, biochemistry. I do not want to finish my bachelor's degree at UCR, preferably something like UCSD would make me happier. The thing with me is, I want to go to graduate school, a very good graduate school.

As I think of it now, I could go to UCR, make up 4/5 Fs(I will always have that 1 F there no matter what), ace the rest of and ace the rest of my college career at UCR. However, no matter what, the graduate schools will see all my extra baggage, even though 4/5 of those Fs will have been made up, there will still be that 1 there screwing my GPA, and those other 5 Ws will be there.

My second option is going to UCR, and trying ot transfer to a better school, perhaps sometihng like UCSD. Again, even if I do great in the rest of my college career(which I'm sure I can do, as I've really disciplined myself since the last time I was academically disqualified at UCR) I will still ahve that extra UCR baggage with the Ws and 1 F that cannot be made up.

My GPA, ^^ for either of those two options, will be lower than if I went to CC because I will always have that 1 F in my transcript that is bringing down my overall GPA.

My third option is, to simply go to CC and transfer to a higher school like UCSD. That is a clean slate, since I don't have any Ws or Fs at the community college I'm attending right now.

Money is NOT an issue. I am looking at long term. I want to get into a good graduate school, and I'm trying to figure out what my best options are at the moment. Will graduate school like to see the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd option? Or if anyone has any other ideas for me. I am currently 20 years old right now.

[asquare]

Originally Posted by ahappycamper

My third option is, to simply go to CC and transfer to a higher school like UCSD. That is a clean slate, since I don't have any Ws or Fs at the community college I'm attending right now.

You are in a difficult situation. I want to point out that your third option is NOT a clean slate, since you are required to submit transcripts from all colleges you have attended when you apply to graduate school.

I'd say your best bet, beyond becoming an excellent student as you move forward, is to develop a good relationship with your advisors. Be honest with them about why your first year at UCR was so terrible, show them clearly that you have changed, and make it easy for them to write a convincing letter of reference that says you have morphed into a capable, diligent student who will succeed in graduate school. You are going to need a strong endorsement from respected faculty to overcome that first year, but it can be done if you assemble an excellent record in courses, relevant research experience, and strong ties to your advisors.