New to college life...help please?

Let's see. I didn't take any AP classes in high school. I never took the SAT. I did alright in school and ended up with a 3.6 GPA (20 something A's, 6 B's, 3 C's). I made Honor Grad. I've been out of high school for about a year now and I'm 19. For financial reasons, I haven't been in college and I knew I wasn't going so I didn't even bother to take the SAT/ACT. I didn't do anything extracurricular because I'm not a very sociable person. Actually, there was my freshman year when I was part of CAP (Civil Air Patrol), but I quit.

I've stayed on with my parents for the time being since I have nowhere to go and really nothing to do. I've applied to around 37 jobs and I didn't get any over that gap year. That didn't make me happy.

The good news is that my dad qualified for some benefits and it looks like his boy will be going to college after all. Everything's paid for except room & board. It just took extraordinarily long for it to happen...

I guess I'll be going to a Community College now. My parents want me to remain close and they really can't pay my way to live somewhere else and I can't either. And yes, I know all about financial aid...

After a talk with an ex-girlfriend, she suggested I do something that will act as a safety net in case my dreams don't work out for me. My dream job is to be a Physicist, but if I'm going to have something that will get me a job, it'll be working towards becoming a Pharmacist. I don't really know where I want to go after that. I'd like to get into a good school, but I'm not sure about the acceptance rate of transfer students to them. I live in California. I'd have my sights set on Berkeley but realistically I probably know that no matter how hard I work in CC I probably wouldn't get in. I'd say that even with a 4.0. I didn't care much in high school for grades or classes. I just took a variety of them because I had no idea of what I wanted to be or do. They turned out to be mostly science-related upon looking at my transcript a few weeks back.

I'd love to be in England for a few years. I use to live there, but I moved to the United States. I was a U.S. citizen while I lived there and had to relocate because of my father's job.

I wish I knew how to make this all happen. Right now I'm concerned about testing into Calculus through the COMPASS Exam. The highest math I've taken is Algebra II in my junior year, but I've been doing math since just in my spare time really. Kind of like a thing to do to pass the time because everyone I ever knew doesn't live here anymore and they've gone to other places to pursue their dreams.

Any help, insight, or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

Sounds to me like you are completely unrealistic considering your modest high school accomplishments. Physicist? Pharmacist??

You sound like a candidate for a BSET in Engineering Technology, or a BSIT in Industrial Technology. Both have some math, but neither is too hard, and you do graduate with useful skills and a useful exposure to university-level thinking.

This is too long and you won't get many responses. shorten it up and just ask one or two questions.

I agree with the person above me. You're aiming too high. Try taking a few community college classes related to your desired major (physics) and see if you can even handle it. High school physics is very different (and easy) compared to college physics. Also, you will need to take calculus to get through a physics major. Maybe you should have your backup career be becoming a science teacher. Pharmacy school isn't easy either. You need a 3.5 or higher in science classes to even be considered.

You are only 19, so don't limit yourself yet. There's no reason why you shouldn't try for Berkeley. With a 3.6 GPA, you have a good chance. Just because you haven't traveled the beaten path doesn't mean you can't achieve your dreams. Don't worry about England right now. Focus on school. Adventures abroad can come later.