One of the main reasons someone attends a community college is to transfer to a four-year university and obtain their bachelor’s degree.

From my experience, I have learned that El Camino College makes it very difficult to understand the requirements that are needed to make an easy transfer possible.

I enrolled at El Camino at the worst possible time – the tail end of 2020.

With the pandemic in full effect, all classes were strictly online and those attending had no choice but to use the website.

Since the beginning of my time here, taking the courses I need to transfer has always been a guessing game.

A large part of this is because I never felt like I had the proper guidance, especially with the school website.

I had no clue how to navigate MyECC, when and how to get access to a counselor.

I felt unsure whether or not the counselor I talk to will know the specific requirements for my major.

When I go onto MyECC and click on “Education Plan,” the website directs me to what classes I need.

Once I was finally able to get in touch with a counselor fit for my major, she told me the classes recommended were not accurate.

Not only is it hard to comprehend what the required classes are on the education plan, but also inaccurate.

Since then, I have returned to ECC and attending in-person courses to improve my chances of getting my education plan situated and setting my future for success.

This has given me the opportunity to be educated by reliable professors who have led me to a great counselor.

I understand not everyone has the opportunity or luxury to be in-person and get the answers they need right away.

Many students at ECC don’t have time to spend navigating a website or being placed in a waiting room for hours to get in contact with a counselor.

If there is difficulty finding an opportunity to come in person to campus, students should try setting up virtual appointments with as many counselors as possible.

Professors and counselors can lead you to the help that you need.

The school website can be overwhelming and confusing. This can discourage you from searching for the necessary help and answers you may need.

I recommend the school website have links that students can click on the homepage of MyECC that takes them straight to the courses based on their major needed for the following semesters.

In case a student still needs help, counselors should be present to assist for specific majors. This should be one click away on the homepage.

A student should not search through three to four webpages just to find a way to get in contact with a counselor, especially if he or she may not be able to provide them with the information that they need.

This is a frustrating process and can lead to a student giving up before getting an answer.

There is too much buried information on the MyECC homepage that leads to confusion for students and professors.

It takes too many clicks to get to the important information.

The poor organization of links and excessive text that are not very important take away from the chance to provide more counseling options and information for required classes on the home page.

Navigating should not be a mystery.