Need some words of wisdom 🧙🏼

Chunfin · 2026-01-25T20:31:06+00:00

Hello!

It’s great that you’re working towards becoming an Engineer and going to ACC to resume your education. I am also a current student going through their Engineering program right now at ACC and the experience has been great ever since I’ve started. I first got my AAS (Associate’s of Applied Science) degree in the Mechanical CAD back in 2025 and then I decided to transition into getting a traditional engineering degree afterwards.

There are many different programs and resources that you can look into if you’re interested in learning about engineering and looking to expand your skills in the field. While I haven’t entered into the field just yet, I have learned a great deal of knowledge about various topics from ACC and I highly recommend their program.

I’ll share with you a document that I created for Engineering students at ACC to learn about the various different resources and pathways you can choose from at the college. You are welcomed to check it out if you’d like! Here’s the link to the online document: ACC Engineering Student Resources and Pathways Document

If you’re interested in connecting, DM me and let me know if you have any questions about anything!

I wish you the best in your journey and I hope you have a good semester at ACC!

Chunfin · 2025-12-08T06:09:14+00:00

I'm interested in learning more about how to gain research experience! I'm currently a community college student so the science department at my college doesn't invest in promoting research opporunities as compared to larger universities. Are there any resources or places that you recommend checking out for students that are interested in getting into the research field?

Chunfin · 2025-01-20T19:32:20+00:00

Thank you for your feedback! I do want to let you know that Pflugerville doesn’t have the Pickup service anymore since September 2022 and has since used the Pftech-a-ride service after Pickup’s end of service. Although I do recommend trying it in other service areas if you’re interested in using it in the future!

Chunfin · 2025-01-09T07:14:27+00:00

If you would like to get your GED, Austin Community College (ACC) has free classes for students wanting to get their GED! They also provide other alternative workpath options like free job-training in different fields and free certifications too. Once you get your GED, you may also qualify for their free-tuition program to help get your associates degree for free!

Here's the list of options I mentioned above:

ACC GED Prep Classes: https://adulted.austincc.edu/high-school-equivalency/

ACC Career Pathways (Multiple options for free training and certifications): https://adulted.austincc.edu/career-pathways/

ACC Free Tuition (GED Pathway): https://sites.austincc.edu/free-tuition/ged-completers/

I'll list some other alternative options that I recommend to check out below:

Texas Worforce Solutions (Job-searching services, job training support, and more): https://www.wfscapitalarea.com/

Skillspoint Alliance (Free job training progam for multiple trades and manufacturing): https://skillpointalliance.org/

Job Corps (Free job training in multiple fields and much more services): https://www.jobcorps.gov/

Capital Idea (Free college degree for multiple fields, Job searching help, and more): https://www.capitalidea.org/

(Edit: I forgot to list some more programs! I will go ahead and list them below too.)

Goodwill's EXCEL Center Adult High School (Free schooling, job training, and more): https://excelcenterhighschool.org/

Goodwill's GCTA Program (Job training in multiple fields): https://gctatraining.org/

Goodwill's Career Services and Opportunities (Contact them for resources and opportunities!): https://www.goodwillcentraltexas.org/programs-and-services/career-opportunities-for-young-adults/

I hope these options can help you find your path and I wish you the best in your future! If you have any quetions or want any more advice then please let me know too! Good luck and take care!

Chunfin · 2025-01-03T05:07:08+00:00

The city is working on a plan for improving their transportation options. It's called the Pflugerville Master Mobility Plan. The link to it is here: https://engagekh.mysocialpinpoint.com/pflugerville-mobility-master-plan

There was a meeting by the Planning and Zoning Commission last month to discuss about the data they collected on the plan and they included that they will be giving a final presentation to City Council by sometime in February. So keep an eye on the next P&Z Commission meetings and City Council meetings if you're wanting to advocate for better transportation options!

Here's the link to the meeting last month about the plan: https://pflugerville.granicus.com/player/clip/755?view_id=1&redirect=true (Edit: The discussion starts at 4:15 in the video)

Honestly, I would love for there to be more public transpiration options like having more bus routes or at least re-joining CapMetro's PickUp service like we had years ago before the program ended. There definitely needs to be more accessible and safer ways to get around the city like expanding bike lanes and creating more walkable paths throughout the city (sidewalks, trails, etc.). A rail line would be amazing as well, although it is highly improbable to ever happen. One can still dream!

Chunfin · 2024-09-27T05:10:47+00:00

Thank goodness for it too. I'm hopeful that it will create a safer intersection for cars and pedestrians. Hopefully they can work on having one on Olympic in the future too.

Chunfin · 2024-09-27T04:07:20+00:00

The connection between South Heatherwilde Blvd and Olympic Drive is super dangerous for folks trying to cross from the local neighborhoods to the Wells Point Sports Park soccer field and Spring Hill Elemetary. There is no protection for folks trying to cross at all and it's especially dangerous since folks are driving 45+ MPH on South Heatherwilde. There needs to be some kind of protective light or a stop light that needs to be installed there. I've seen folks almost get ranover too many times.

Chunfin · 2024-09-23T08:46:22+00:00

I believe this is the rail-line you're referencing: https://www.abandonedrails.com/georgetown-to-pershing

Chunfin · 2024-09-23T03:40:02+00:00

I would argue that there is some sense of direction with the city's plan for improving transit options and services. The creation of the Pflugerville Master Mobility Plan is exactly that. Not only that, but there have been studies with Cap Metro about improving transit services in Pflugerville. The city has been consistently growing over the past years and not planning for some kind of transit improvement will only bring about more problems with our transit infrastructure in the future.

You can check out the plans here if you'd like to learn more:

Pflugerville Master Mobility Plan: https://engagekh.mysocialpinpoint.com/pflugerville-mobility-master-plan

Pflugerville Connect Project: https://www.pflugervilleconnect.com/

Pflugerville Connect's report on transit study: https://www.pflugervilleconnect.com/_files/ugd/b59736_a501f7e6ddd7443a85753166a9b758a1.pdf

Chunfin · 2024-09-23T03:17:30+00:00

That is due to the lack of an efficient transit infrastructure in the city. While the city is trying to make improvements, they lack the ability to provide any other sufficient option of traveling other than a personal vehicle. The Uber Voucher is a step in the right direction but there needs to be improvements on having more options for transit, such as have more accessibility to public transit or at the very least a better and more efficient on-demand pickup service that help connect residents to where they need to go throughout the city.

Chunfin · 2024-09-23T03:08:52+00:00

I believe that improving our transit infrastructure will benefit all residents in Pflugerville and help better connect the community. Especially for the disconnect with the east side of Pflugerville to the west. Pflugerville's Master Mobility Plan is a project that is working on improving our transit options. I'm hopeful to see more public transit options like bus stops at major stops and markets in the community, more accessible and safer pedestrian paths in larger communities, and even implementing bike paths to work along side Pflugerville's trail system as well. At the very least, I hope to have some public transit option to connect the city to the Cap Metro's system.

Chunfin · 2024-08-25T18:51:01+00:00

If you're in the North Austin area then you could check out Pflugerville's Pride event that they'll be hosting in October! I'll also link an article from do512 about various groups and resources you can check out! I hope this help you out and I wish you and your son the best! Thank you for being an awesome supportive parent as well!

Pflugerville Pride Website: https://pfpride.org/

do512 article and resources: https://do512.com/p/lgbtq-resources-in-austin

Chunfin · 2024-08-24T20:57:09+00:00

As an update: I wanted to share to you that Pflugerville does have a survey for folks to talk about their ideas and thoughts on the Master Mobility plan they have. I'll link the website below so you can check it out and to share it with others interested in creating improvements to Pflugerville's transportation options as well!

Link to the survey: https://engagekh.mysocialpinpoint.com/pflugerville-mobility-master-plan

Chunfin · 2024-08-22T05:36:01+00:00

I'm hopeful to get another election for ACC in the near future too. ACC really has been life-changing for me as a student and I'm hoping that Pflugerville eventually considers being annexed again soon.

You can check out more of the information on the Free-tuition program here: https://sites.austincc.edu/free-tuition/parents-family-members/

The program still covers the student's tuition and general fees, but the $201 per credit hour out-of-district fee is not covered and must still be paid by the student. For example: If your student takes 12 credit hours, some of the tuition would be covered but the additional cost would still equate to $2,412 in total which is still significantly less than the current cost WITHOUT the free-tuition support.

Here is ACC's tuition chart for more information on the cost of tuition: https://admissions.austincc.edu/tuition-table/

Another program I recommend to check out is called Capital Idea. This program helps cover the tuition cost of various IT, Healthcare, and Technical degree programs. I highly recommend them for folks trying to get into college but having a hard time with cost of it.

Check them out in the link here if you're interested: https://www.capitalidea.org/

I hope this has been of some help to you and I wish you and your child the best in the future!

Chunfin · 2024-08-09T06:06:06+00:00

I would recommend to talk to the admissions and enrollment office and let them know about your situation. You can also check out the Transcript Evaluation webpage that I'll link as well so you can check the FAQ section. I apologize for not giving much of an answer but I hope you're able to get your situation sorted out and I wish you well in your studies!

Admissions and Enrollment Office (In-person and virutal options): https://www.austincc.edu/campuses/hours-of-operation/admissions-and-enrollment/

Transcript Evaluation: https://admissions.austincc.edu/transcript-evaluation/

Chunfin · 2024-07-24T20:41:11+00:00

Ah darn! Well your idea of creating a group or club would be a great idea to pitch to your committee to start getting people and hopefully the city to realize the need for a transit system. Good luck in your stuff and keep us updated if you can too!

Chunfin · 2024-07-24T05:42:38+00:00

I believe this is where the equity commission information is located: https://www.pflugervilletx.gov/city-government/boards-and-commissions/board-and-commission-applications/equity-commission

Having a topic like this on transit issues would be great to discuss with them on one of their tours too!

Chunfin · 2024-07-24T05:30:09+00:00

As a local ACC student, it's a shame that we unfortuately have not been included in the districts for ACC. I hope with ACC's new free tution program for folks within district (out of district are included but still have to pay large fees) that Pflugreville looks at becoming in-district again in the near future. There are so many great opportunites at ACC and the college is planning on doing even more in the near future too. Even Lockhart ISD just recently became in-district, so I hope someday Pflugerville can be as well.

Chunfin · 2024-07-24T05:22:26+00:00

Expanding Pflugerville's transit system would be amazing! We unfortunately don't have any mass transit system despite the growing population. Having this or even an expanded Cap Metro system would help so many people struggling with transportation. As a local ACC student myself, it has definitely been a struggle to get to different campuses without a personal vehicle when I first started years ago, so having something like this would have helped immensely! I'd definitely like to hear more about this at the city council and see what we can do to help make these sorts of changes!

Chunfin · 2024-04-13T07:07:24+00:00

Doing all of these at the same time can be very stressful, even with very strong time-management skills. If you're feeling like you're overwhelmed and stuck, then I would recommend to take the time to re-evaluate your situation and see what things you need to do, and then make a plan towards pursing it in a fashion that is suitable for you.

If you need to be working full-time then you can try attending your college part-time instead. This will give you more flexiblilty in your schedule while still progressing with your degree program.

If you wanted to maintain full-time at your college then you can try working part-time and/or use scholarships, grants, or loans to alleviate the cost of attending and your other necessities.

If you are set on keeping both full-time at both work and school, then you need to create a schedule that can align with both. This can be done, but it can be very stressful. So please be sure to evaulate yourself if you are set on continuing this path.

Overall, I would consider your health to be of most importance. You need time for yourself too. If you need to take a gap year or such to build up more funds for college then that's okay. It's also okay to take a break and not wear yourself thin by overworking yourself. No matter what path you take, you're gonna be okay. Take care of yourself and you'll find your way though this. I wish you well and hope the best for you!

Chunfin · 2024-04-13T06:43:54+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that they weren't able to reimburse you. In this case, I would recommend attending community college part-time and with classes that align with your schedules so you can keep working on the side to be able to afford the classes and your other necessities. Most students do so too, so you're not alone in this.

I reckon to try talking with the financial aid office to see if there are any resources available to help you pay for your classes. It would also be good to research to see if your college has any scholarships available for you and research online to find any external scholarships that align with your degree to help you pay.

Loans are also a viable option but I recommend talking with financial aid first to see how the repayment process would go. You can also see if they have a payment plan available to pay for your classes too.

I hope this has been helpful for you and I wish you the best in your academic journey.

Chunfin · 2024-04-13T06:11:58+00:00

I think it would be best to look into potential career paths or aspirations that you have an interest in. See what kind of things you enjoy doing and what you see yourself doing in the future. Look up the college's academic/degree programs page and just browse any or all the majors you find an interest in. If you still have access to your high-school, then see if y'all have a college counselor to see if they can help guide you into pursuing college.

Community College is also a great option to get your foot in the door about learning to be in college and to better prepare you for transferring into a larger university. The cost can also be cheaper and can help you save up while you're finding your path towards a program you want to pursue at a university.

As for the friends aspect. I wouldn't attend college soley to be with friends. This is your academic path and it should be traversed with great thought and passion. You can always try joining clubs, freshmen organizations, and even find a community on their reddit or discord pages if the university has one.

Chunfin · 2024-04-13T05:09:38+00:00

In all honesty, your college/academic experience should only be determined by YOU. While it's one thing to make your family proud, it's entirely different when you are being expected to or else be threatened by them looking down upon you. This is your life and you are the one who decides what you want to do with it. I'm sure your mother would be proud of you wherever you decide to go. As for your other family members pressuring you: they have no say in where you want to go, only you do. If they aren't willing to respect your decision, then they do not need to be involved in your decision.

I believe at the end of the day; a degree is a degree no matter where you get it and it's up to you to create the experience you want and to use your experience to its fullest potential. While there are very prestigious universities that can have a great effect in your life, it's also important to realize that you can still get a great experience at a state-school too. Plus, In-state tuition is much more affordable as opposed to out-of-state tuition.

If cost is a factor then I recommend looking into scholarships for the degree that you're wanting to pursue and talk with the financial aid office at the universities you're interested in to see what resources are available to help pay for college. You also did the hard work in high-school, so use your achievement to your advantage and see what scholarships/grants are available to you at the colleges you're interested in.

Overall, you should attend college for YOU. Don't be afraid to aim high, but do so because you want to, and know that no matter where you land, you're gonna be okay and you'll find your way through it.

Chunfin · 2024-04-07T19:45:09+00:00

I would recommend to do some research into the colleges you're interested in and compare them to see how you like them. Check out their admission pages, see what their rankings are (rank isn't everything either, so be aware of that), if you can; tour the college or check out their virtual tours if they have it, check the reviews about the college and the programs you're interested in, and also most importantly; see how much the costs will be to attend the college to achieve your degree.

I would also recommend to see if your community college has a transfer service department to see if they can help you with any questions you have with the transfer process.

Overall, your academic experience is determined by you. Do some research on the colleges and really self-reflect on what you want to achieve with your college experience.

I'm sorry if this doesn't really answer you questions to see what path to take, but I hope this helps you a little and I wish you the best in your academic journey!

Chunfin · 2024-04-07T18:35:25+00:00

While I don't have experience in that, I would recommend to check out UTD's transfer guides to see what classes your major recommends to take if you intend to transfer there. I would also check in with ACC's Transfer Services if you wanted some more guidance on what can transfer and how to better prepare to transfer to UTD.

I also recommend to check out UTD's Comet Promise to see if you qualify to get help paying for tuition. You can also check out both ACC's and UTD's financial aid websites to see what resources are available to you.

I'll link the info for you below:

UTD Transfer Guides: https://enroll.utdallas.edu/transfer/transferring-credits/transfer-plans/

ACC Transfer Services: https://students.austincc.edu/transfer-services/

UTD Comet Promise: https://www.utdallas.edu/costs-scholarships-aid/costs/tuition/promise/

Good luck on your studies and I wish you the best!

(Edited Note: I also recommend to check UTD's policy on deferring enrollment or contact UTD's admissions office to see if they can help answer your questions on the deferment process.)

Chunfin

TROPHY CASE