Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 78; Flight Crew Total 8000; Flight Crew Type 105
Training / Qualification; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure
We filed for and received the ROBIE 3 arrival into SJC.  We were direct RZS and we wanted a descent.  The controller switched us to NorCal arrival.  This controller gave us direct SILCN descend via the SILCN 1 arrival West transition.   We hurried up and put the arrival into the FMS since there was a descent via.  Once the arrival was in there we were concerned about the term WEST transition since we were on the east direction of the arrival.  We hurried up and put in west direction not realizing that the WEST transition is really the east side of the approach.  So we were set up for runway 12 instead of 30.  I questioned the controller on this and he said that SJC is landing 30.  We figured there was a reason for this.  Once we switched controllers he cleared us for the ILS 30L.  We questioned him on this since we were on the wrong transition.  He told us he was afraid of that and understood the confusion.  Now we didn't realize what we did wrong.  There were no traffic issues.  We were cleared direct KLIDE and cleared for the ILS APP.  Once on the ground we realized what we did wrong.  1st and foremost we did not read the notes in the chart or what the terms WEST and EAST transition meant in the app.  Completely my/the crews fault.  I wish I would have read the notes instead of rushing the descent since it was a descend via.  The main reason for writing this is that I would hope that the FAA would make a name change for the transitions on the arrival.  Instead of West and East it should be the actual intersection KLIDE and ZORSA transition.  When I think of WEST and EAST I think of directions not names for a transition.  The controller mentioned to us that this is not the first time this has happened and almost made it sound common.  It's confusing.  We don't operate on the west coast often and if you don't go into SJC on a regular basis I could see this being an issue.  Please see that this report goes up the chain to make a change in the name of the transition.
The SJC SILCN TWO RNAV Arrival is confusing because the EAST Transitions tracks West of SJC and WEST Transition is EAST.