Adding A Class On Short Notice

So the semester/quarter is either just about to begin or has just begun, and, for whatever reason, you need to add a class immediately.  This might be more difficult to accomplish than it seems.  Frankly, you should avoid having to do this as much as possible.  If you must take this approach, keep the following information in mind.

Classes have a limited amount of seats available for a variety of reasons.  Faculty contracts, fire safety, administrative rules, and educational funding issues all come into play.  Just because it appears that there is room in a class does not mean that there actually is room in the class.  If an instructor says "no" to your request to add his or her class, respect that and move on.   

Students whose names are on the waitlist for a class take priority over those who simply show up and are not registered nor on the waitlist.  The waitlist is arranged such that the student who got on it first will have the first priority.  If you just added to the waitlist the day the class started, the likelihood of you getting into the class may be very slim.  At the colleges where I presently teach, students can log into the online enrollment system and see what position they are at on waitlists.

Trying to create your whole schedule by going door to door with an add card in your hand on the first day of class is generally ineffective.  I highly recommend that students who plan to go to a particular college or university complete the application process at least one semester/quarter ahead of time (earlier if allowed) so they can register immediately after their enrollment period opens.  Just a bit of planning can save you a whole bunch of headaches.  

Just because adds can be made for a period of time after classes start does not mean any instructor has to add you.  It's my habit to get straight down to business on the first day of class.  By the second class, I am providing students with vital information to complete their major class research paper, and the first quiz is given in the third class.  Missing a few classes can put you at disadvantage to do well in some classes (like mine), so the instructors may not allow late adds at all.  If you do get to add after the start of a class, be ready to play catch up and realize that you may have missed point opportunities you won't get to make up.  Be sure to check with other students for what took place in class on the days you were not there. 

If you are seeking to add a class because you will be dropping another, make sure you have your place in the new class guaranteed before you drop the old one.  This is crucial if you need to maintain a certain number of units for your financial aid.

If you are trying to add extra units to accelerate your progress in your program, keep in mind that you will need special permission or an administrative override if the number of units will exceed the full time maximum.  Unless you are a very effective student and have plenty of time to devote to all of your classes, this is usually not a great idea.  If your grade point average is not strong, don't be surprised if your request to take more than an full time load is denied.

Things to Know Before You Transfer to Another College or University

You've made the decision to transfer to another college or university.  Maybe you've completed your associate's degree and are going on for a bachelor's degree.  Perhaps you are moving to another area of the state or the country.  Whatever the reason, doing a bit of homework (pun intended) before you make the big move can make the transition go much more smoothly.  Here are some important things to consider. 

If possible, visit the new college in person to check it out, to meet with academic advisors and financial aid staff, and to talk with other students to get a feel for the college culture and what non-academic activities and resources are available.  At a 4-year institution, it's also a good idea to visit the department offices of your major and talk to a professor or two just to introduce yourself.  It's never too early to make a good impression.

If the structure of the classes (semesters, quarters, trimesters, and so on) differs between your new and old college, be prepared.  The length of a class makes a vast difference in the pace, depth, and scope of the information presented.

Make sure you know exactly how your transferred classes will be credited at your new college.   Transferring classes among colleges and universities can be a tricky and messy thing.  Each institution has its own standards for what criteria each class must meet, and a class that satisfied a requirement at your old college may not be deemed adequate at your new college.  It is vital that you meet with academic advisors or transfer center personnel at both colleges to see how your classes will transfer.

Realistically, you should expect to lose some credits, retake a class or two, and take some campus-specific classes at your new college.  One common reason to lose credits for a class is your old college offered a specific class at the lower division level and the new college requires it to be take at the upper division level.  Another sticking point is when a science class did not require a lab at the old college, but the version at the new college does require a lab.  In those two cases, you will most likely have to retake the class.  Your academic advisor at the new college will be able to advise you whether it is worth filing an appeal to try to have the old classes count at your new school.  Many universities have lower and upper division core courses that everyone who graduates must take.  An example of this is the upper division writing requirement classes at many California State University campuses.

Some community colleges and universities have classes that are guaranteed to transfer.  It is also becoming more common for these institutions to have transfer agreements to assure most, if not all, of the community college classes taken by a student transfer to the university at full credit value.  Academic advisors at your old and new college can help you with this.  If you are a California student, ASSIST is a wonderful online service that can help you get a better idea of what classes will transfer among public universities and community colleges.

Excellent Scholarship Writing Tips

Looking for ways to write a scholarship essay that will really catch the judges' eyes?  The tips at this site contain both great creative and practical suggestions.  Even though the site is intended for international students, any student seeking scholarships can benefit from the good advice.

Academic Dishonesty and Socioeconomic Differences

How are socioeconomic differences in a student population related to students' likelihood to engage in cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty?  Recent research provides some surprising answers.  http://thinkpsych1.blogspot.com/2012/05/social-inequality-and-academic.html

Due Dates and Deadlines

In college, due dates and deadlines come at students from all directions.  Class assignments, financial aid, scholarships, registration, drops and adds – all of these can be overwhelming to monitor.  Unlike in high school, no one in the college setting is likely to give you multiple reminders about these dates, nor is anyone likely to check up on you if you miss a deadline or do not turn in an assignment.  The burden for keeping track of due dates and deadlines, both in and out of the college classroom, is up to you, and this task should be taken extremely seriously.

Policies about late or missing tests and assignments are stated in most class syllabi.  Many college instructors will not accept late work in the absence of dire circumstances (serious medical issues, car accidents, death of a family member, etc.) for which you will be required to provide documentation (doctor’s note, accident report, obituary, etc.).  It is your job to comply with the conditions of a particular instructor’s syllabus if you want an opportunity to turn in an assignment or take a test late.  I drop my students’ lowest quiz grades and this can help if a quiz is missed for a reason that does not meet the criteria for a makeup quiz to be authorized. 

Be mindful that missing tests can cause major test security problems for instructors, as they may not be able to return the completed tests to the rest of the class or may have to write a whole new test to give you if the test has already been returned to the rest of the class.  If an instructor makes special arrangements for you to take a makeup test, do not fail to follow through.  Your instructors have extremely busy schedules and may even be giving you the test at a time where they are not being paid for doing so.

Missing college deadlines outside of the classroom can have disastrous results – like not being able to graduate on time, not being eligible for financial aid, not being considered for a helpful scholarship, or not being able to get registered for required classes.  Deadlines for transferring to another college or university and deadlines for graduate school applications are especially rigid and can set you back a year or more in your educational plans.  At the colleges where I presently teach, you can find many of these crucial due dates and deadlines in the current class schedule and the college catalog.  Your friendly student services departments, such as Records, Financial Aid, and the Transfer Center (whatever they may be called at your school), can fill you in on the other ones.

Procrastination will not serve you well in keeping on top of due dates and deadlines.  One approach to managing all of this time-sensitive information is to consolidate them into one planner, whether it is on paper or digital, and to give yourself advance reminders of when an important date is coming up.  It may seem like a lot of work to get everything initially in the planner, but it will be well worth it in the end.