Thanks to all of the great students who attended today’s
academic workshop following the immigration check-in session. Here are some
questions and answers submitted by some of you students:
Q. Is it possible for
my friend and me to switch classes if we are taking the same subject but
different sections?
A. Absolutely NOT! That is illegal by California education
code because you are misrepresenting yourselves. If you and your friend want to
switch sections, you must each drop and then add the appropriate section
numbers. There is no other way.
Q. How can I get
permission to enroll in more than 19 units in a Fall or Spring semester, or
more than 12 units in a Summer term?
A. First of all, if this is your first semester at DVC, you
CANNOT enroll in more than 19 units, no exceptions. Second, you need to be
very, very careful about enrolling in more than the maximum units allowed.
College coursework is very intensive and much more challenging than high school
coursework. Remember, you will spend one hour for every unit you are enrolled
in classes, and then you should expect 2 or 3 hours per unit outside of class
for preparation and homework. For example, if you enroll in 22 units, you will
spend 22 hours per week in class, then you will spend another 44 to 66 hours
per week on preparation for those classes. That’s 66 to 88 hours per week just on classwork! You still have to
eat, sleep, bathe, get to and from school, and relax.
However, if
you insist on trying to enroll in more than the maximum allowed, you can
request online through the Counseling Center website. The request goes to the
Dean of Enrollment Management for evaluation. If your grades are low, or you
have a history of dropping classes, the Dean will not grant your request, no
matter the circumstances.
Q. Can I transfer to
a UC campus, especially UC Berkeley, with less than 60 units?
A. No. The UC system
does not accept lower division transfers. Even if you have 59.5 units, they
will deny your application. You need to have AT LEAST 60 units.
Q. I want to transfer
to an out-of-state university. How do I know which classes to take?
A. DVC does not have academic relationships with
out-of-state universities. You need to contact a representative of the
university you want to transfer to and discuss what types of courses you need
to take at DVC. No one at DVC can tell you how an out-of-state university will
accept your DVC units; we can only advise you about transfer to a CSU or UC
campus.
Q. Can I take courses
that are not required for my major, especially during my first semester
(because I have to enroll in at least 12 units)?
A. Of course you can! You can take anything you want as long
as you meet any prerequisites for that course. Here’s my advice: Choose a
course that is UC-transferable, and better yet, choose a course that will meet
any IGETC requirement. That way, you are taking a course that is transferable
probably to any university anywhere, and if you choose a major that will accept
IGETC for general education, then you will be completing coursework toward that
requirement. You are here to learn, so as long as you learn something from the
class, it is valuable to you.
Q. When can I
register for classes, and do I have to come on August 16?
A. If you completed the online orientation and received
feedback from me about your choice of classes, then the ISAS office was
notified that you completed the orientation. If you successfully enrolled in
any units, then you have access to Web Advisor, obviously. If you are unable to
enroll in additional classes, there might be another issue. Visit the Welcome
Center’s Enrollment Lab, on the first floor of the Student Services Building,
for assistance, or see someone in the ISAS office, on the second floor of that
building.
If you have
no Friday classes, then you do not need to come to DVC on Friday, August 16.
Just come to campus on the day of your first class and go to class.
Q. Can I take courses
for transfer and earn an associate’s degree at the same time?
A. Of course you can! It’s easy to complete requirements for
an associate’s degree and for transfer. Remember, you can use CSU-GE or IGETC
for the associate’s degree general education requirement, and many DVC majors
align with major preparation for many CSU programs and a few UC programs. See
the DVC Catalog or website for details about associate’s degree requirements,
and www.assist.org for information about
the major you want to study at the CSU or UC campus.
