Thanks to all of the students who stayed for today’s
academic workshop after the immigration check-in session. There were only a few
questions submitted today.
Q. Is 15 units too
much for an international student to take in one semester?
A. Think of it this way: If you’re taking 15 units, you will
be spending about 15 hours per week in class. Factor in two hours of study time
for each hour spent in class each week, and now you’re spending 45 hours per
week on your classes. Some of your classes might require more study time. Also,
if you are new to DVC and the USA, you will be adjusting to the English
language, US culture, life in Pleasant Hill, and so on. Ultimately it is your personal
decision you know yourself and your capabilities best.
Q. How can I get my
textbooks for my classes?
A. The easiest way is to visit the DVC Book Center, next to
the Student Services Center and behind the cafeteria. Show an employee your
class schedule, and he or she can help you get your books. You can also use
their website to look up your textbook information: http://www.bookcenter.dvc.edu/. You
can take your books back to the Book Center at the end of the semester and see
if you can sell them back for a partial refund.
If you know
which books you need, and if you have time, you can order your books online
through a website such as www.amazon.com or
www.textbooks.com. Be careful, though,
to order the correct edition of the textbook.
Q. I want to transfer
to UC Berkeley. How can I know which DVC classes to take for the major I want
to study there, and how do I know if that major will accept IGETC or not?
A. You can find all that information on www.assist.org. If you already know what major
you want to study, then follow these steps:
1. Select “Diablo Valley College” from the drop-down menu on
the first page.
2. On the next page, select “University of California
Berkeley” from the second drop-down menu.
3. On the third drop-down menu, select the major you want to
study.
4. Read the resulting report very carefully. It will explain
whether or not that major accepts IGETC in fulfillment of general education
requirements. It will also tell you which DVC classes to take to prepare for
that major. The DVC courses will be the ones on the right side of the page; the
equivalent UCB courses will be on the left.
If you need
help learning how to use the Assist website, see this page: http://web1.assist.org/web-assist/help/help-using_assist.html.
You can
access an IGETC handout from the DVC Counseling website. See yesterday’s post
for more details.
