rant about pre-req's

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eddie269

Still in shock...
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ok guys. I am about to graduate from UC Davis with my little cute Economics degree. whippie-freakin yay. just got a few summer classes to go and I'm out.

NOW, I will have to go to Sac City JC during fall 2004 and also a JC in LA in Spring 2005 to finish up 5 more pre-req's. sounds easy right? NOPE! turns out that GETTING INTO THE CLASSES will be the HARDEST part! I am soooo angry. As a first time student at Sac City, I have ZERO priority registration. My pass time is next Tuesday and the only classes that I have a CHANCE of getting in are Physics I and Micriobiology. and thats not guaranteed. Everything is already full and it's only been a week since the current students registered.

Now I know many of you guys went through the same this. Is this ANY way to get around this? Whether I talk to a counselor or an adviser? Assuming I get Physics I and Miciobio this semester, I have to play this stupid registration game again in Spring when I move back home and attend the JC there.

feel like a freshmen in college all over again. :mad:

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Something that was recommended to me by a student advisor was to change your major to nursing/pre-nursing because nursing students were working on deadlines and got priority treatment. Some classes such as A&P and Micro were even reserved specifically for them. Students never got bumped from these courses because they made sure that the classes expanded to fit all nursing students.

Check with an advisor and see if there is a major that gets priority.
 
an advisor at my school (UC Davis) or an advisor at the JC? or both? =)
 
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eddie - I am in the same boat... I too go to UCD and I have a few more pre-req's to finish up.. I am graduating in June... I wish that I had chosen pharmacy sooner :rolleyes: Anyway, I sent an email to the prehealth advisor, and she told me basically what you said... "you have almost no chance of being able to take those classes". I am taking MIC 102 over the summer, but I still need the lab and a bunch of other classes. She suggested that I try to go through the UCD Extension to get the other classes... but again, you have absolute last priority to take the classes. My piece of advice (that I too will be following) is to BEG the professors to let you in. Explain your situation and hopefully things will work out... good luck :luck:
 
yea, i agree with futurerxgal, write a very nice letter to a professor, should defenitelly work...
 
Can you move down to LA for fall? There are JCs all over southern Cal, certainly one will have space. How about going to Cal State(LA or Sac) for a year?

Or you could just stay at UCD for one more year.
 
If there is no other way, just be patient and wait. I'm almost positive that there are always some people who think that "OH my Gosh this is soo hard..I'm not gonna be able to do it this semester" and then drop the class.
Make sure you contact the professor beforehand and be persistent.
Another suggestions:
1. Is there a night class or something like that?
2. The good news is for classes like calc/physics, it always looks full during the first few days, and then suddenly you can see empty chairs everywhere as the semester progress.
Keep the fingers crossed!
 
the thing i HATE about UC Davis summer sessions (summer school broken down into 2 sessions) is they end so FRICKIN LATE! session 2 ends on sept. 10th! And ALL JC's around here starts mid august. and in order for me to graduate I need to take one last upper div econ class during session 2. So I can't go anywhere too far because I always have to be in drivings distance of Davis.

So with that being said, heres my plan. kinda out there but I hope it works.

I will still take my physics I at Sac City because they have many spots on still (hope I didnt jinx myself). I will also be taking summer session 2 here at Davis. and here's the twist.

I will enroll in microbiology at city college of San Francisco (Tues and Thurs lecture and lab. both at evening time). So I will make 2 trips back to SF every week (where I am originally from) and drive back to Davis for the rest of my classes. It will be hell for 3 weeks when Sac City, CCSF, and UC Davis summer ses. overlaps but I been through worse. I used to go home once a week but I guess now I can go twice a week. stupid gas prices.


BUT HOW AM I GUARANTEED A SPOT IN MICROBIO AT CCSF FOR FALL?!?
well, I am going to sign up for an easy 1 unit online class (something about how to use the internet better?) at CCSF for this summer (6 week program online) so HOPEFULLY when it comes time to register for fall semester at CCSF, I will be considered a "returning student" and will have an earlier pass time.

how does that sound? :)

Anyone know if taking an online class will guarantee you becoming a "returning student" for the following term?


FORGOT TO ADD: staying in Davis for 4 plus years is HELL! I NEED TO GET OUT OF THIS PLACE ASAP!
 
one last question. has anyone actually written a letter to a professor with this explanation and have it work? I don't want to write a nice long sincere letter just to get laughed at by the professor. :D
 
eddie269 said:
one last question. has anyone actually written a letter to a professor with this explanation and have it work? I don't want to write a nice long sincere letter just to get laughed at by the professor. :D

If possible, meet with the professor in person. I did that for this summer session beginning on Monday, and the professor let me in.
 
Eddie, what you should do is if you can't get squeezed in somehow is just go to the class and someone is bound to drop it within the first couple of weeks-maybe even after the 2nd day. Then you can register for it, and you won't miss any material. If the Prof says he doesn't have you on the roster, keep shrugging your shoulders and mumble something with Fin Aid...they'll buy it. Worked for me last semester, and twice for my buddy.
 
thanks for the advice. I will try everything but my last resort is to commute since I have no choice. The only thing is the waitlist for the classes I need are filled up so they are basically closed. I'll see how things go. But I will talk with the professor for sure.
 
eddie,

the online thing at ccsf should work for you to get priority registration. i did online econ and then ended up W-ing out of it and they still sent me a decent date for the next semester. also, my roommate did some of the ucd extension classes and she got into all of them by talking her way in and saying she needed them for premed. so i think professors are sympathetic, especially since you are focused and know what you want.
 
I wrote a letter to a prof, and she let me in.
Good luck!
 
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