what to do about general bio labs...

[hye345]

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So, if anyone has followed my several previous threads, I'm in something of a mess... Long story short, I needed to take a 1-quarter, 2-credit general bio lab course at my school, but before I realized this, it became full, and trying to crash it isn't a realistic option.

I've been calling dozens of schools in the area, looking at their class schedules for summer, calling admissions, etc... unfortunately, no school in my area (that I checked) offers a whole general bio lab series over one summer, and 'open' enrollment is only available over the summer (unless its a CC).

So, as of now, my plan B is to take a 1-semester, 1-credit general bio lab course at a 4-year school closer to home, and maybe another semester course at my local community college.

Since either way, I'm gonna have to get my general bio labs at the CC, should I take the corresponding general bio lectures at the community college also (even though I already have a year of general bio)? Because while the GPA boost might be good, taking the additional courses (which would probably take place over the winter) might get in the way of any potential interviews...

 

[Passion4Sci]

Is there a wait-list? Why is trying to crash not realistic? Contact the professor privately?

In your position, I'd enroll at a CC ASAP and get yourself into a General Bio series to get your pre-requisite met, assuming CCs in the area aren't already full. Don't let possible conflicts with interviews dissuade you from that. If yuo score an interview somewhere, your instructor will very likely understand that you need to be absent for a day. You can (often) request a specific time-span for your interview as well, so for example, if School Y tells you they'd like to interview you, you can say "OK great, how about Friday the 13th?" to which they'll say, "You got it, see you then."

That way you can minimize class time lost particularly if the interview requires leaving California on a jet plane.

Good luck - But act quickly, CCs in CA are beyond slammed right now. Everyone I know who is still trying to get into med/pharm/dent via CC pre-requisites is complaining quite fiercely about wait-lists.

 

[hye345]

Well, I have contacted my professor about it, and she said that not only is it full, but but the waitlist has been closed (for now). If that's not enough, she also said that there are 5 others trying to get into it, and that in the past, no one dropped the course at the last minute (this was back when it when it was offered twice in the summer). Given these odds, it doesn't warrant taking a plane ride from LA to the central coast to try.

fortunately, it turns out that Cal State Northridge has an 'open university ' option for the fall and spring. If I can get into the fall session, it would solve everything...

 

[Passion4Sci]

Well, I have contacted my professor about it, and she said that not only is it full, but but the waitlist has been closed (for now). If that's not enough, she also said that there are 5 others trying to get into it, and that in the past, no one dropped the course at the last minute (this was back when it when it was offered twice in the summer). Given these odds, it doesn't warrant taking a plane ride from LA to the central coast to try.

fortunately, it turns out that Cal State Northridge has an 'open university ' option for the fall and spring. If I can get into the fall session, it would solve everything...

I took a class at a UC through open campus a while back and it was a huge PITA requiring a lot of paperwork and a signature from the professor that she was "absolutely positive no regularly registered student will be deprived of a seat" in order for you to be "enrolled" to receive credit on an official transcript. But, if it works, it's worth it. Many people were standing there waiting for her to sign and I was one of 2 that got the form signed. Everyone else was turned away and that was before the worst of the financial crisis.

Good luck and keep us posted!!

 

[hye345]

Wow, the gods of academia must not like me very much...

I asked the bio adviser at CSUN if I could switch from human physio lab to general bio lab... she said that because of space constraints, that lab is only accessible to students who are taking the lecture as well... So I guess its two more semesters of general bio over the summer and fall 😡

 

[Passion4Sci]

Wow, the gods of academia must not like me very much...

I asked the bio adviser at CSUN if I could switch from human physio lab to general bio lab... she said that because of space constraints, that lab is only accessible to students who are taking the lecture as well... So I guess its two more semesters of general bio over the summer and fall 😡

Silver lining: You don't have to waste a cycle?

 

[hye345]

Silver lining: You don't have to waste a cycle?

thats true... I just think I could have planned this out better. I was hoping to work for a while as a pharmacy technician after school let out, but with 6-7 extra classes I gotta take over next school year, that might be put on the back burner...

 

[Passion4Sci]

thats true... I just think I could have planned this out better. I was hoping to work for a while as a pharmacy technician after school let out, but with 6-7 extra classes I gotta take over next school year, that might be put on the back burner...

Hindsight is 20/20... I have felt that way so many times in my life. It's easy to berate yourself using hindsight (I could have/should have done X) but don't do it. You have to keep focused on the things that you did right.