College Advising at UC Santa Cruz

IN THIS ISSUE:
Final Exam Schedule:  March 19-22
End of Winter 2012 Quarter: March 22
Winter Grades Due:  March 27
Deadline to Pay Fees for Spring Quarter:  March 21
Campus Closed:  March 30 (Cesar Chavez Day)
Spring 2012 Quarter Begins:  April 2
Student Success Tip of the Week:  Study Tips for Finals Week
Upcoming Career Center Workshops & Events

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FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE: MON-THURS, MARCH 19-22 
Finals are scheduled from Mon. March 19 - Thurs. March 22, 2012. Go to http://reg.ucsc.edu/soc/2122/final_exams.html - ExaminationDates to see the schedule and learn about final exam policies.  If you have two finals scheduled on the same day, adjust your study and prep time accordingly.  

ACADEMIC RESOURCES FOR FINALS

Drop-in Writing assistance will be available on:

Sunday, March 18th from 12-6pm
Monday, March 19th from 3-6pm
Tuesday, March 20th from 3-6pm
Wednesday, March 21th from 3-6pm
All drop-in writing sessions will be held at the ARCenter, room 216 
Students may sign up for one 30 minute an appointment slot by calling Learning Support Services at (831) 459-4333.

Drop-in Math tutoring for MATH 2, 3, 11A, 11B, 19A, 19B, 22, 23A, and 23B will be available at McHenry Library, room 1279 on:
Sunday, March 18th from 4-8pm
Monday, March 19th from 4-8pm
Tuesday, March 20th from 4-8pm

24-Hour Study Center
The ARCenter will be open continuously as a study center beginning Sunday, March 18th at 9:00am and remaining open through Wednesday, March 21st at 11:00pm. Regular hours will resume on Thursday, March 22nd. Free coffee will be available.

END OF WINTER QUARTER 2012:  THURS, MARCH 22

This is the official last day of the Winter 2012 Quarter.

WINTER 2012 GRADES DUE FROM INSTRUCTORS:  TUES, MARCH 27
You may begin checking your Winter 2012 grades on your student portal on Tues, March 27.  Colleges will conduct academic standing reviews once grades are received.  If you think you may fall below good academic standing after your winter grades are assigned, please check with your college academic adviser for important academic review information.  

DEADLINE TO PAY FEES FOR SPRING QUARTER  2012:  WED, MARCH 21

Registration fees for Spring 2012 are due on Wednesday, March 21.  Your billing statement can be viewed under “Accounts & Billing” on your student portal.  UCSC does not mail paper billing statements.  To pay online, sign up for SallieMae e-pay.  To be certain your payment is received on time, make your online payments by 2:00pm, Cashier’s Office drop-box payment (North side of Hahn Bldg) by 3:00pm and in-person payment in the Cashier’s Office by 4:00pm on March 21st.  A late registration fee of $50 is assessed for late payments.  For more information on billing and payment options, see: http://sbs.ucsc.edu/payments.html.  For information on Deferred Payment Plans, visit:  http://sbs.ucsc.edu/dpp.html.

CAMPUS CLOSED:  CESAR CHAVEZ DAY,  FRI, MARCH 30
The campus will be closed on Friday, March 30 for Cesar Chavez Day.  Please keep in mind if you need to conduct any university business over the break.   

SPRING QUARTER 2012 BEGINS:  MON, April 2nd

Classes begin for Spring 2012 Quarter on Monday, April 2nd!

STUDENT SUCCESS TIP OF THE WEEK: FINALS WEEK STUDY TIPS 
Finals week is right around the corner!!!  Are you ready???  Here are some tips that will help guide you through this week:

1. Create a Plan of Attack:  find out when your finals are going to be (you can reference the finals week schedule above) and if you have papers due, group projects to present, or tests to study for.  Then plan when you are going to complete each course’s requirements.
2. Break Down Your Plan:  once you have your plan to tackle finals week, it may appear daunting and impossible.  So break it down into smaller attainable goals.  It can help to approach it one class at a time.
3. Take Care of Yourself:  your brain cannot function if you do not get enough sleep or eat well. Try to avoid pulling all-nighters to study for an exam.  Drink lots of water and try to give yourself a little down-time amongst all your finals prep.
4. Stay Motivated:  you have worked hard all quarter and at the very end you might be feeling a lack of motivation to get through finals week.  Remind yourself why you are here and what you want your degree to bring you when you achieve it.  Finals week is the final sprint to the finish line, so don’t give up now.
5. Should you need additional guidance or support during the end of quarter and finals week, please utilize your college advisers for assistance.  They are there to help!

UPCOMING CAREER CENTER WORKSHOP & EVENTS
Wed, March 21:  Meet the School Districts, 4:00pm-6:00pm @ Merrill College Cultural Center.
  
For more info, visit:  http://careers.ucsc.edu/.

UCSC ADVISING NEWS (Winter 2012, Issue 8)

This newsletter is designed by your college advisers to keep you informed of important deadlines and alert you to programs and resources that may enhance your undergraduate academic experience.  Please scan the topics before deleting. 

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IN THIS ISSUE: 

Multicultural Career Conference: Saturday, March 3

Satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement: Saturday, March 10

Information on Petition for Withdrawal or Leave of Absence

How to use the wait list option for enrollment

Deadline for Removal of Incomplete from Fall 2011: March 22 

Hope to Graduate in 2012? Get a Grad Check

University of CA Washington Center Program (UCDC): Apply Now

Student Success Tip of the Week:  Staying Organized

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MULTICULTURAL CAREER CONFERENCE: SAT, MARCH 3

WHEN:  10:30am to 3:30pm

WHERE:  Stevenson Events Center

For more information and to register visit: http://careers.ucsc.edu/mcc/index.html.

  

SATISFY THE ENTRY LEVEL WRITING REQUIREMENT: SAT, MARCH 10

If you have not yet satisfied the ELWR, plan to take the Analytical Writing Placement Exam on Saturday, March 10, from 10:30am-1:00pm in Kresge 327.  Students enrolled in Writing 20 this quarter or the college core course will not need this exam. More information on the exam can be found at: http://writing.ucsc.edu/news-events/news/march-awpe.html

• ELWR must be satisfied by the end of your 4th quarter at UCSC. For more information, see “Satisfying the ELWR After Starting Classes at UCSC” at http://writing.ucsc.edu/writing_requirements/elwr_pathways.php. 

 

NOT RETURNING TO UCSC? PETITION FOR A WITHDRAWAL OR LEAVE OF ABSENCE

What happens if you enroll in classes and then don’t show up for spring quarter?  Answer: you are billed and liable for full registration fees.

If you are NOT planning to return to UCSC for spring 2012, see your college academic adviser before the end of winter quarter to petition to withdraw or take a leave of absence from the university. Notifying the university that you do not plan to attend via the withdrawal or leave of absence petition will cancel your registration fees and remove you from your enrolled classes. 

If you wait until the beginning of spring quarter to petition for a withdrawal or leave of absence, the effective date of your withdrawal or leave will be the date you notify your college that you are not attending UCSC (which, if after the first day of instruction, could result in thousands of dollars of registration fees).  For the petition and additional information online go to advising.ucsc.edu/student/loa.

HOW TO USE THE WAIT LIST OPTION FOR ENROLLMENT 

Are you confused about how the class wait list option works? You can choose to swap, drop or add from the wait list so make sure that you understand the best option for your situation (swapping from the wait list is recommended if enrolled in 15 credits). To find out more about this useful option check out: http://reg.ucsc.edu/faqs/wait_list.htm.

DEADLINE FOR REMOVAL OF AN INCOMPLETE FROM FALL 2011: THURSDAY, MARCH 22

If you received a grade notation of I (Incomplete) for a course you took in Fall 2011, you must make up the work and complete the process below no later than March 22 (or earlier, at the instructor’s discretion).  If you do not complete this process on time, the I grade will become a permanent failing grade (F or NP, depending on the grading option you chose for the course).

Obtain a Petition for Removal of Incomplete from the Office of the Registrar’s website at http://reg.ucsc.edu/forms.htm and complete the top section.

Take the petition with the completed coursework to the instructor of the course by the same deadline.  The instructor will keep the petition and finish the process with the department and the Registrar. The instructor will assign a final grade for the course based on the work that you submit.  Your final grade will be officially recorded by the Registrar, and you will be billed the $10 fee.  

HOPE TO GRADUATE IN 2012?  GET A GRAD CHECK

Is graduation on the horizon for you in 2012?  If so, now is a good time to double-check your student portal at MyUCSC to make sure all of your graduation requirements will be met in time.  Check your Academic Advising Report to review your GE’s, total credits, UC GPA, Pass/No Pass percentages, the American History & Institutions Requirement and other university requirements.

If you’re unsure whether you will meet all requirements, your college adviser can help you double-check general requirements needed to graduate, and your major/minor advisers can help with your major/minor program requirements.  Once you are ready to officially graduate, you can apply to graduate on the portal at the start of the quarter in which you’ll finish your final requirements.  Check the deadlines to apply to graduate at http://reg.ucsc.edu/calendar/index.html.  

Participating in your college’s commencement ceremony in June is separate from applying to graduate.  Check your college’s website for information on signing-up for their June 2012 commencement. 

UNIVERSITY OF CA WASHINGTON CENTER PROGRAM (UCDC):

Would you like to be in Washington, DC during the presidential election?  Or during the inauguration? Apply for Fall or Winter (2012-2013) now!

UCDC is an exciting program of internship and study in Washington, D.C.  Participants spend a quarter attending classes and conducting an internship in the nation’s capital, while registered as UCSC students and earning academic credit. Internship placements are geared toward student interests, including but not limited to:

-science and the environment

-government and public policy

-human rights

-education

-health

-electoral politics

-the arts

-law

-business and finance

-media and communications 

The application deadline for Fall 2012 or Winter 2013 is Thursday, March 15, 2012, by 4:00 p.m.

To learn more, pick up an application from the Merrill College Academic Building, room 5 or 27, or on line at:  <http://politics.ucsc.edu/undergraduate/ucdc/index.html>

Two faculty letters of recommendation are required, so please begin the application process now to allow time to solicit letters and complete the application. 

STUDENT SUCCESS TIP OF THE WEEK: STAYING ORGANIZED

One of the many keys to success in college is becoming and staying organized!!  For some it comes much easier than for others, but there are a few simple tips that can help you gain valuable organization skills:

1.    Filing:  Use a small file portfolio or desktop file box.  This will help you create a simple and portable filing system to help you keep track of important documents while you are here at UCSC.  Categories might include Financial Aid, Advising, Letters of Recommendation, Bills, Important Documents like passports or social security cards, Applications, etc.  

2.    Use a Planner:  As with time management, this tool is key to staying organized.  Whether you use your Gmail calendar, phone or a paper planner, adopting a planner that works for you is a must!

3.    Desk Space:  whether you live on campus or off, try to find a space where you live that can be dedicated to studying.  Here you can keep all of your course-related materials, so when it comes time to study you won’t have to go searching for your Chemistry notes.

4.    E-mail:  creating labels or files in your e-mail inbox will really help you stay on top of important communication.  You can even create a file within your inbox for each class you are in.  This can be particularly helpful when you are working with a group of other students and you are corresponding a lot via e-mail.  Use your inbox as a to do list and file away messages in the appropriate file or label once you have tackled it.

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This newsletter is produced by the UCSC Colleges Advising Support Team.