<p>So since I'm out of state, flying to California is expensive. I'd like to be able to attend the earliest orientation I can (which would be the first July one) but my parents would rather I attend one in August so that I don't have to fly back home and then to California again. Would this put me in a not so desirable position when signing up for classes because the students are earlier orientations would have priority for class registration?</p>
<p>Also, just to make sure, is it even possible for me to attend the earlier orientations, considering the last two or so are "specifically designed for non-CA residents and international students?" Thank you!</p>
<p>It is advantageous to attend an earlier session, regardless of what they may say. Do you realize that UCLA is on the quarter system and school will not start until late Sept? What will you be doing and where would you be living the rest of Aug. and Sept? I am pretty sure you cannot move into a dorm until Sept 22. If you book right away you might get good airfare on Southwest or Jet Blue. Where do you live? Unless it is ridiculously expensive I would highly recommend going to the earlier session. I think you are allowed to go to an earlier session if you really want to. You may want to call or email that question. I doubt if anyone here will have that answer.</p>
<p>Same sentiments as Inquiringmind2, but have no idea about being able to just pop in on an earlier orientation session just because “you really want to.”</p>
<p>Thank you! I’ll email them right now about that. I have no idea what I would be doing if I went to an August one, lol. Staying in a hotel for several weeks would probably be much more expensive than two more tickets… I live in Chicago.</p>
<p>Thank you again :)</p>
<p>you also can elect to register for classes online instead of going to orientation. That is what my now senior UCLA daughter did as a freshmen and what my incoming freshman son will do. </p>
<p>If you register online, you will get a random date to register and that will be your date to do so.</p>
<p>Definitely go to an earlier one. They say they save an even number of spots in classes, but I don’t believe that for a minute because I had friends that went to some of the last sessions and got less than desirable schedules because classes were filled up. It doesn’t matter if you are OOS, I met more than a few OOS people at my session (I went to 107, well before the designated OOS session) and plenty of OOS kids go to all the sessions. You don’t need to go to the earliest one, but definitely get one in the first 5-7 (there are 11 or 12). Because orientation sign-ups are on a first come first serve basis, make sure you are near a computer and ready to register when they open it up. I heard first session filled within fifteen minutes when I registered. I registered a few hours after it opened up and a good number of the sessions were already filled.</p>
<p>how do you register for classes online!?</p>
<p>When my now senior UCLA student was a freshman, the only orientation date was in august and when I called UCLA , the rep admitted not as many spots would be open for late registrees and suggested that d could register online instead. </p>
<p>You get a random date (which you agree in advance that what date you get, you get) and that is your assigned date to register online. Prior to that registration date, the student should speak to a UCLA counselor and/or the night before, pick out potential courses from fall course “catalog”, bearing in mind, that classes can fill up therefore student should have some back-up classes in mind. </p>
<p>Of course, this was four years ago, so some of the procedure might have changed. All 5000 new freshman cant attend the summer orientation (there wouldn’t be enough spots), so I would think at least half are registering online.</p>
<p>Our incoming freshman Son will not be going to summer orientation, he has visited older sister numerous times and we/he doesn’t feel we need to spend the $400 orientation fee to stay overnight to register in person.</p>
<p>but how am i able to apply registering online?</p>
<p>you call ucla registration, giving them your UCLA ID, etc and say you aren’t able to attend the summer orientations and would like to register online, and they will assign you a date.</p>
<p>THANKS~ by the way, how many courses does a student usually choose in one quarter?</p>
<p>Most students take 3-4 classes.
Counselors recommend incoming freshmen to take 3 classes their first quarter.</p>
<p>Of course, you can take as many classes as you are able to enroll in; if you want to go over the unit limit for the quarter, you can easily get permission to enroll over that by speaking to a counselor. I’ve taken 7 classes a quarter before, but some of them were passed/not passed seminar courses.</p>
<p>oh i see. i was planning to take 5 courses…since the class planner asks me to choose five. what ge cluster did u choose then? i am thinking about history of modern thought, but dont know if i can handle. i am a math major and a foreigner…</p>
<p>I did not take a GE cluster. You do not have to; and most people do not recommend taking the clusters unless it is on a topic that you are really interested in. You can take separate courses instead.</p>
<p>Taking a GE cluster locks you into an inflexible situation because in order to reap all of the benefits that the clusters tout, you have to be in it for the entire year. I believe clusters satisfy some kind of English requirements and a truckload of GEs. But I think (I’m not sure) that there is a condition that you have to take the cluster courses in all 3 quarters in order to have all of those requirements satisfied by the cluster. If you drop out of taking the cluster series one quarter, or if other classes that you want to take prevent you from taking the GE cluster all 3 quarters, then you won’t get to fulfill everything the cluster promised.</p>
<p>Also, clusters are usually more writing and more work.</p>
<p>If you’re going to Summer Orientation, you can talk to your Counselor about this in detail. There are some cases that may be specific to individuals (for example, if you have already taken some courses at a community college or during the summer that satisfy a GE requirement), then clusters aren’t all that worth it.</p>
<p>wow, i thought everyone would take it~ i would take your advice seriously, since really, non of the clusters seems really intrigues me. THX :)</p>