<p>D2 is applying to UCLA, UCSD and UCI (she should get into UCSD based on the points, will automatically get accepted to UCI as an ELC, and her first choice is UCLA). </p>
<p>Does anyone know that percentage of students at these 3 UC schools that graduate in 4 years? ...she is a probable history major with intent to go on to law school. Does anyone know the percentage of students being able to get into their classes when they want to take them?</p>
<p>The National Center for Educational Statistics knows about graduation rates - try their College Navigator:
<a href="http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/%5B/url%5D">http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/</a></p>
<p>The time it takes is directly related to the major, the amount of incoming AP credits, the courseload one chooses to take, and if one pursues a minor or double-major. It should be fairly easy to graduate with a history degree in 4 years or even 3 years depending on AP credits and courseload. Switching majors a few times can extend the time it takes to graduate depending on the compatibility of already taken courses for the newly chosen major.</p>
<p>My son graduated in three years and two quarters. However, he had a lot of units entering -- almost a year's worth. But all units are not equal. You still need a certain amount of upper-level, etc. and he had more of those lower level units than he needed as I recall. The other thing that sometimes slows people down is difficulty getting courses.</p>
<p>My nephew graduated from the honors program in 4 years double majoring in bio and literature. He received Regents' scholarship so it was free for him all 4 years.</p>
<p>that is what I was concerned with -- not being able to get the classes one wants ( especially the general ed courses). </p>
<p>Does UCLA have that problem since it is such a big campus? . . .and if that is true, wouldn't that lead to the possibility of not graduating on time? </p>
<p>(D will have Ap credits, etc, but hopefully that should mean she can graduate early or take extra "just because" courses, or now be able to study abroad)</p>
<p>I don't think my son had much trouble getting classes. However, that doesn't mean he always got his first choice classes. I think it can be dicier if you are majoring in a department that is impacted and in demand. He did have some trouble at the end filling his upper level units. The reason for this was that every class he was interested in outside of his major was closed to non-majors. He was stuck taking more classes in his major and not being able to get a broader education. We were frustrated by this. He didn't get to take a number of classes he would have liked to for this reason and ended up choosing classes he was less interested in just because he could get them.</p>
<p>ONe of my Ds almost finsihed a double major in 4 years, including some summers, but one class segment she needed was changed, so she had to carry that class to the next year, but if not for the specifics, she would have finished the summer of the 4th year with TWO degrees. As a science major she always took a very heavy load- AP units were not applied as the science degree required her to take THEIR classes on their campus, she got generic units, but not excused from any classes.</p>
<p>Other D is on track to finish in 4 years at UC, no problems, she has done a couple of summer GE classes, but probably did not need to and will have some fun units available senior year. As an athlete with an LD, she takes a load on the light side of the spectrum, to keep her sanity, and is still on schedule, no problem. She did study abroad, too.</p>
<p>I think if your student is careful and plans well they can do it, it is the kids trying lots of fun classes which then do not fulfill any requirements who end up with a problem. D2 was undeclared, but worked on GE req in the first couple of years, choosing courses that would also work in her likely major, so once she declared she was fully on track, though she did take more in some areas than she needed, in order to determine if she liked the subject enough to major in it.</p>
<p>I think the key idea is to plan very well. Use the high school AP credits to put your D higher on the priority queue for registering for classes. I also recommend to over subscribe for classes and then drop them later. My nephew started out with so many credits from AP classes that it put him at a sophomore level but since he was a premed, he had to retake all of his bio/chemistry classes. His first few semestes he took lots of courses, over 20 units but still had straight As because all these stuff were already covered in high school. I think what helped was that he also had priority enrollment due to the Regents' scholarship. I plan to use the same strategy. I don't think I would worry about not graduating in 4 years.</p>
<p>A friend who started as a freshman at a UC this year went to summer school there just prior to the fall quarter. I think one of the reasons was to get higher priority in registration. She also settled into the area, learned her way around and made friends.</p>
<p>My d is 2nd year, and has learned alot about ucla registration strategy. The very first quarter's classes were registered for at orientation, so she went to the first one to get better selection. After that, her priority registration AND her AP credits have helped her to get what she wants as she's a year ahead. Here's a few tips:</p>
<ol>
<li> Go to frosh orientation early session, as 1st qtr class registration is done there, and study it before you go. You can see what's open.<br></li>
<li><p>Get priority registration for quarters beyond the first one- there are many ways- honors, alumni scholar, regents, AAP. Use priority for the 2 hardest to get classes, leaving one or 2 that are easy to get in 2nd pass. Transferred college/AP units do equate to better registration times IF you are bumped to soph level, as my d was.</p></li>
<li><p>Truth- my d has had trouble getting a few classes- they don't have enough writing II classes for sure. It was odd that she didn't get a frosh writing class because she had AP credits that were applied to eng 3 and she couldn't get an english 4. But on the advantages, there's the cold hard fact that if you are trying to get a class that is usually filled by seniors, why would you want to be in that class as a frosh? So it truly works out, because the registration system is pretty fair. Those who don't get priority still have a shot at 50% of the spots, so even non-priority seems fair.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My d is certainly getting an education in managing her schedule because you have to stay on top of it, and sometimes that has been tough, but since the 3rd quarter, I think she's gotten everything she wanted that was realistic. </p>
<p>Re: graduating in 4 years: students have to now. UCLA has changed this, and there are a certain # of units you must take each quarter. Mine could graduate in 3 years if she doesn't double, or 4 years if she does. And she has had the room to take "passions" that don't count for anything or simply to explore majors, except for that she was interested. In fact, her formula has been: one class she loves, one dreaded ge, one pre-req for major. I personally think its important to keep balance, especially during the first year.</p>
<p>Mine did go to summer school, and I think it was smart. However, she could have done one junior college summer, and it would have been cheaper.</p>
<p>thank you for all the replies. the UCs, esp UCLA hve many advantages -- however i had heard that one of the disadvantages was not getting the classes you wanted. I am glad to hear that it is doable.</p>
<p>Another question, is it easy to get "lost" at a big campus such as UCLA UCSD, etc. After all, any university having 25,000 undergraduates or whatever it is , is HUGE. </p>
<p>Are lots of labs taught by TAs Are the professors accessible, or only the TAs?</p>
<p>I asked this question at the UCLA tour. The tour guide said the best way is to get involved in clubs where you meet other people and stay in the residence hall as a freshman because it's much more social.
I went to a huge school, 32,000 plus students but I socialized with the people from the small physics department and I did not feel lost. I liked the TAs better. I could relate a lot easier to them than my professor(s). I only had positive experiences with my TAs. Disclaimer, this is back in the days when TAs were native English speakers, not sure what it is now.</p>
<p>At Berkeley there is a limit of total units allowed also forcing you to graduate close to on time- in some majors you must talk to your advisor for each terms registration who makes certain you are on track, so they have also addresses the "student-as-a-career" phenomenon.</p>
<p>I have been really impressed at Berkeley with the ability to make the campus small- prof do the big lectures (sciences with 1200 kids on the curve) but you have discussion sessions which are smaller with a TA.</p>
<p>My D knows several profs well- though that is her style, she is not at all shy about going in to talk to the ones she likes in the topics where she has interest and she has enjoyed most of the TAs, too</p>
<p>
[quote]
Another question, is it easy to get "lost" at a big campus such as UCLA UCSD, etc. After all, any university having 25,000 undergraduates or whatever it is , is HUGE.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If your D2 can read a map she'll be fine. You just have trouble finding classrooms the first days of quarter/semester. Once familiar with the campus after a couple weeks, she should have no problems.</p>
<p>Labs are normally taught by Graduate Student Instructors GSIs (aka TAs).
Professors are accessible...normally after class, or office hours.<br>
The larger classes have smaller discussion sections, also taught by the GSIs.</p>
<p>UCBChemEGrad;</p>
<p>How about being "lost" in terms of making friends, finding a social group, feeling connected?</p>
<p>^ Haha...geez, usually I'm not that dense.</p>
<p>Living on campus helps. Once settled into a major, it's easier to form study groups/make friends.</p>
<p>Momoffour, the "when you want to take them" part is the key. Students can pretty much always get into the class they need/want the quarter or semester they want to take it at any UC.</p>
<p>But they may have to take it at 8 am, which a lot of students don't like.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Another question, is it easy to get "lost" at a big campus such as UCLA UCSD, etc. After all, any university having 25,000 undergraduates or whatever it is , is HUGE. </p>
<p>Are lots of labs taught by TAs Are the professors accessible, or only the TAs?
[/quote]
I raised this question of getting 'lost' to my Ds and they don't think so. Students tend to make friends with - former HS friends going to the same campus, dorm roommates/suitemates, students attending the same classes as them, students with common interests (clubs, activities, etc.). Activities are arranged for interested students by dorm floor, dorm building, etc. The larger campuses allow a lot of opportunities for the students to get involved in what they're interested in and meet lots of people. There are clubs for almost anything as well as sports, workout facilities, on-campus jobs, etc. I think if one gets admitted to a UC they're generally going to be able to navigate signing up for classes, etc. without a lot of handholding. If one ends up commuting rather than living on-campus it might be more difficult to make a lot of friends so in this case one needs to maybe try harder (clubs, study groups, etc.).</p>
<p>Virtually all of my Ds's classes have been taught by professors and the discussion groups/labs led by TAs. The professors tend to be accessible but it depends on the prof.</p>
<p>They've also not had much of a problem getting classes but it's true about "when you want to take them" as well as "which prof you want to take the class with". The popular profs and times (later in the day) will go first. </p>
<p>Lots of AP credits help with priority on getting classes - for example my D was already a 'sophomore' when she started due to all of the AP credits so that helped on registration. Since she's in engineering they don't actually get her out of very many classes though.</p>