<p>I only need 1 class this Spring to fulfill my IGETC and my pre-req. However, I want to get full time credits for financial aid and I also don't feel like chilling at home too much lol.</p>
<p>For an example, I want to take pre-algebra for fun, however, I aced business calculus and calculus 2. Would UC's not like this if noticed?</p>
<p>A strange idea of having fun but whatever floats your boat.</p>
<p>The UCs wouldn’t care at all.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure you can’t get credit for pre-algebra if you already passed a higher math class. </p>
<p>If you are looking for non transferable courses there are lot of courses that is CSU only. Stuff like Business Law or Communication. Intermediate Accounting, financial investing, etc.</p>
<p>Ah, what i meant by taking “courses for fun” is taking courses that involves little no stress to get an A in, lol.</p>
<p>That’s what I’m doing for this semester. Go right ahead,they won’t care.</p>
<p>Depending on your CC, you may be billed at a full rate of pay. The cc’s in California have to be efficient with their time; we were told that CA administrators were advised that any extra coursework taken above the requirements are billed at full pay. To take a pre-req class to get an easy A to increase your GPA and financial aid requirements will be viewed as exactly what it is. So if you plan to do this, you need to be ready to pay full fees for the extra classes and risk losing any financial aid that you have.</p>
<p>@aunt bea, hmmm, interesting. Totally believe you and it makes sense,but do you have any links you can provide about this information?</p>
<p>Unit cap section for CCC:</p>
<p><a href=“http://extranet.cccco.edu/Portals/1/SSSP/FA/FARR/FARRHandOut.pdf[/url]”>http://extranet.cccco.edu/Portals/1/SSSP/FA/FARR/FARRHandOut.pdf</a></p>
<p>Look at p. 45</p>
<p>SEC. 38. 76305.</p>
<p>The problem is that they don’t have to tell you in advance.</p>
<p>Much thanks, was this a recent campus wide announcement at your school? Because the only recent change my school announced was change in priority registration and that’s it.</p>
<p>If your motivation for taking a class is an “easy A,” (and not, say, getting better at arithmetic) then there are deeper philosophical issues and I’d recommend a healthy dose of introspection.</p>
<p>I think UCs allow you to transfer up to 70 semester/105 quarter units so why not. Berkeley’s graduation requirement is completing at least 120 units, so if you have 70 units of transferable courses from CC, the next 2 years you only need to complete 12.5 per semester without taking summer classes.</p>
<p>
Correction: Any extra coursework taken above 90 (Semester) units are billed at full pay - not units that are considered extra after a student has completed IGETC or his/her major pre-reqs.</p>
<p>A student can take any number of units they wish with FA backing until they hit the 90 Semester unit limit (with IGETC and/or major pre-reqs complete or not). Only once they hit 90 Smester units (so, like “Senior” status at the CC level - 90 Semester units are accumulated typically at the end of the 3rd year), then that’s when the CCs are pulling FA and charging full.</p>
<p>OP, if you have 90 units, then yes, expect your FA to be dropped (if the CC notices) and then you’ll be paying full for those extra course. Otherwise, you should be able to take what you’d like to be considered full-time - especially if you have your requirements met, but you still need more credits to qualify to transfer (i.e. met all reqs with 50 semester units, so you decide to take 10 units in whatever courses to make a total of 60 to transfer).</p>
<p>
The OP doesn’t seem to be in school for the general notion of an easy A - apparently they’ve worked hard enough to meet IGETC and major pre-req courses to successfully transfer to a UC (or CSU) and they just happen to have the extra academic wiggle room. It’s also wise to protect your GPA just in case something crazy happens at the end of a student’s stay at CC. For example, would they get more intellectual stimulation from Differential Equations instead of pre-Algebra? Quite possible, but chances are he or she may take a dent to his or her GPA in the process and this lessens the likelihood of transferring - and getting out of CC to a 4-year should take priority, not taking a much harder not-needed course that has a possibility of affecting the GPA more. Also, some students like to take (or retake) lower level courses that cover the basics because a stong foundation in the basics may mean more success in that subject at higher level courses (math, arguably, specifically). I passed Macroeconomics and Microeconomics with a solid A, but I find myself still reading textbooks on it and watching videos online because I don’t want to lose that foundation before moving on to upper-division courses. I can’t get enough of good intellectual diologue right now, but I’d do the same thing in the OP’s shoes: finish my reqs and then protect my GPA before finally transferring. Then I can start fresh.</p>
<p>Turtlerock,</p>
<p>I was basing my thoughts primarily on comment number 4, which suggests the “easy A” mentality. Getting a stronger foundation in arithmetic and algebra is a noble goal indeed, and could serve more utility for a non-math major than say calculus 3 or beyond while simultaneously increasing the probability of acceptance to a UC (by hedging the risk of a poor grade in an advanced course). However, I was specifically commenting about the motivation/philosophy of education, and not the pragmatic issues of acceptance. Wrt acceptance, they probably don’t care as long as you fulfill major prerequisites/general ed, get a good gpa, and write a good personal statement.</p>
<p>-Sega</p>
<p>@turtlerock
Thanks a ton, that totally makes sense. However, before starting the fall semester, I had a total of 79 credits. Fall semester completed now and I’m at 92 units, and I’ve received full financial aid for it. I’ve selected a required class I need for the Winter putting me at 95 units and still received full financial aid. Is this something the CC probably didn’t noticed, as you mentioned, or would I get billed later on?</p>
<p>Just going to play it safe this Spring and go with my required one class, lol thanks for the heads up guys.</p>
<p>
I honestly wanted to take some courses that interest me but has nothing to do with my major. One of the Spring courses I wanted to take isn’t even transferable so it would not help my GPA. I want to learn more without having to stress much about the amount of work required to pass the class. I’ve had a plenty of courses that I really enjoyed and learned a ton from, but did not do well in the class. I love lectures and labs, and it would be much more beneficial than using the extra time between the 9 months on going on with friends, watching TV, or playing video games all day…</p>
<p>
You’d think CCCs would implement an auto-block on FA once a student’s records hit 90 Semester Units, but I’ve talked to CCC students who have just over the 90 and have seen no difference in FA and other students who have 100+ that go around frantic because they found out their FA was dropped for too many units. Either way it appears (at least at my CC) this isn’t automatic and the CC just notices it. From what I’ve seen, the CC started to crack down on those students who have 100+ units first letting those sub-90 unit students squeek by and tackling the “bigger fish” instead. But, this doesn’t mean your CC won’t notice you specifically - this is all based on my own personal observation from talking with other classmates about it, so my sample size is biased in the fact that I’ve only talked to students that were in my classes AND willing to talk about their FA situation with me. There could very well be many other instances that I’ve not been exposed to. I do know that there are some students who do indeed have over 90 units and still receive FA just as before, but no one over 100 that I’ve spoken to still has the same level of FA (unless there are other special circumstances i.e. veteran, etc).</p>
<p>I too would play it safe so close to transfering. Think about volunteering your time somewhere if you’re looking for a constructive way to spend it, such has animal or homeless shelters and whatnot.</p>