You have been accepted to UCLA and it is time to register for classes, but there are hundreds of courses to choose from, and you have no idea where to begin.
Choosing a balanced, less stressful study schedule for the first quarter of the first year can be a daunting task, but when armed with a few quick tips, picking coursework is simple.
While planning their first-quarter schedule of classes, students should typically stick with three classes maximum, said Sara Baumann, a recently graduated psychobiology student and orientation assistant.
“Freshmen often come in thinking they can take six classes like they did in high school,” Baumann said. “But realistically, it’s a completely different academic environment.”
Many first-year students are anxious to begin their coursework and fulfill their university and major requirements, said Tammy Pham, recent UCLA alumna and orientation assistant.
But rather than choosing a stressful schedule of classes, new students should ease their ways into college education.
First-year students should give themselves an advantage by starting with fewer classes, which allows themselves time to transition to college life, Baumann said.
Regardless of a student’s concentration or major, the first quarter of classes at UCLA should be chosen based on personal interest.
“Don’t worry so much about taking care of all the requirements right off the bat, but take time to take classes that spark your curiosity,” Baumann said. “There are no classes that are mandatory for your first quarter, and that’s usually a relief for freshmen to hear.”
First-year students are able to take whichever classes they want ““ focused on whatever subjects they find stimulating ““ for the first time in their academic career, Baumann said.
“New students at UCLA need to get a feel for what they’ve enjoyed previously in their academic life,” she said. “If they participated in art or music in high school, they can try and take that kind of class and get credit at UCLA.”
But for those students who are concerned with fulfilling graduation requirements, a General Education Cluster may be the answer.
A great way of exploring general education classes and transition to college courses is to enroll in a GE Cluster, Baumann said.
GE Clusters provide an academic introduction to the university, allowing students to satisfy approximately a third of the General Education requirements while studying a multidisciplinary topic.
The clusters satisfy the College of Letters and Sciences’ General Education seminar requirement and fulfill the College of Letters and Sciences’ Writing II requirement.
More often than not, first-year students should stick to all general education classes, choosing those courses which most appeal to them, Pham said.
But for South Campus students ““ which include those studying math, sciences and engineering ““ there are exceptions to that rule.
“Though most students should take all GEs, South Campus and life science students, may want to choose one class that works toward their major,” said Matt Wong, a fourth-year physiological science student and orientation assistant.
Some lower-division classes are required for later South Campus coursework, so one major class would not hurt, but the rest should typically be General Education requirements, Wong said.
Incoming students can also take a Fiat Lux, a one-unit seminar course for first-year students. The seminars explore topics such as hip-hop and U.S. film.
Pham said choosing classes based on desire to learn is the best way to go about choosing a first-quarter schedule at UCLA, and it is also a good way to get involved in other arenas on campus.
But just like students should ease their way into their coursework, the same goes for joining student organizations and clubs, she said.
For students new to the university, it is important to note that classes should be the main focus.
“There’s plenty of time to get involved,” Pham said. “The best advice is to pick one student group at most in the first quarter.”
College is a different lifestyle and learning environment from high school, since students live on their own for the first time and typically have more rigorous courses.
“The quarter system is so different from what freshmen are used to, so freshmen need to focus more on their classes at first and then slowly add to their social, extracurricular and academic schedule,” Pham said.
But the most important thing to keep in mind, Wong said, is that there is absolutely no cookie-cutter schedule.
“UCLA has so much to offer,” Wong said. “Freshmen should use classes in their first quarter to explore, and to grow and to figure out what they’re really interested in.”