Big Deadline Looms!

Midnight, this Friday night, Sept. 25, is the FINAL deadline to add or drop classes, change the grading option from P/NP to letter grade, and change the number of units in a variable unit course. (Enrolled in Comp Sci 3S for 3 or 4 units? 1 or 2 may be a better idea...)

After Sept. 25, you will be allowed to drop only under documented extenuating circumstances most often related to serious illness or injury, family emergency, or other unanticipated circumstances beyond your control. Forgetting to drop or not knowing you were enrolled are not acceptable reasons, and you may end up with an F in a class you've never attended.

Instructors can no longer drop students for non-attendance, so if you're still enrolled, it is your responsibility to drop it yourself. If you're on the wait list for a course you don't want, drop it. If the instructor adds you from the wait list, you may find yourself enrolled in a class you haven't been attending and won't be allowed to drop.

On a wait list and the instructor has told you you're in the class? It's not official until the instructor adds you and it shows on your class schedule. Instructors can add you through 7:00 pm on Friday, Sept. 25. After that, both you and they will have to complete additional paperwork, with no guarantee that it will be approved. Remind them as necessary to make sure you get added by Friday.

Thinking about taking a class P/NP? Leave it as a letter grade and see how it goes. You can change it to P/NP through October 30, but if you change it now you won't be able to change it back after this Friday. Be sure you know which required courses must be taken for a letter grade.

Check your schedule today to make sure it reflects what you are actually taking. Better yet, print it out. Computer glitches are rare, but you'll need proof if you think it's happened to you.

As always, if anything goes awry or you need clarification about a policy, deadline, or requirement, your L&S advisers are standing by to help. Come see us!

Biology Majors Fair

Are you an intended Biology major or Pre-Med? Did you know that there are 19 bio majors on campus, only 3 of which, Molecular & Cell Biology, Integrative Biology, and Public Health, are in L&S?

All 19 majors are equally impressive to med schools (in fact, med schools don't care what your major is) and are tailored to individual students' interests and aptitudes. Explore them all at http://biology.berkeley.edu/. And don't miss the BIOLOGY MAJOR FAIR tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 11 from 11am to 2pm in Pauley Ballroom in the Student Union building.

Of special appeal to pre-meds who don't find exactly what they're looking for in L&S (not that we want to lose you!) are these majors, among others, offered by the College of Natural Resources (a small college environment that suits some students very well):

MEB (Molecular Environmental Bio) - an excellent interdisciplinary option that combines MCB, IB, & a wide range of environmental sciences courses. The upper division program offers dozens of interdisciplinary choices, w/ concentrations in Human Health, Animal Health, Ecology, Insect, & Microbio.

MolTox (Molecular Toxicology) - a rapidly growing program focusing on effects of natural and manmade toxic agents in the body. Think CSI! Very popular with pharmacy students.

GPB (Genetics & Plant Bio) - an excellent program that draws heavily from MCB faculty & course work.

Take a look!

Career Fairs!

Whether you know exactly what you want to do when you graduate or are just beginning to explore the possibilities, a Cal Career Fair can help you develop and refine your career goals and preparation. Career Fairs take place throughout the year and focus on different topics -- International Affairs, Biotech & Bioengineering, Law School, Graduate & Professional Schools, Nonprofit/Public Service, Consulting, Diversity, and more.

The first Career Fairs will be held this Wednesday & Thursday, Sept. 9 & 10, and Tuesday & Wednesday, Sept. 15 & 16, in Pauley Ballroom in the Student Union. For more information and a list of attendees, log into Calisto at https://berkeley-csm.symplicity.com/students/. Admission is for UC Berkeley students and alumni only, so be sure to take your Student ID card.

While you're in the neighborhood, take a look at the Career Center web site (http://career.berkeley.edu) and check out these helpful videos: Making the Most of a Career Fair, Successful Interviewing, and Internship Search and Success Strategies, to name just a few (and definitely don't miss What Can the Career Center Do for You?, or the useful and illuminating, What Can I Do with a Major In...? (this might be a good one to share with your parents!).

As you can see, the Career Center is a valuable resource -- take advantage of it!

Drop Early Drop Deadline Courses Today!

Dear Students,

The following courses are Early Drop Deadline (EDD) courses and must be dropped by midnight tonight, Friday, Sept. 4:

* Arabic 1A
* Biology 1A & 1AL
* Biology 1B
* Chem 3A
* Chem 3B
* L&S C70V
* Persian 1A
* Physics 7A, 7B, 8A, 8B, & C10
* Sociology 3 & 3AC
* Spanish 1, 2, 3, 4, & 8

If you miss this deadline you will be allowed to drop later only under documented extenuating circumstances most often related to serious illness or injury, family emergency, or other unanticipated circumstances beyond your control. Forgetting to drop or not knowing you were enrolled are not acceptable reasons.

If you add one of these classes after midnight tonight, you will not be allowed to drop it except for the extenuating circumstances mentioned above, even if the instructor tells you that you may not stay in the class. So make sure it's ok before you add it to your schedule.

If you're on the wait list for these or any other classes you don't want, drop them. Occasionally an instructor will add everyone on the wait list to the class, whether you've been going or not, so you may find yourself enrolled in a class you haven't been attending but can't drop. Also, don't assume the instructor will drop you for non-attendance. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Don't take a chance - drop yourself now from any class or waitlisted class you don't want.

Check and double-check your schedule now to avoid unpleasant consequences later!

Tips, Ideas, and a few Warnings to Help Get Your Schedule Together

Greetings and salutations!

I hope your semester is off to a smooth start, but if you're still looking for units, the good news is that there are still lots of open courses. The bad news is that time is passing so you'll need to act quickly. Hopefully, the following info will help you finalize your schedule so you can relax and move on.

Accessing Tele-BEARS: Did you know that during the Adjustment Period, August 17 - Sept. 25, you can access Tele-Bears for 3 hours each day based on your last name? You can also go in during Open Hours, M-F 7-8 am and 7pm to midnight, and Sat & Sun noon to midnight. Go to http://registrar.berkeley.edu/current_students/registration_enrollment/telebears_calendar.html to find out when each day you can use Tele-Bears.

As you know, all L&S students must be enrolled in 13 units by the end of the 5th week of classes (Sept. 25), unless approved to take a reduced course load for one of the following reasons:

• paid employment of 15 hrs/wk or more,


• on the current degree list,


• writing a senior honors thesis,


• family responsibilities,


• medical reasons,


• as recommended by the Disabled Students Program,


• or for personal reasons on a case-by-case basis.

Permission to take a reduced course load must be granted by an L&S adviser each semester. Some reasons require documentation. For more information, see http://ls-advise.berkeley.edu/faq/enroll13.html.

Looking for a class? Check out the Registrar's web site at
http://registrar.berkeley.edu/. Also, use the L&S R&C and breadth search engine at http://ls-breadth.berkeley.edu/search.php. Search by day of the week, time of day, number of units, breadth category, and several other criteria. If the "Seats available" option doesn't yield results, run "All Classes", because...

***SEARCH TIP*** ...even if the lecture is full, there may be discussion sections with space available or a very short wait list. In courses where the wait list is on automatic, if you can get into the discussion section, you will get into the class. Click on "Click here for current enrollment information and course restrictions" below the class listing on the Online Schedule of Classes to find out if the wait list is automatic or manual. If the waitlist is on manual, students are selected by the instructor, and your position on the wait list may be less important.

*** WARNING*** If you haven't been attending a course, add it but be sure to check with the instructor that it's ok. Just because the computer lets you in doesn't mean the instructor's cool with it...

Other possibilities:

Poli Sci 179 is a 1-unit, P/NP course that meets for one hour per week, Wednesdays from 4-5pm in Wheeler Auditorium. It has no assignments, just a multiple-choice final. There is a different guest speaker from the world of politics each week . You can take this class every semester. An interesting way to get that 13th unit!

DeCal courses - lots to choose from, fun & interesting! 1-2 units, P/NP. http://www.decal.org.

*** WARNING *** Unless you have 60 or more units, enroll in the 98 (lower division) version, not the 198 (upper division version). Otherwise, the Registrar's Office will drop you like a hot potato halfway through the semester!

Volunteer Opportunities (some provide academic credit): http://resource.berkeley.edu/r_html/706volunteer.html.

Tutor for $ or for academic credit: http://slc.berkeley.edu/tutor/index.htm.

*** IMPORTANT TIP ***: Be sure to drop all courses you no longer want (drop from waitlists, too!) Free up a space for another student and reduce your risk of inadvertently staying or getting enrolled in a course you've stopped attending, or never attended (and getting an F on your transcript). Save $10 for each class you drop by Sept. 4 and $5 for each class you add by Sept. 11.

Good luck, and have a great semester!

Here's What Happened at the Success in Chem 1A Program

Prof. George Chang shared his wisdom about how chemistry is taught at Cal, and how you can be successful: problem sets, problem sets, problem sets. Just keep doing them. If you're feeling like they must've skipped some important stuff at your high school, teach it to yourself by looking at a high school chemistry text. He told a story about being a freshman at Princeton and feeling under-prepared for chemistry compared to some of his classmates (he didn't know what an orbital was), so he wondered into the Chem library and kept randomly picking up books until he learned what he needed to.

Andrew, a chem tutor from the Academic Services Centers in the res halls, encouraged everyone to try to get help from other students. He talked about how frustrating it is to be sitting in your room by yourself, totally confused by a concept, spending an hour trying to figure it out, when you could save yourself 45 minutes by asking around on your floor to see if someone more experienced could explain it. In fact, his biggest piece of advice was how important it is to work with other students independently of the lecture--just going to the lecture won't cut it, you need to form a study group. Tutors like Andrew are available in every Academic Services Center in each unit, several nights a week. They are really good people to start with when you're feeling that general overall confusion about material.

FYW adviser Jane Paris talked about how the advisers can help you figure out your options if you're feeling like you're in over your head. She mentioned Chem P, which is a service provided by the Student Learning Center. If you think you're not prepared yet for Chem 1A, you could instead join Chem P, which will give you that preparation to then take Chem 1A in the spring. If you're worried you will then be off-track for a 4-year graduation plan, discuss it with an academic adviser. (Click on your unit link on the left to see your FYW advisers and there hours.) The program was moderated by FYW adviser Jesus Arciniega.

OMG--My Life Starts Changing Tomorrow

Classes start Wednesday! As an adult who's been out of college for a while, I am so jealous of you guys. Here's my advice, based on what I wish I'd done differently.

1. Sit in the first three or four rows in a big lecture class. It really does help.

2. Be open to subjects you've never heard of. Especially those of you who are still trying to add classes. As long as it's a lower-division course and you've met any prerequisites, consider it. Get more info from the adviser in the department that offers the course.

3. If you don't understand something the professor says, ASK. Chances are, others didn't understand it either. My college experience, wonderful though it was, would have been better if I had asked more questions. Trust yourself--you're smart, or you wouldn't be here.

4. Talk to the people around you in your classes (of course, not while others are talking). They don't know anyone either. Get their contact info to start a study group.

5. If you go to the first class and you feel like you're in over your head, talk to a Finding Your Way adviser and the professor. The professor can ask you about your background and help you figure out if the course is an appropriate challenge, or the wrong fit altogether. An adviser can tell you how to proceed in fixing things.

6. Go to faculty office hours to clarify information from class. The Graduate Student Instructors are helpful, but go directly to the source--the professor. They are the reason Cal has the reputation it does. As a student, research has actually shown that you will benefit from interacting with them.

7. Really think about what you love to learn, and follow that.

"I'm 27 on one waitlist and 33 on another. What do I do?"

Hi new students. I'm Jane, an L&S Academic Adviser. Using Tele-BEARS for the first time and registering for classes can be stressful. I promise it will get easier every semester.

Lately, I've gotten a lot of questions about waitlists and the likelihood of getting off the waitlist and into the class. Here's what I tell students: We don't have that kind of knowledge here in the L&S advising office, so you need to find out whatever you can from the department that offers the class, then make your decision. Every department has an undergraduate adviser (sometimes called a Student Affairs Officer), who is a very helpful and knowledgeable person. Here's who they are and how to contact them: http://ls-major.berkeley.edu/contact.html.

The undergraduate advisers can usually tell you more than Tele-BEARS can about how the waitlist works (like if it's manual, who controls it? The professor? The adviser?), and they might be able to tell you what typically happens with a particular class once the semester starts. For example, they might know that the class in question is immensely popular, the professor totally lovable, and hardly anyone drops. Or they might know that the first day, the professor is really intense and lots of people vanish, thus creating room for those on the waitlist. Or they might say: this is the first semester she's taught for us, we don't know how the enrollment will go. Be prepared for a variety of responses, and be patient and polite, even though you are totally frustrated and have talked to five people just to get this one question answered.

Undergraduate advisers might also give you strategies, like: even though the lecture's full, if there's room in a discussion section, enroll in the section and you'll have a good chance of getting added to the lecture. But keep in mind that what you find out about one class doesn't necessarily apply to another class. Every department handles enrolling students into classes differently, and even within the department, each class might be handled differently. I once worked in a department where the professor of one class was very involved in deciding how the waitlist would be handled, and would meet with me after every class to let me know, based on attendance and individual circumstances, who should be moved off the waitlist into the class. Other professors in that same department did not want to be involved at all in the enrollment process, and left it up to me.

So start with the deparment's website, and if your questions aren't answered there, then call the undergraduate adviser. In some cases, like Chem 1A or 3A, the adviser might refer you to someone else in the department. This might be a lot more work than you expected to do to get enrolled in classes, but it's worth it to do a little research now, instead of the first chaotic (yet exciting!) week of classes.

Good luck!