a few of your first-semester responsibilities
(in no particular order)
pay your bill.You didn't think it was free, did you?!
Face it. We all know it isn't. Even if you don’t, someone has to pay for this college thing. At UC, the best and easiest way to do this is online. The portal to view and pay your bill is found on OneStop, and it gives you a breakdown of the charges to your account (tuition, room & board, fees, etc.) and any credits toward your account (scholarships, grants, payments, etc.) This will let you know how much you still owe UC or, if you’re lucky, how much money you’ll get back at the beginning of the semester. You’ll also be asked to accept or waive your health insurance from UC. Get this right the first time. Trust me.
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check your degree audit.no, you can't stay in college forever.
Unless you want to be paying student bills every semester for life, you better focus on graduating from UC in a timely manner. The best way to check this at any given time is to run a degree audit, which will tell you all the classes you’ve taken and how they apply to your degree (and any other degree you’re curious about!) If you have questions about your audit, it’s best to contact your adviser through Starfish to set up an appointment.
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schedule with starfish.advisers get paid to answer your questions. ask them.
Advising is one of the best resources you can utilize at UC. Your adviser is there to assist you with any questions you may have about your schedule, degree audit, program and more. They are terrific resources, and it’s no wonder why they can be, at times, difficult to schedule an appointment with. Starfish is used to show you times that your professors and advisers are available to meet, and schedules the appointment for you. Give it a try, and you shouldn’t have too much trouble figuring it out. If you can’t however, emailing is always an alternative (but ask them to show you how to use it!)
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search for classesyou can find a class about absolutely everything.
Part of the way through your first semester, it'll be time to register for spring classes. And this time, you're adviser won't be peering over your shoulder to make sure you're doing it right. That means it's up to you. Spend some time here and be sure to read the course descriptions. Check out who the professor is. Build your perfect schedule from the ground up. But no matter what you do, come registration time, be prepared. You'll only have a limited period of time before all the popular courses are filled.
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check your grades.boom goes the dynamite.
We're not in high school anymore, kiddies. Classes got tougher, and what do you mean there's no participation grade? Your first semester, your grades might not be exactly where you want them. But that's expected; you're new to college. The best you can do pick yourself up by your bootstraps and get to work.
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