Stop taking classes you don’t need!

Whether starting college classes for the first time or whether you are a seasoned veteran of trekking miles and pouring over tomes of knowledge, General Education requirements loom over our heads.  General Education requirements are a predetermined list of classes that a college student must take to qualify for transfer and/or an Associate Degree.  You can fulfill these requirements without choosing a major, but you will not transfer with an associate degree.  But do not fear my friend…completing these General Education requirements is easy and can be done quickly and painlessly if you follow these three simple tips.

First, get a current Course Catalogue for Yuba College from the counseling office, or ask admissions and records where you can find one.  This will contain three important lists of classes one needs to know to complete GE.  They are:  Graduation requirements, AA/AS degree applicable requirements, and a current IGETC form.  This is a list of all of the possible classes that can be completed in order to transfer to the California State University System or the University of California system for a bachelor degree and higher education.  You will need this if you intend to transfer to a four year university, but this is a California specific document.  If you intend to transfer to a university out of state, you should call them, write them, or email them for their transfer curriculum requirements.  Remember, a counselor can help you get any of the information you would need.

Second, choose a major.  This might sound simple, but you have no idea how many students do not know what their major is going to be.  For those of you not ready to choose a major, I would suggest you pick one that will entertain and enhance your skills or interests.  If you love shooting photos, become a photography major, if you love to sing, become a voice major, if you love taxes, become an accounting major, but whatever you decide to do, make sure you want to do it.  Choosing a major will provide for you a list of Degree Applicable requirements that you need to know in order to streamline the General Education process.

Third, compare your three class lists, starting with your graduation requirements and degree applicable requirements.  Math, English, and Reading are required up to a certain level so start with those areas first if your placement exams place you in prerequisite courses to the ones needed to graduate, transfer, and earn a degree.  I would suggest splitting your course load evenly.  If you have one hard class, take one at the same time that you would find easy.  The number of classes a student will be required to take (for financial aid and full time enrollment) will vary, but four classes is approximately 12 units which is full time (five classes might be required to fulfill 12 units or a student may be enrolled part time).  Once you know what placement classes you would like to start with, look at the list of classes required for your specific degree and compare them to the list of classes on the IGETC form.  The classes that match will fulfill both degree applicable requirements and IGETC requirements.  Start with these classes.  Finally, you may look at the rest of the IGETC form and choose classes from sections not covered by your major that might enhance the degree you are seeking or that enhance your own personal areas of interest.

Below is an example of an academic course plan for an Arts and Humanities major.  The classes listed under arts and humanities that match the IGETC are circled on the IGETC.