UC Davis Information & Educational Technology

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Preparing for Next Quarter Techno-Style

Published in The Aggie on November 29, 2005

Davis students campuswide are eagerly awaiting their final final. But, there's a funny thing about quarters ending; they usually signal a new quarter on the horizon, and the start of that new quarter is always hectic. Parking lots fill up by 8 a.m., lines at the bookstore extend out the door, and people run around like frantic lemmings, adding and dropping classes.

To avoid such hassles, consider taking time right now to prepare for next quarter. By following through on a few easy tips and tricks, you'll have the luxury of returning home from the winter break with plenty of time to relax.

Design Your Course Load

  • Degree Navigator: Get a degree report and check your progress toward graduation at registrar1.ucdavis.edu/degreenavigator.
  • Open Course List: At registrar.ucdavis.edu/ocl/opencourses.html, you can view a list of classes that haven't yet filled up.
  • Expanded Course Descriptions: Many department websites have detailed class descriptions for downloading. Find your department's website at ucdavis.edu/academics/academic_depts.html. If you can't find expanded course descriptions, call the department to see if they have print copies available. Also on department websites, you may find syllabi, course websites, and other useful links.

Get the Lowdown on Instructors

  • Instructors Reviewed by Students: Reviews for 2,119 Davis instructors are available at ratemyprofessor.com. If you toss out the extreme praise and the obvious sour-grapes trashing, you should have a good idea of what an instructor is like.
  • Podcastic Professors: Does your professor podcast audio or video lectures? If so, it might be time to grab a new music player to enhance your scholarly ventures. For a fun example of this technology, check out the KDVS (campus radio station) podcasts at asucd.ucdavis.edu/radio/podcast-help.cfm.

Acquire Books

  • Purchase Books Online to Save Cash: Find required texts by checking the expanded course descriptions or entering CRN numbers at daviswiki.org/cool_files/books. If the site isn't updated for the new quarter, drop by the bookstore and jot down ISBN numbers for required texts. You might try half.ebay.com or bookfinder.com for used books.
  • Find and Renew Online: At the library website you can find books you need, have books from other libraries sent to Davis, and renew books you've already checked out.

The Day-Before-Class To Do List

  • Find Classrooms: A wonderful new map available at cevs.ucdavis.edu/map will get you right where you need to go!
  • Locate Your Instructor's Website: Try typing the class title and professor's name into Google. While the site might be from a previous quarter, it may still provide info about the class structure and student responsibilities.
  • Computer Room Availability: Find out (in real time) which computer rooms have seats available at clm.ucdavis.edu/rooms/available.
  • Find Possible Study Partners: Sign up for a Facebook account at facebook.com. In your profile, list a class you're taking and you'll be connected to other Davis Facebookers in that class.

Now that you've got most everything taken care of, enjoy that extra free time by hanging out on the Quad, chuckling at all the stressed-out faces.

Happy Holidays from Bits & Bytes!

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