What is Matriculation

1. Welcome to the Online Orientation

We congratulate you on your decision to come to college, and we believe in your future success. This early planning on your part will save time and energy and get you to your destination with pride and confidence. Good Luck!

2. What will you learn in Orientation?

After this presentation you will: Understand the importance of your upcoming assessment tests and that how you do on the tests will decide some of the classes you can take during your first semester. Know the differences between Certificates of Achievement, Transfer Programs, and Associate Degree Requirements The value of Education Definitions of College terms like Matriculation, General Education, and helpful campus resources

3. What is Matriculation?

Matriculation is a partnership between you and Southwestern College. As partners� Southwestern College agrees to: � Evaluate your English, math, and reading skills � Help you register for appropriate classes � Provide you with an orientation, information on services available, and possible majors and/or careers � Provide access to counselors and instruction You agree to: � Decide upon your major and goal � Attend an orientation and assessment session � Work with us to develop an educational plan by the time you have completed 15 units � Attend and complete courses to make the best use of the time you spend at Southwestern College

4. Is College that much different?High School VS College

Grades reflect quizzes, attendance, homework, conduct Counselor calls you in Parents held responsible for student�s actions Daily classes Grades reflect your performance on mid-term and final exams Students schedule counseling appointments as desired Students are responsible for all his/her actions You schedule your classes to suit your needs. For example: MWF Or T,TH, or eve classes

5. Getting Ready to Start

To prepare for this orientation you will need to make the following commitment: 30 to 45 minutes of uninterrupted time A positive attitude for understanding the extreme level of importance for this first step in your academic future. Read over each slide carefully before moving on to the next one.

6. Reasons for Going to School: Certificates, Associate Degrees and Transfer Programs

A Certificate Program is a list of classes designed to make the student proficient and employable in a specific occupational skill. No General Educational (GE) courses required. (7-45 units, 1 semester to 2 years) An Associate�s Degree includes Major requirements, General Education classes, Graduation requirements, and Electives. (60 units minimum, 2 years to complete) A Transfer Program is designed to prepare a student to transfer to a University and earn a Bachelor�s Degree. This includes General Education classes and classes required for the student�s major. Every student�s transfer plan is different depending on your destination school and the major you have chosen.

7. Education Pays

Community College 2 years to complete 60 units minimum 2.0 average GPA to Graduate UC or CSU 4 years 128 units 2.0 to 3.0 GPA for Transfer Students to be admitted Certificates: Community College 1 semester to 2 years 7 to 45 units No GE requirements 27,000

8. Definition of College Terms

College Catalog & Schedule of Classes - What's the Difference? A College Catalog is a detailed publication of all requirements for admissions, degrees, college policies, regulations and detailed course descriptions. � The Schedule of Classes gives more information about courses offered during a specific semester including time, day, units, plus information on registration. You need 1 College Catalog while you are a student here. You will need a new class schedule every semester. What is a unit?A college unit is a term used to define the number of hours a student spends in a given class. A one-unit class equals 1 hour of classroom lecture time, so a course valued at 3 units means that you will spend 3 hours per week in the classroom. Don't think of units as classes. For example: A three unit class meets M/W/F for one hour each day. What is a prerequisite & Co-requisite?A prerequisite is a course or qualification that must be completed with a �C� or higher grade before you may register for the next higher level course. For example: You tested in Math 20 and you try to register in Math 35 you will not be allowed you to register because you have not fulfilled the prerequisite. You must enroll in Math 20 first. Prerequisites may also be met if you have satisfactorily completed coursework or assessment at another college or university A Co-requisite is a course which must be taken during the same semester. For example Art 100 has a co-requisite of Art 100L (Lecture and Lab).

9. General Education Plans (GE)

(PLAN A) Plan A is designed for students planning to obtain an Associate Degree (AA/AS) and not planning to transfer. 21 units of GE (CSU Breadth) This plan is designed for students planning to transfer to a California State University (CSU). Courses on this plan are lower-division GE requirements. 40 units of GE (IGETC). This plan enables the student to fulfill the lower-division GE requirements for either transfer to the University of California (UC) or CSU. 37 - 39 units of GE To obtain either an Associate�s Degree or a Bachelor�s Degree requires a certain amount of General Education classes. General Education classes are classes taken from many different core subject areas (Science, Fine Arts, Social Science, etc.) to give the student a broad educational background. The specific Certificates, General Education and Major lists can be found in the college catalog, or by visiting a counselor for more information. In the college catalog you can find detailed course information and major course requirements.

11. Plan your class schedule

One of the biggest mistakes new students make is to try and take too many classes and not have enough time to be successful in them. In life, we have many commitments. How many hours will you be working each week? This chart gives you the best combinations to follow If you Work Enroll in Units Study time Total hrs. each week 40 hrs 6 12 58 30 hrs 9 18 57 20 hrs 12 24 56 5 hrs 14 28 47 A student taking 12 units (full time) would spend 12 hours in class and 24 or more hours of study time every week. This can exceed 24 hours a week depending on the difficulty of each class and the number of assignments required.

12. Why Personal Development (PD)?

Personal Development classes are designed to provide specific information and personal development. Some of these classes help you to understand the college system and planning classes, others help you to decide on your major and career goals. These classes are excellent choices for your first 2 semesters. College Success SkillsBecoming the successful student you want to be can begin with courses that help you gain knowledge and skills about campus resources, education planning, career awareness, decision-making, and self-confidence. Work Success SkillsBecoming the best you can be on the job requires training and interpersonal skills that strengthen your effectiveness in the work setting. Our Work Success curriculum will help you develop career goals, strategic life plans, and appropriate workplace behavior. PD 100 Lifelong Success PD 101 Orientation to College PD 109 Successful Workplace Behavior PD 114 Transitions in Higher Education LS/PD 295N/116 New Student Seminar Try out some of these great options:

13. Next Steps: Counselors

Once your classes begin, you will want to attend the Steps to Transfer and Declaring Your Major workshops to start to finalize your academic and career goals For students with declared majors and specific transfer plans, you can schedule an individual counseling appointment after classes begin. Our team of qualified counseling faculty is here to assist you in planning a bright and successful future. With this in mind, we provide you with career exploration, individual educational plans and information on special student support programs.

14. Learn about Transfer Admissions Guarantee Programs

What is a TAG? - TAG stands for Transfer Admission Guarantee . A TAG is a "contract of understanding" between a community college and a university guaranteeing that a student will be admitted to the university when the conditions of the contract have been met. In order to initiate a TAG, you must: Attend a Steps to Transfer Workshop Identify your transfer school Have a declared major

15. What is DISTANCE LEARNING?

ONLINE This course in taught entirely on the internet. A student needs only a valid email address and internet access to take this type of course. HYBRID These courses are taught on campus and over the internet. Students meet on campus more than 50% of total course hours. An Orientation for taking a course online is highly recommended. What are LEARNING COMMUNITIES? Learning Communities are: Classes linked together. For example, a speech class may be linked with a reading class. Responsible for improving student success and lead to higher retention rates Classes that stimulate greater intellectual development through a raised level of interaction Transferable classes that meet general education requirements

17. CONGRATULATIONS

You have now completed part one of the Online Orientation. Your early planning will save you time and energy and will help make you a more successful student. After completing this first part, you should feel comfortable with understanding general education plans, and understanding how many units to take in your first semester. Your next step is to contact the Southwestern College Outreach Office at 619 482-6518 or 619 421-6700 ext. 5631 or by email at: outreach@swccd.edu and they will schedule you for your assessment tests. After you complete your assessment testing you will then be directed to complete part two of the orientation process. We congratulate your decision to come to college and we believe in your future success!