chumphree

I have a question about summer school/English (Is Karabear around? =] )

I'm an English major and I want to take summer school but I have no idea what classes to take. I didn't take a Shakespeare class yet, but I have to right? There are three other courses that are required but I only completed one at my community college (I have no idea why Cal let me in...). These are "foundational courses" that I'm missing. I'm just wondering if I have to take them first, or if I can go on and take the upper-division courses first over summer?

Is there any way I can call Cal and ask to speak with a counselor so I can verify that the classes I take are needed? I need to register for summer classes before I go to CalSo...

Is it true that summer school financial aid covers around 70%?

One last very stupid question- Do I have to take anymore breadth classes if I've satisfied IGETC, or are is it all English courses from here on out?

williewily

For finding a place over the summer, Telegraph Commons really isn't a good place to live but it will be your cheapest bet. It's not that clean and is a bit run-down. Usually, the units have conferences, summer camps and students coming in and out for orientation throughout the summer. I-House is nice but I think pretty expensive.

I think you should maybe try to sublet a place. A lot of students are away and you can usually find a nice place that is close to campus that is furnished and a lot cheaper than living in any of those three places. Check sfbay.craigslist.org. Besides, if you sublet a place with a lot of roommates, will give you a chance to meet new people.

mslouise

Chumphree, I'm also transferring (maybe to Berkeley) as an English major. As far as I know, you will have to complete the English major lower division stuff (ie, Shakespeare) before you can officially declare yourself as an English major. I don't know whether or not you can enroll in upper division stuff before doing that or not.

If you have already completed your IGETC, then no, you don't have to take any additional breadth classes.

mslouise

Can any Berkeley English majors give me some input about the department? If I decide to attend Cal, I will be transferring as a junior. After reading the course catalog, I am concerned that Cal's offerings are thin in my areas of interest (postcolonial lit, modern (post WWII) lit, and some minority lit like native american lit).

Did I just miss these sorts of offerings? Are they listed somewhere other than in the English department catalog? In comparison, my other choice (UCSC) offers many classes in those areas.

I'd like to attend Cal, but do you think the overall quality of the English department is sufficient to make up for the lack of offerings that interest me?

mslouise

OMG, nevermind! I *just* figured out that there's a whole complit department I didn't know about. Oops!

gr2l

Can someone explain to me the process of applying for state residency in order to get in state tuition as an out of state student? I plan to possibly apply as an OOSer and want to know the likelihood of that. Is it very difficult to switch to in state residency to get that tuition? Also, if you do, does it only apply to the years after you get residency or could it apply to your freshman year if you were to become a resident as a sophomore? Thanks.

cherifg

Hi,
I just got admitted into cal. Im a transfer student and i was just wondering if living on campus was a good idea since i do want to get the "experience and social life of the dorms" BUT a the same time I want some privacy and a calm place to study.
What would u recommend dorms or renting off campus?

Azure326

You can always go to the library, study lounge, or a million other places for privacy and study time.

changusmc

cherifg - I think campus apartments are a nice balance between social life and privacy.

cherifg

What are the chances of getting into one of these apartments, I heard its a lottery or something like that...?
also, if we rent on campus for a couple of months and then change our minds, is it possible to somehow get "out"?

undecided

chumphree: IGETC doesn't clear you from finishing American Cultures. You may have already satisfied it (check with L&S to see if it transferred as having done so if you believe this is the case), but it's fairly likely you'll have to take it on campus. Aside from that, it should be nothing but English.

As far as English department requirements go: you do have to take Shakespeare. You don't need to satisfy any of your prerequisites prior to taking whatever upper division courses you like EXCEPT for those for which it is required to declare the major in English. Those you want to get out of the way ASAP. If you have taken 45A or B and one Shakespeare, 45A, 45B or 45C (so 45A and Shakespeare will satisfy it, or 45A and 45B, etc.), then you're fine to take things in whatever order you'd like. You NEED to declare the major ASAP, so you should spend this summer doing what's necessary to make that happen. If you've met the requirements? Carry on as you will.

I don't know how helpful the department office will be, or the L&S deans, at this time in the school year, but you could try emailing either one of them. The best contact for these kinds of questions in the department office is the Undergraduate Adviser, Ken Mahru (kenmahru@berkeley.edu). Worry about talking to someone at L&S only if he can't answer your questions or direct you to someone who can.

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I can answer questions about the English major at Cal (transferred here in Spring 2007, and my boyfriend who is also an English major has been here since freshman year 2004), but I know more about the content and instructors as it relates to the medieval stuff.

That said:

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mslouise: Discounting the Comp Lit department (which is very useful for getting stuff the English department doesn't offer itself!), the English department has a large selection of classes with those things in mind. Thing is, they're often seminar-type classes like 100, 150 and other variable topic courses. Because the content varies from semester to semester, the General Catalogue will say nothing except "Topic varies" or something like it. You can check the Course Offerings (Berkeley English: Courses: Announcement of Classes) for Fall 2008 and previous semesters to get an idea of how often that kind of stuff is offered and whether it's enough for you.

undecided

It can.

I had a mix-up with transfer credits that resulted in a terrifying email midway through my first semester on campus: Your admission will be rescinded in 10 days.

After a visit to the L&S Deans, I figured out it was because I had taken Music 8 in the winter quarter (before I started at Cal) and failed it, and chose to take it again spring quarter (while I was at Cal). Because of the fail and desire to repeat, I had called to ask if I could hold on sending my transcripts until the end of the semester. Apparently the "sure" I got didn't mean anything, resulting in that email.

I met with the L&S deans AGAIN and got a retroactive approval for dual-enrollment and a stay on my penalty. So it took 2 visits to the L&S office and a visit to Admissions to get that sorted out, which sucked but was entirely my fault.

You'll find the system can be kind of... arbitrary... sometimes as well. The approval of my English classes for transfer as English department credit required meeting with a professor and justifying why the course I took matched the same at Berkeley. Had I had a less strict professor reviewing my case ("You only wrote one substantive paper? I think three would have been more appropriate."), I might not have had to take Shakespeare AGAIN.

RedTapePatrol

This is EXACTLY what I'm worried about because I'm a newly transfer admit as well. Cal's "if any little trivial thing doesn't work out well, we'll rescind your admission" mentality really has me on my tippy toes even though I don't have any mistakes on my application, but still, stuff happens and it's scary.

Wait, you had to go through all that to get your English course certified?! Was the course not a transferable course or something? Did it have the CCCT tag when you put it in your application? Because if it's not a course that's already under agreement, then it's understandable that you'd have to get it certified, even though the process is still unnecessarily gruesome. But if that was a transferable course, then that is wrong beyond belief and that's exactly the kind of mix-up I'm worried about.

undecided

Yeah, well, it was quite annoying. But aside from the heart-stopping "NO YOU" email, it got straightened out. And at least they did bother to notify me. Just ... be sure to frequently check all your emails? It's not a problem for 99% of people, I just cause problems all over the place with the administration.

The English credit was, again, a thing I had to do because I'm just a special little snowflake about my education. Despite transferring from a CC, I actually spent my first year of college at UCSC (and managed to take a couple English classes in that year, including an upper division course), so I needed to get credit articulated for courses outside the assist.org agreements. If that's not the case for you, you're fine.

sflye13

How do you find out beforehand if you are graduating with honors?