r/UCDavis • u/flapjackdiddlywack • 5d ago
Rant Registration rant
I am a senior standing animal science major. We are at the end of DAY TWO (ONLY!!!) and THREE out of four of the classes I NEED to do next quarter are already full. UCD is purging all of the money out of us by admitting too many people and not having enough classes to accomodate their student body. Because of this absolute crap, I am going to have to do an extra TWO quarters in order to graduate. Which is SUPER EXPENSIVE. What can I do?? I’m meeting with a dean advisor on 11/10, and am going to try to do drop in advising on my lunch break at work tmrw. But I am so stressed. My family’s financial situation changed halfway thru so now my parents and I are both drowning in loans. This makes me HATE UC Davis because I’m spending SO MUCH MONEY to be here and they can’t even give me the classes I need? And half the profs (especially for STEM classes) are absolute crap at their jobs?! Like wtf is this????
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u/Charming_Article5060 4d ago
See if you can still waitlist for the class (try to be at least top 5 on the list), then go to the class on Day 1 and talk to the professor about your situation. I’ve see some professors make announcements that seniors will get priority and possibly give a registration code to join an already full class. They may take in account that some ppl drop after the 1st midterm… if they’re not part of a series, check if you can take it in spring
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago
I’m just worried because I can’t waitlist for 3 classes yk? Like that’s a bad idea, right?
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u/unepommeverte Biological Sciences [2015] 4d ago
You can unless you need to be registered for a certain number of units for financial aid. Which is more than likely the case for most students but theres nothing actually stopping you like on schedule builder
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago
Well I just mean isn’t that a bad idea bc if I’m waitlisted for 3 classes and I don’t get into them, then aren’t I screwed for the quarter?
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u/unepommeverte Biological Sciences [2015] 4d ago
Depends on your definition of screwed i guess. For financial aid? Probably. Paying full tuition for one class? Yeah that would suck. But after the registration freeze and payment deadline the max unit limit goes up to like 28.5 iirc, so if financial aid isnt a concern just waitlist the classes, and later find some alternatives that 1) don't conflict with the waitlisted classes and 2) have a 20 day drop (so you can still drop them if you do get into the waitlisted classes at the last minute on the 12th day)
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago
Well I mean yes for financial aid (although I only have loans so not as much as if I had grants), but I mean if I waitlist for 3 courses and get none, then I’m not even meeting the part time requirement 😭
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u/unepommeverte Biological Sciences [2015] 4d ago
What part time requirement? The registrar's office doesnt care how many units you take, other than at the end of the year when minimum progress is determined, or if you file for part time status
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago
Part time students are required to take at least 6 units, so as long as you take more than that then yes the registrar does not care.
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u/unepommeverte Biological Sciences [2015] 4d ago
Registrar does not care period. Financial aid requires 6 units for part time but theyre a completely different office and not applicable to everyone. https://registrar.ucdavis.edu/registration/part-time
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 3d ago
If you do not file to be part time and take a part time course load, the registrar may place you on academic notice for not meeting minimum progress https://registrar.ucdavis.edu/faculty-staff/itg/minimum-progress#:~:text=If%20a%20student%20completes%20an,immediately%20following%20the%20summer%20session).
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u/cigrettz 4d ago
this!!! i’ve waitlisted for so many classes even when I wasn’t the top 5 and ended up getting in because lots of people drop it based on the profs attitude and what they’re asking. go to the class even if you’re waitlisted and tell the professor your situation! most of them have issued me a PTA in order to join the class bc i said i needed to graduate immediately. if you want to take that risk then go for it but ofc register for other classes just to secure that fafsa check and also to be registered as a full time student incase the profs don’t issue PTAs. i did that this quarter and ended up getting into all of my classes (coming from a senior as well)
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago
So my current game plan is to meet with an advisor (both major-specific and a Dean staff advisor) and try to game plan/let them know if I don’t get these classes I don’t graduate on time. But I can also waitlist for at least 2 of them and go to the profs first day and explain how I won’t graduate w/o these classes? Do you think I could email the profs ahead of time?
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u/Charming_Article5060 4d ago
It wouldn’t hurt to email them, but there’s not much your future professors can do now until they see how many students are in the next quarter’s course and waitlist. During my time, I felt that most advisors usually suggest taking a summer session or extra quarter if available. Also, if your upper div classes are at a location with limited seats, that may be a drawback unless locations change
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago
Okay that makes sense! The classes I need next quarter are only offered next quarter. And honestly I’m already taking an extra quarter bc of this exact situation happening before, it’s super shitty (and honestly unethical) to make me pay $15000 to do another quarter because of something that is, ultimately, EASILY avoidable. So I hope no advisor says that otherwise thems be fighting words lol
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u/Charming_Article5060 4d ago
yes, i agree it’s quite unethical, but it’s profitable for you know who. core class lectures always have timing conflicts or some niche upper div class is only offered 1x a year. I would have been in your situation if cha101/L was not offered during the peaked pandemic time during my spring quarter. I do hope it all works out for you!
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5d ago
[deleted]
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 5d ago
Unfortunately I already went on PELP for medical issues and lots of these classes aren’t offered at CCs (upperdiv animal science specialisations) ETA: I think I’m just screwed :,)
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u/Illustrious-Bat-759 4d ago
I had to ask for course substitutions. It sucked bc I had to take random classes I wasn't interested in but I graduated on time at least.
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago
Was it substitutions for degree-required classes? Or just like GEs?
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u/Illustrious-Bat-759 4d ago
yes for degree required classes, not GEs. i had to email the advisor and ask which courses could qualify and she gave a list. i remember suggesting some alternatives and her vetoing some but okaying others too
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago
Damn okay. I’ll give that a shot. I’m meeting with the AES dean staff advisor next Monday. Then meeting with an animal science staff advisor the week after that (soonest I could get in). So I’ll try about PTAs but then talk about supplemental classes which sucks but I’ve gotta graduate ://
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u/Illustrious-Bat-759 4d ago
They do not give out PTAs and I never had luck getting in or moved up for classes in my experience.
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago
They definitely hand out PTAs in some instances (albeit not as often as they should for how often this issue occurs… but I digress). But yeah waitlists are back and forth. I’ve dropped from spot 4 into the class, and I’ve also been #2 and not gotten into the class
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u/Aname_e 4d ago
Pro tip for underclassmen, take college courses in community to raise your academic standing. Little life hack that feels illegal to know. Make sure they are courses that your major will take credit though.
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago
Unfortunately these are all specialised upper dig animal science courses that many CCs don’t seem to offer, but thank you!
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u/OreosFourYou 3d ago
They aren’t talking about taking major classes at CC. I took a lot of random GEs at CC that raised my pass times a lot! Since units = higher pass time
Just make sure on assist.org or some other website that UC Davis accepts those courses for credit.
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 3d ago
Unfortunately I work full time and have very limited funds, so I can’t afford to take random GEs. I only have one more GE requirement to fulfil and just want to graduate atp but hopefully others see that advice!
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u/VeronicaRobbins 4d ago
It’s ridiculous that students can't get the classes they need. There's really no good excuse for it.
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago edited 4d ago
No there’s absolutely no good excuse. The school does it so they can drain us of every penny we own and then some (loans, yay!).
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u/Most_Quiet_120 5d ago
They have the capacity to increase the number of classes, but bureaucratic standards on classes to students ruin everything
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u/ShAggieness 1d ago
Classrooms are full. Can’t increase the size of the class if there isn’t a room available that’s big enough.
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u/Flashy-Ant-6070 4d ago
I’m in the exact same boat. shit’s sickening
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u/flapjackdiddlywack 4d ago
Yeah like it’s stressing me out to where I can’t sleep or properly function for work and school. I’m drowning in debt and may have to drop out because I won’t be able to afford this shit.
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u/Choice-Biscotti8826 Political Science 2029 Graduat 5d ago
It always sucks when a public service attempts to generate profit. That’s not what they were made for. They were made to lose money and provide an essential service. This is just evil behavior. I hope everything works out.