caramida: (Laney)
caramida ([personal profile] caramida) wrote2006-08-15 12:41 pm

down by the lake, where the rutabagas grow...

Heh. The following is not a eupehmism:
I have His Excellency's mail in my backpack.
No. I cannot elaborate.

I spoke with a counselor (Moore) today about transfer reqs, and he implied that we'd see frost on the pavingstones on the second level of hell before I transferred to Cal in the spring. I suppose that will be ok, but I'm going to talk with the Cal xfer advisor about the prospect anyway. I imagine there would be no problem for me to xfer to SFSU this spring, but doing that likely means skipping the Cal undergrad thing entirely. Must think on this. Also must line up request rec letters from Graham, Sabsevary, Burgess, Goldstein?, Alixopulos?, Pahud?, Bohorquez. Shotgun.

Went to Berkeley to pick up the Stats book. Also wanted to stick my head into the building at BCC (read Vista) to orient myself before classes start next week, and I'm totally lost. Alas, the building is still being built. Although it seems that mostly only finish work is left, they still have cones and caution tape, and the public is, as yet, only allowed into the lobby, wherein registrations and finaid applications occur. A man in a hardhat told me that the building would only be ready by 8/23, when classes are scheduled to commence.

I have books for all the classes currently scheduled, but I only have 10 units at this time. I'm debating about taking a Psych class to show that the F on the CR transcript from 15 years ago should be ignored, especially when, having re-taken the class, I get an A (I imagine I'll get an A).

Ok. Enough noodling about school. Almost time for work.

<><><><> [Posted on Brick's50-ver2, out in the world.]
ext_107588: (Default)

[identity profile] ophymirage.livejournal.com 2006-08-15 11:15 pm (UTC)(link)
As for where you go as an undergrad, it certainly does matter if you want to apply to graduate school beyond a basic teaching program. PhD and Masters programs (something B. has pondered if I am not mistaken) look at not only how you did in school but where you went.

150% correct, go to the head of the class. :-)

In an interesting twist, this also matters within the UC system itself. It is incredibly difficult, for example, to go from undergrad to grad programs, particularly at the "name recognition" schools like Cal or UCLA. Reason? because they *know* that the undergrads went to 500-person classes, and thus did not receive the attention that undergrads from smaller universities did, thus (probably) not as good an education overall.

However, if you want to go to a name-recognition grad school outside UC, the name on your degree will be infinitely more valuable. Sorry, but it's the truth.

And incidentally, even in upper-division, i can count the number of classes I had that were under 100 students on one hand. ()*$%)(* Cal. $#(%* English major.
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[identity profile] caramida.livejournal.com 2006-08-16 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Good to know. Thanks for the info. :D