HELP! trying to find Fall '08 Science in No. CA

SunnyCaRN · May 28, 2008

I know so on this forum have taken those online -where I'm not much help but hopefully that will give you something to look into.

engima2174 · May 28, 2008

Have you tried the community colleges in the Sac area? I am in the Bay Area which is quite a drive for class from Sacramento. If you can look up community colleges in the area, you should be able to get into the science classes. If you are looking to drive closer to to the bay, try Chabot, Contra- Costa, Cal Eastbay, the Peralta Colleges ( Merritt College, Laney College...)

Goodluck!

Music in My Heart · May 28, 2008

Some places to check out:

Sac State

UC Davis

American River College

Solano College

Yolo College (Woodland)

Sac City College

Sierra College

Anatomy and physiology are often over-booked and you're running late -- many schools have registered for fall already and you're not a returning student so you're low on the priority list at many places. Even if you can't get into the class in the fall, consider registering for *something* so that you'll be returning student come spring.

stinebean · May 28, 2008

All of the pre-req science classes in the Sacramento area are in high demand. Many of the local students are also have trouble getting classes because even though they have "priority" registration, they may end up with a registration date 1 week into registration and often on the 4th or 5th day of registration most of the A&P and Micro classes are full.

I suggest making a list of the colleges closest to where you'll be living and wake up very early each morning (sometime between 3am and 5am) and check the schedules for openings. This is the only way I know of to get in before classes start at this late date.

Your second option is what I fondly refer to as the "cattle call". Apply and register for all the area colleges and then make a schedule for yourself showing the first day of class for each class you'd like to get in. Show up on that day with the other 5-30 students who wish to add the class. If there are 5-10 students who show, the teacher may just add them all. If there are more students than open spots on the first day, then there will most likely be an informal lottery for the open spots. Conversely, if you ever get in the class you want, do not miss class the first or second day of class because you're likely to be dropped and some lucky student will get your spot. Another thing I've noticed in this regard is that, at least at Sierra College, it's easier to be added to a day class than a night class. Also, try emailing the professors of the classes you want to add in order to find out if s/he adds during lab or lecture session. I've seen students show up at lecture hoping to be added to classes where the lab session occurred first only to find out that the teacher did the adds during lab and the student was too late.

If you don't get in using any of the above methods, you will want to take at least one class at your 1st pick school in order to improve your odds for the next semester. Otherwise, you'll get a late registration date and go through the same thing all over again.

Hotflashn · May 28, 2008

I know that there is some school in Arizona (I think) that offers online A&P and Micro that is accepted by at least some of the school in No Ca. It was a nursing school seminar at Napa Valley college that recommended checking out of state. The bioscience prereqs are highly impacted. It took me two semester attempts (as a continuing student) to get into anatomy a couple years ago. There were at least 25 people at the "cattle call" opening of the class vying for a slot in the event that someone dropped or didn't show.

I agree with the poster who suggested applying and taking ANYTHING just to get the continuing student status for registration for spring and hitting as many schools as possible.

Good luck!

stinebean · May 28, 2008

There were at least 25 people at the "cattle call" opening of the class vying for a slot in the event that someone dropped or didn't show.

I tried to add into a popular Anatomy teacher's night class at Sierra and the first night there were almost 40 students there hoping to add. I didn't get in, but he picked 8 students from that group and had picked another 8 or so at the earlier lab which I'd missed. However, when I did finally get into an Anatomy class the next semester (not my ideal class as it ended up being a morning class and I had to pay for day care) 11 students came to add and the teacher was able to add 10. Another good point... that 11th student came into the class after it had started.

Tahoewed777 · May 28, 2008

The science classes are very hard to get into. I was a 3rd day priority registrant and the classes were filled by then. I actually got into A & P and micro by being added. What I did was emailed the instructor.....she took the first 5 emails she received and they were automatically added. Also....I was waitlisted for the other 2 classes and was added on the first night. Definately try to email the instuctors and/or show up on the first day of class to try and get added. Good Luck.

Music in My Heart · May 28, 2008

The thing that's so irritating is how many students end up dropping several or many weeks through the course or who end up giving up, taking the F, and then repeating the class.

These chumps deny the serious students much-needed spaces.

To the OP: I was a late-enrollee at Solano College in Fairfield during Spring of '07 and I got into both physio and micro so it can be done. My physio teacher also taught anatomy and he actually held a spot for me in his anatomy class the following semester. It definitely pays to connect with the instructors.

JuniperB · Jun 5, 2008

a few tricks in the sacto area for getting into full classes:

cattle call is a good one - show up, make your presence known, your interest in the class. i had a chem prof take standing room only for a class and by the 3rd week all cattle calls were in the class!!!

next - make sure to matriculate into nursing major asap!! this will bump your priority.

if any classes have a wait list, get on it! by the fall a lot of people will drop the classes. i've moved from 30th to in the class over a summer!

use ratemyprofessor.com to find profs that you may like, then go and meet them. (court them if you will), this may increase your chances of entrance to hard to find classes.

by and large the other posters are accurate - the classes in sacto are extremely hard to get into.

good luck!!!

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Jun 6, 2008

Find a community college and turn up on the first day of class and you may get lucky and they'll add you but to get into most classes you need you need to have completed some credits at the cc first to get priority I've been going to the same cc on and off since 2002 and I usually get first day of registration like 8.15am (expect for this semester when they forgot to assign me a time at all)

SparklyGirl · Jun 6, 2008

I don't know if anyone has already said this --- but Merritt Community College in Oakland is awesome! And I had very good luck getting into the classes. Excellent location and excellent location. I took Micro, Anatomy and Physiology there.