Waitlists to get into class at junior college math class ?

[Jurrasic]

Whats normal with wait lists? Usually, how many people get into the class?
Like typical or average? Every single person gets in who from the wait list most of the time, or?

 

[QuarkCharmer]

Only a few of the people get in from my experience. Your best bet is to get on the waitlist, and even if you don't get the class, just keep showing up to the lectures and maybe the professor will let you stay, or someone will drop freeing a space.

I think they might use the wait-list stats to determine if they need to open up another course at a specific time-frame as well. Though I am not positive.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, this is just my interpretation.

 

[zif.]

What's the class size? How much do the profs care about the students at your school?

For my first year physics class held in a lecture theatre the prof came in the first day and said, "If you have a seat, you're welcome in the class. Even if you don't have a seat and don't mind sitting on the ground, you're welcome in the class."

However, I've also had classes in classrooms where the class size is 36 or 24, and it's all down to the prof on how strict they are. Some stick right to it so you have to hope that there are some people that show up, and there are others that will let in a couple more off the waitlist.

Again, there are some profs that require to you be registered the first week and others that will let you stay for the whole semester waiting for someone to drop the class.

It also depends on the type of class. Obviously a lab class is going to have limited equipment and they may have to be more strict about it. Heck, I remember being like the 10th person on a waitlist for a 36 person class that I was desperate to get into (would have had to wait a year for it to come around again and I wouldn't be able to take the next course in the progression until after that). The prof walks in and the first thing he says is, "I don't accept anyone from the waitlist. If you're waitlisted, you can just leave now if you like."

Because I was desperate I decided to stay and talk to him afterwards anyway. End of the class rolls around and he says, "Ok, I see two of you from the waitlist have stayed, come let me sign your forms. I always say that at the start to find out about who's serious about taking this class." Short answer: Ask the prof that will be teaching the course what they've noticed the odds are for past years.

 

[Leveret]

^ What the smart guy with the long post said. It really depends on the class type, class size, instructor, and where you yourself are on the waitlist.

 

[Geezer]

^ What the smart guy with the long post said. It really depends on the class type, class size, instructor, and where you yourself are on the waitlist.

^
I agree with both those posts.

 

[lisab]

Only a few of the people get in from my experience. Your best bet is to get on the waitlist, and even if you don't get the class, just keep showing up to the lectures and maybe the professor will let you stay, or someone will drop freeing a space.

I think they might use the wait-list stats to determine if they need to open up another course at a specific time-frame as well. Though I am not positive.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, this is just my interpretation.

This is what I'd do. In fact, I think it's what I've done.

Especially in junior colleges, there tend to be a lot of drops. Most instructors know that and will allow an ambitious student in.

 

[Geezer]

Especially in junior colleges, there tend to be a lot of drops. Most instructors know that and will allow an ambitious student in.

Just to add: Community colleges are suffering mightily right now with tightened budgets, which is why there are fewer class/section offerings. The instructors know it hurts the students, but there's really nothing they can do about it. So, a nice instructor will be sympathetic--he/she is probably suffering, too, with increased teaching demands but no concomitant increase in pay--and sign you in.

 

[hitmeoff]

Just to add: Community colleges are suffering mightily right now with tightened budgets, which is why there are fewer class/section offerings. The instructors know it hurts the students, but there's really nothing they can do about it. So, a nice instructor will be sympathetic--he/she is probably suffering, too, with increased teaching demands but no concomitant increase in pay--and sign you in.

This is the point I think most people here are missing/might not have experienced. In California for example, its almost guaranteed you will be at a CC for 4 years now before getting all the classes you need to graduate. Times are tough and not only are state budgets slashing funding to CCs, but more people than ever are returning to school. Basic Supply and Demand situation. Supply is low, demand is high which means you have a major gap in availability of limited resources.

In lab classes (lab classes being those like chem, bio, etc) the teacher has no say how many people can enroll, they are limited by the amount of people a lab can handle. From experience (I got out BEFORE all this budget **** went on), in non-lab-classes, the teachers will usually allow as many people as building safety codes allow people to be in a classroom (if they have the authority to do so, they may not).

Best thing to do is wait it out as long as you can, like others have said, there's a point at which the registrar won't allow anymore late adds, your hope is that someone drops before then, and be the next in line to get. I do not envy those going into CC's now. Read a post by me a few years ago, I was the first to come to the defense about the quality of education CC's provide, but with budget cuts, **** just got nasty!

 

[QuarkCharmer]

I walked through an AA at a CC in Florida in just over a year before I transferred. It was no problem at all, and the education I received was just fine. I think we all know California has been in some trouble lately, maybe that is the culprit?

 

[jtbell]

Different states have different financial situations. Florida is surely having budget problems, but I don't think they're as extreme as in California. If I remember correctly, the UC system was facing a billion-dollar budget cut a little while ago.

 

[Geezer]

Different states have different financial situations. Florida is surely having budget problems, but I don't think they're as extreme as in California. If I remember correctly, the UC system was facing a billion-dollar budget cut a little while ago.

Sounds about right.

 

[Jurrasic]

Only a few of the people get in from my experience. Your best bet is to get on the waitlist, and even if you don't get the class, just keep showing up to the lectures and maybe the professor will let you stay, or someone will drop freeing a space.

I think they might use the wait-list stats to determine if they need to open up another course at a specific time-frame as well. Though I am not positive.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, this is just my interpretation.

Thanks, sorry about the spelling mistakes up there in what i wrote lol

 

[Jurrasic]

This is what I'd do. In fact, I think it's what I've done.

Especially in junior colleges, there tend to be a lot of drops. Most instructors know that and will allow an ambitious student in.

sweet sauce lol

 

[Jurrasic]

Different states have different financial situations. Florida is surely having budget problems, but I don't think they're as extreme as in California. If I remember correctly, the UC system was facing a billion-dollar budget cut a little while ago.

Are there any articles about the budget cut thing that you mentioned? Are they still considering it?

 

[Jurrasic]

This is the point I think most people here are missing/might not have experienced. In California for example, its almost guaranteed you will be at a CC for 4 years now before getting all the classes you need to graduate. Times are tough and not only are state budgets slashing funding to CCs, but more people than ever are returning to school. Basic Supply and Demand situation. Supply is low, demand is high which means you have a major gap in availability of limited resources.

In lab classes (lab classes being those like chem, bio, etc) the teacher has no say how many people can enroll, they are limited by the amount of people a lab can handle. From experience (I got out BEFORE all this budget **** went on), in non-lab-classes, the teachers will usually allow as many people as building safety codes allow people to be in a classroom (if they have the authority to do so, they may not).

Best thing to do is wait it out as long as you can, like others have said, there's a point at which the registrar won't allow anymore late adds, your hope is that someone drops before then, and be the next in line to get. I do not envy those going into CC's now. Read a post by me a few years ago, I was the first to come to the defense about the quality of education CC's provide, but with budget cuts, **** just got nasty!

"
there's a point at which the registrar won't allow anymore late adds, your hope is that someone drops before then, and be the next in line to get."

That time frame is a window of opportunity :) haha

 

[Geezer]

Are there any articles about the budget cut thing that you mentioned? Are they still considering it?

The last I heard, directly from a UC professor, was that the UC budget was going to be cut another $500,000,000 this academic year. And I read in the paper that UC might have to raise fees another 23% this upcoming year, too.

 

[Jurrasic]

The last I heard, directly from a UC professor, was that the UC budget was going to be cut another $500,000,000 this academic year. And I read in the paper that UC might have to raise fees another 23% this upcoming year, too.

Wow thanks for sharing.