Congratulations and Welcome to UCSD and John Muir College!
We are delighted that you have chosen to continue your undergraduate studies at John Muir College.
We recognize and applaud your superior academic achievements to date and look forward to having you become an integral part of the academics, activities and traditions of Muir College.
To help ease some of the natural anxieties that you may be experiencing as a new transfer student, we have prepared answers to some commonly asked questions. We hope the following material will be both informative and reassuring.
What can I expect my academic experience to be like?
Your academic experience at UCSD will be challenging and rewarding. The campus offers students broad range of resources and support services at UCSD ranging from career development to internship opportunities to psychological counseling services in order to foster student success
Some of the challenges transfer students may face include:
UCSD is based on quarters rather than semesters. A quarter is ten weeks long with an eleventh week of finals. The academic year at UCSD includes three quarters (fall, winter and spring).
Most transfer students will concentrate on academics at the upper division level (junior and senior standing). Upper division courses have a tighter focus and greater depth than broad-based lower division courses.
The overall size of the campus may be larger and more complex than your previous college, and the rules and regulations here may be confusing.
The campus offers several resources to help you succeed:
Large lectures are complemented by small group discussion sections. These discussion sections are groups of 15-30 people who meet weekly with a teaching assistant for discussion and review of class topics.
Every instructor and teaching assistant provides office hours to meet in small groups or one-on-one to discuss the course, answer questions, and review issues from lectures or exams.
Your Muir College academic advisor can help you develop strategies to succeed, such as setting long and short term goals, prioritizing tasks and planning time for your studies.
The college system fosters a small community environment that will provide you with personalized advising and organizations like "Tribe of Muir Transfers" to help you adjust to life at UCSD.
Most transfer students graduate after two to three years at UCSD, although graduation rate will vary depending on that student's major and previous academic preparation . Completion of Muir's general education requirements and major prerequisites prior to admission is usually the most important factor in determining a student's time to graduation.
Knowing the required prerequisite courses for your UCSD major is critical to ensure a timely graduation. Information on all of the majors at UCSD, including course descriptions, may be found in the UCSD General Catalog, available online at http://www.ucsd.edu/catalog/
How do I convert my semester units to quarter units?
Each transferable semester unit converts to 1.5 quarter units at UCSD. So, if you took a course that was worth 3 units on a semester system, it would have a value of 4.5 units on the quarter system.
You will enroll in your Fall 2007 courses during or after your priority appointment time on August 28 or 29. Your appointment time will not be visible on TritonLink until August 6. You will need to participate in a one-day on-campus orientation on July 11, 12 or 13 and an on-line advising and enrollment program before you can enroll in courses.
Registration at UCSD is a two-step process: (1) enrollment in classes and (2) payment of fees. You must enroll in classes first so that your fees can be assessed. Class enrollment takes place in late Auguast. You may pay your fees any time after you enroll in classes. A billing statement will be mailed to you after enrollment, but you do not need a billing statement to pay your fees.
Financial aid is available in the form of scholarships, grants, loans and work-study for students who meet the eligibility requirements and submit financial aid forms by the deadline. Each college has its own Financial Aid Office staff to assist its students. Student Financial Services is located at 201 University Center, (858) 534-3808.
Students can be provided with current listings of available off-campus housing to rent or share through the Off-Campus Housing Office. House-hunting aids including classified ads from local papers, maps, bus schedules, rental publications, landlord/tenant information, and courtesy phones can be found in their offices. Muir College also has a very active Commuter Council which provides programming and services targeted to Muir's commuter students.
The phone number for UCSD's Off-Campus Housing Office is (858) 534-3670. You may also access the website and housing lists at http://offcampushousing.ucsd.edu
The good news is that there is ample parking available . . . the bad news is that it may not always be centrally located for your needs.
To help out, a free CAMPUS SHUTTLE service runs throughout the campus in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The shuttle picks up and drops off riders at the various shuttle stop locations every 8-12 minutes (approximately). Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to midnight. Parking permits can be purchased on a quarterly or annual basis from the Transportation and Parking Office, Gilman Structure, Level 1 (west facade), (858) 534-4223. Information about other options (carpools, bus schedules, the Coaster, UCSD's Pedal Club) may be obtained from the Rideshare Operation Office, (858) 534-RIDE(7433). Off campus parking is another option, but please be careful, as the San Diego Police Department is very efficient at issuing costly tickets.
The Cityshuttle operates 7am- midnight on weekdays during the academic year. The route includes nearby housing in the Nobel Drive area and UTC (University Towne Centre). The shuttle runs every 8 minutes until 9:30 pm and then every 10-15 minutes until midnight.
Part-time status (10.0 units or fewer per quarter) is an option only for students who meet one of the following criteria:
Work at least 30 hours per week.
Have a medical condition that prevents full time study.
Have unique family responsibilities.
Be in your last quarter of attendance at UCSD before graduation.
In each case, written verification/documentation must be provided.
The deadline to apply for part-time status is always the Friday of the second week of the quarter.
Note that approved part-time status lasts for one academic year (except for students approved for
their last quarter at UCSD. You must re-apply for part-time status every fall quarter.
Instruction begins on Thursday, September 27, 2007. Welcome Week Activities (a great way to become familiar with the campus and make new friends) are scheduled for September 23 through 27. A complete listing of activities will be mailed to you later in the summer via the Muir College newsletter, the "Muirsaic."
We know that the students who perform best are those who also enjoy an active extracurricular life. Consequently, Muir and UCSD devote considerable resources and energy to provide many activity options from which students may choose.
Some of the most popular Muir activities include annual Muirstock concert, Semi Formal Dance, Casino Night, Halloween Carnival and Pumpkin Drop, Comedy Improv Shows, Muir Musical Production, weekly free breakfasts and much more! Muir also discounts tickets to a variety of different off-campus events including Padre Games, whale-watching trips, Cirque du Soliel, local theatre productions and blockbuster movies.
If you would like to get involved and build your leadership skills Muir offers several
student club and organizations, including Tribe of Muir Transfers, Muir College Council, Commuter
Council, Community Service Club, Musical Ensemble, Muir Movie, Foosh (Comedy Improv Troupe),
Poetry Club, and Muir Organizing Board, to name just a few.
Muir also offers a Transfer Mentorship Program. Incoming transfer students are paired with experienced transfer students. This is an excellent opportunity for new transfers to get the inside scoop about college life at UCSD.
The most popular campus-wide activities include intramural and intercollegiate sports, plus recreation clubs and classes; rock concerts and popular speakers; all-campus dances; and fraternity and sorority functions.
Yes. Student-led tours of the campus are given Monday through Saturday each week. Tours begin at 11:00 a.m. starting from the Price Center Theater lobby.
A campus map is available at the information booth located at Gilman Drive - the south entrance to UCSD (exit La Jolla Village Drive from I-5). Parking is limited on weekdays, so allow ample time. There is a $6 parking fee on weekdays; parking is free on Saturdays and Sundays.
John Muir College University of California, San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive, Dept. 0106 La Jolla, CA 92093-0106
Academic Advising (858) 534-3580 | Student Life (858) 534-3587 | Residential Life (858) 534-4200
