Tips for First-Year Students

Home Undergraduate Program Tips for First-Year Students

1. Pick up a UCSC General Catalog (available on-line at http://reg.ucsc.edu/catalog/ or from the Bay Tree Bookstore); go to your college and pick up a Schedule of Classes; download The Navigator (undergraduate handbook). Read these thoroughly; they are full of information that isn't distributed anywhere else. Pay attention to requirements and deadlines, as you are ultimately responsible for making sure you meet all requirements and adhere to University policy.

2. Attend the History Department's fall orientation, usually held a day or two before classes begin; check the Schedule of Classes for day and time. This is a good chance to hear from faculty and get a sense of what the department has to offer.

3. Familiarize yourself with the History Department website. Information about the majors and minors offered by the department are posted here, as well as handbooks, advising forms, and updated lists of projected classes for upcoming quarters. A number of resources are also available to you in the office, including: syllabi from past history classes, information about internships, Education Abroad Program, and awards. If you have any questions about the major, see the undergraduate adviser during drop-in advising or call to make an appointment.

4. It is a good idea to concentrate on fulfilling your GE requirements during your first two years. These requirements are the foundation of a liberal arts education and allow you to explore several disciplines before deciding on a major. The broad concepts learned in lower-division courses provide the groundwork for materials studied at the upper-division level. Upper-division courses are more focused and will form the heart of your academic major. With that in mind, you can start working towards the history major by taking a survey course in the region of the world you think you might want to concentrate in, or try out a survey in a region you don’t know anything about yet.

5. Get in the habit of consulting directly with the faculty. All faculty members have office hours every week, unless they are away on sabbatical. If you are unsure about appropriate courses to take, consult with a faculty member. A list of office hours for the current quarter is available at the History Department. The undergraduate adviser can help you figure out which faculty member to meet with.

6. Show up for the first day of class or you will be dropped from the course! Also, be sure to check your enrollment each quarter to make sure you are enrolled in the correct courses by the enrollment deadline (see Academic and Administrative Calendar). If a class you really want to take is full by the time you enroll, enroll in something else you'd be satisfied with, and then attend both classes during the first week. Sometimes fewer people show up than expected, and the instructor may be able to let new people in. This is a process on campus commonly known as "crashing courses."

7. Sit in the front rows of the classroom and participate in discussion (in class and in section). Get to know your instructor and your TA, if there is one. You may want letters of recommendation to apply to EAP or graduate school, so establishing a good rapport with your instructor and TA is important.

Get to know the campus libraries. Go on a scheduled library tour. Learn how to access MELVYL AND CRUZCAT (computerized catalogs) for research projects. Don't limit yourself to computer databases, as they generally go back only 15 years. Learn to use the reference areas.

8. Get to know other students in your courses. You might want to form study groups to share insights, perspectives, and approaches to the course material.

9. The quarter system is fast! It is important initially to take no more than the standard workload (three five-credit courses) because the quarter goes by so quickly and that you will be through it before you realize that there may not be enough time to do all the work. In fact, many faculty give midterms or have papers due as early as the third week of class. It is generally not a good idea to take three history courses in any quarter unless you absolutely must. Colleges and some majors offer partial credit courses, which can't be counted towards the history major, but which do offer interesting topics to explore. This can be a good way to increase your workload without adding another full-credit course.

10. Don't be afraid to ask for help. There are many resources available: faculty, your college, History Department staff, TAs, various campus support services, writing tutors, other students, etc.

11. Pick up and learn to use a writing or style manual.
Modern Language Association (MLA) Style: Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing
Chicago Style: Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations

12. Graduate programs in history usually have a language requirement. If you are interested in graduate school, be sure to meet with a history member soon. If you are not sure who to talk to, start by going to see the history undergraduate adviser, who can suggest faculty based on your interests. Other campus resources: SAA/EOP Graduate Information Program; Career Center (see April Goral, career adviser specializing in the Humanities, 459-4839 or asgoral@ucsc.edu)