Tips for Transfer Students

Home Undergraduate Program Tips for Transfer 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. You will need to consult the undergraduate adviser as soon as possible about whether you can transfer courses taken at other colleges to fulfill requirements for the history major (this is independent of the evaluation in the admissions process) and what history requirements remain for you to fulfill here. See the undergraduate adviser during drop-in advising. 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.

4. You will need to declare a major by the major declaration deadline (see Academic and Administrative Calendar) during your first quarter at UCSC. If you don't, your college will block your enrollment for the following quarter. Information on how to declare a major or minor administered by the History Department can be found on each plan of study's webpage.

5. Buy your books prior to the first day of class, if you can. Contact the instructor via e-mail for the reading list, or to find out where the books have been ordered (Bay Tree Bookstore, Slug Books, or the Literary Guillotine downtown). There is almost always a reading assignment given on the first day. Many courses have readers (selected articles bound in book format; not usually available until the class meets), and all classes will require a series of books, rather than one textbook. Read the syllabus carefully, and make sure you can attend all scheduled exams and required activities (film screenings, etc.). Mark the due dates for papers, exams, and assignments on your calendar.

6. 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.

7. 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."

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. There is a big difference between the quarter and semester systems. It's important to take no more than the standard workload (three five-credit courses) during your first quarter, because it goes by so quickly. In fact, many instructors give midterms or have papers due as early as the third week of class.

12. 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

13. Read some books as preparation in the summer before coming to UCSC. Some suggestions:

Begining-Intermediate Reading
E.H. Carr, What is History?
Marc Bloch, The Historian's Craft
R.G. Collingwood, The Idea of History

Advanced Reading
Keith Jenkins, Re-Thinking History
Robert Berkhofer, Beyond the Great Story
Paul Veyne, Writing History

14. 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.

15. Review your student file with the undergraduate adviser once per quarter to make sure that you are on track to fulfill the major requirements.

16. 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)