Tip #1: Get a umail account and get on the French & Italian e-mail listserv. It is important for you to open your umail account and get on our listserv. You can open the account by going to www.umail.ucsb.edu and you can have your e-mail forwarded to another e-mail account that you might have. On our listserv you will get updated information on courses for the quarter, important deadlines, internships, and lectures in our department. I must also stress the importance of keeping your phone number and address updated every quarter. |
Tip # 2: Look at the French & Italian website to find information that you need about anything in the department. If you need contact information for professors, look under "people" you can find the phone numbers, office location, e-mail addresses of faculty, visting professors, another copy of the major sheet, etc. |
Tip #3: Have grade disputes resolved as quickly as possible with the instructor. If you feel that you have received an unfair grade or a grade in error, speak with your TA or the course instructor ASAP to have the grade dispute resolved. Do NOT wait until one or two quarters have passed. Due to the nature of their work, frequently our faculty go on leave for one or more quarters, and a number of classes are taught by visiting professors. Therefore, when the instructor is not at UCSB, attempts to adjust grades cannot be processed in a timely manner, or in some cases, not at all. |
Tip #4: If you take an incomplete in a class, keep in touch with the instructor or professor. Again, frequently our faculty go on leave for one or more quarters, and a number of classes are taught by visiting professors. To avoid the unpleasant surprise of trying to turn in your completed work only to find that the instructor is gone, you need to maintain contact with him or her (maybe an e-mail at least once during a quarter). Instructors are busy and cannot keep a track of all the students they have. It is your responsibility to make sure that you finish the work in a timely manner with the instructor. If you need to file for an "Extension for Incomplete," you may pick up the form at our office (note: to file the original Incomplete Petition, you need to go to the Registrar for the form and submit it there). |
Tip #4a: Please note that if you receive an incomplete or a No Grade in a class, the grade WILL change into an "F" in 3 months unless the instructor of the course turns in a grade for you. Be sure that you complete all of your incompletes or drop courses that you stopped going to. You can always get a late drop from the Dean of Undergraduate Studies (College of Letters and Science) if you miss the deadline. |
Tip # 5: If your academic performance is being severely and negatively affected by a personal tragedy, please contact the Office of Student Life. They will help you take the appropriate steps to withdraw from the quarter, etc.... Also, you might wish to seek counseling from the Counseling and Career Services.
Tip #6: If you are doing poorly in a class, please seek help! This seems pretty obvious but you'd be surprised by how many students never speak to their professors or TAs. If you have questions or don't understand the material, ask. Remember, you are paying them to give you a good education. Also, don't forget about learning resources like CLAS.
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Tip #7: If you are planning on going to graduate school of any kind, get to know your professors and TAs so that you can get good letters of recommendation. Drop by the Graduate Division for information on their workshops on how to get into graduate school or come and speak with our Graduate Program Assistant if you are interested in the UCSB's program.
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Tip #8: Don't forget to get your junior progress check through the College of Letters and Science and your senior check through the Registrar's Office. You can meet with an advisor there. Remember, completing the French or Italian major requirements is different from completing the requirements for the BA degree. In our department, as Undergraduate Advisor I can only help you with the major requirements. |
Tip #9: Read through the College of Letters and Science "Guide to Undergraduate Studies." Although this tip is not specific to the major, it has a lot of useful information regarding procedures here at the University. For example, the specific process that you need to do in order to withdraw from a class after the official deadline; withdraw from a quarter; take a leave of absence and re-entry; etc... |
Tip #10: Never stop attending a class without officially dropping or withdrawing from the class. If you stop going, you will get an "F". The instructor will probably not give you a grade since you haven't been there. That "No Grade" will turn into an "F" a few weeks after the quarter has ended. |
Tip #11: Do not concurrently enroll at another college during the regular academic school year without getting prior approval from the College of Letters and Science. |
Tip #12: Make sure that your courses will transfer to UCSB if you plan on studying else where for a quarter, whether it is overseas or somewhere else in the U.S. You can contact the Office of Admissions to find out if the institution is accredited. You will need to petition these courses to have them apply to the French or Italian major if you need them for major requirements. You can come to our office to fill out the petitions. |
