All college courses are completed in one semester or less. A semester is usually 18 weeks in length at Cerritos; however, nine week and 15 week classes are also offered.

The hours a class meets per week usually equals the number of units the class is worth. That means most classes will meet three hours per week The hours can be in a three hour block or spread out in a variety of combinations. The most common time arrangement is for a three unit class to meet for one and one half hours two days a week, like History 27, for example, in the sample time management schedule on page 6 in this guide.

Credit for college classes is measured in "units." A unit relates to the amount of time spent in class. For example, a three unit class will meet for three hours per week. Classes with labs will meet for additional hours and very often the class is worth additional units. At Cerritos most classes are worth three units. Some classes are worth as little as one unit, some as much as five units.

Taking 12 units or more in one semester is considered a full-time load. To be eligible for athletics and certain student activities, you must be a full-time student.

The college policy for the maximum number of units per semester is 18. If you wish to take more than 18 units in one semester you must have an established Cerritos College grade point average of 3.0 or above, and seek the approval of the Dean of Counseling.

It is difficult to answer this question because so much depends on how much time you have to devote to attending school. Determine how many classes you need to meet your goal and calculate how many classes you can take per semester. Remember, many classes are offered during the summer sessions. Taking summer classes can help you achieve your goal more quickly.

Attendance is your responsibility. Each instructor has his/her own method of accountability for attendance. Because attendance may seem unstructured, you have to make attending classes a priority. The official attendance policy of the college is stated on page 18 of this guide.

You may arrange your time schedule to meet your needs.

Please adhere to the following guidelines.

You may take classes which meet for consecutive hours and still have travel time to arrive at the next class on time. For example, you may take a 9 a.m. class which ends at 10 a.m. and a 10 a.m. class which ends at 11 a.m.

You may not take classes which overlap in time. For example, you may not sign up for a class that begins at 9:30 a.m. if you have another class that is not dismissed until 9:45 a.m. You may take both day and evening classes. You are not restricted to all day or evening classes.

It is not necessary to declare a major the first semester you enter. However, you are expected to spend time exploring educational options. We recommend you take advantage of the Career Center and its counselors. We also suggest you consider enrolling in a Career Planning class. It is listed as CG2 in the class schedule under Counseling and Guidance. Under the new Matriculation Plan, our partnership for student success, it is essential that you declare an educational goal.

At the time of registration, if a class that you want to sign up for is closed you have several options. You may petition the class by attending it the first time it meets. If there is space available in the class, the instructor will add you to the roster. Your next step is to return to the registration process and pay for the class.

You may also seek the advice of a counselor who may suggest an alternate class, and inform you of other options available to you.

There is no general college regulation requiring the repetition of courses in which you received a substandard grade. However, certain programs of study require a "C" grade in all courses required for the program.

If you elect to repeat a class in which you received a "D" or "F," the "new" grade will appear on your permanent record, provided it is an improved grade. The substandard grade will be removed. This really helps improve your grade point average and is one reason why you may want to repeat these classes.

In order to withdraw from a class, you must complete the change of program form obtained in the Admissions Office or from the Academic Advising Counter.

Withdrawal may be processed through the 14th week or 75 percent of the term, whichever is less. A "W" will appear on your permanent record. It will not be used in calculating your grade point average, but excessive "W's" will be used as factors for progress probation and dismissal procedures.

GPA stands for grade point average. Letter grades are given the following point values:

A - 4.0
B - 3.0
C - 2.0
D - 1.0
F - 0.0
Each class has a specific unit value. Multiplying the letter grade value by the unit value equals the grade points. The next step is to divide the unit total into the grade points to determine the GPA.

 

Example:  
Units                  Point Value
  3 Units of A  =  3 x 4  =  12
  3 Units of B  =  3 x 3  =   9
  3 Units of C  =  3 x 2  =   6
  3 Units of D  =  3 x 1  =   3
  3 Units of F  =  3 x 0  =   0
------                           --

  15                                30

To figure your grade point average divide your total number of grade points
by your total number of units.

  30/15= 2.0