By Elaine Bonilla/reporter
Selecting courses for the upcoming semester can be stressful for a student looking to transfer to a four-year school. Determining which course to take at TCC can be less stressful if students talk with an adviser at the four-year school of their choice.
Talking to advisors from a university and TCC will help students get the most out of their time, money and courses here.
David Reid/The Collegian
“Students should come in at least once a semester to ensure courses are transferrable and to double check before registering for that semester and come in more often the closer they are to transferring,” NE academic advisor Vanessa Ximenez said.
If students are focused and know what four-year university they want to attend, no classes should be considered a waste and courses should transfer to the university of their choice, Ximenez said.
Some students think all the courses taken will transfer, but only certain ones are transferrable. For example, if three courses are taken and transferrable but not needed for a university’s core classes — math, language, science and so on — those courses can be used toward the electives portion of the degree plan.
“It’s really hard to go back and fix a mistake, so checking to make sure a student is enrolled in the correct course is very important,” South campus academic advisor Ly-Lan Dang said.
Talking to a TCC advisor is one of the first steps in the process after being accepted to school. This helps students figure out what courses to take during their time at TCC. The advisor will talk with students about possible degree plans for majors that interests the students if they already have a general idea of what they would like to study but are unsure of specifics. If still undecided, the students and advisors will work together to select basic courses that will easily transfer to most universities.
NE Campus UTA representative and admissions counselor Karen Moser recommends looking at core courses for all university choices to best prepare for transfer.
If students already know which universities they might like to attend, it is also helpful to visit the transfer centers available on all TCC campuses. The transfer centers have helpful resources and representatives from most area universities, printed degree plans for universities and information about transfer days where representatives from many schools are available in one area.
“The most important semester when it comes to transferring to UTA is when a student is close to 24 completed credits,” Moser said. “That is when students should start thinking about the transfer process.”
Moser, Ximenez and Dang say the biggest mistake students make is not planning ahead and not talking to a counselor about choosing courses for each semester that will benefit their academic careers.
“Don’t hesitate to contact me, the recruiters or even the admission department for each school,” Moser said.
