Transitions from Another College 

Transitions from Another Major  

Professional and Ethical Behavior
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Transitions from High School

Life at Cal is going to be very different than life in high school. We're not going to describe all those differences to you (more responsibility, more freedom, tougher assignments, etc.); you've heard them all before. What this section is designed to do is give you advice that will help you succeed as an undergraduate CEE at Cal. 

Studying 

Studying in college will be amazingly different than what you were used to in high school. You will be expected to learn more information more thoroughly in less time. The only fact about the amount of studying that is required at Cal is that the amount varies from person to person. Some people will have to spend almost all of their time outside of class studying just to get by. Then there are those that never study and ace everything (it'll take no time at all for you to be frustrated by these people, unless you're one of them, in which case everyone's going to be frustrated with you). Most students will fall somewhere between these two extremes. 

The different academic environment at Cal will take some getting used to. Therefore, you should probably take your first semester a bit easy. Don't take a small load (since this will cause you to make it up by taking a large load or extra semester sometime in the future) or classes that won't count at all toward your degree, but don't just jump right in with both feet and take all the tough classes your first semester. Taking Chemistry 1A, Math 1A, Physics 7A, and Engineering 28 during your first semester is probably a bad idea. Take a humanities class or other non-technical elective to help soften the blows of the intense technical courses. 

If you would like help on improving your study skills, you have a few places to turn. Countless books have been published on the subject, just look for them in any bookstore. Also, the Student Life Advising Services Center provides study skill workshops (Golden Bear Center, 642-7332). 

Here are a few tips about how to become a ‘successful’ student at Cal: 

• Set priorities - study is business. business before pleasure.
• Study - define schedule and place, concentrate, practice, practice, practice.
• Get organized - notebooks, notes, schedules, references, supplies, be neat and professional, honor appointments.
• Read - be active, take notes, retain.
• Schedule - make time for study, projects, research, recreation, rest.
• Take good notes - listen, write, organize, summarize, scan.
• Speak up and ask for help - ask, find out why, question, understand, know, take the initiative.
• Do more than asked - practice, work problems, consult other references, go the extra mile
• Enjoy - learning can be exciting and fun - find the fun - keep looking for the interest and joy, don't get discouraged.
• Focus on basics - learn and practice the fundamentals, don't leave home without them

and Take Time To - - 

• Work - it is the price of success
• Think - it is the source of power
• Play - it is the secret of life
• Read - it is the foundation of knowledge
• Help Friends - it is the source of happiness
• Dream - it can provide the path to the future
• Love - it is the sacrament of life

 

"Weeder" Classes 

The classes you take during your first couple of years are going to be a real challenge. These include most of the lower division math (1A ,1B ,53 ,54), chemistry (1A, 1B), physics (7A, 7B), and engineering (11, 28, 36) courses you are required to take. These courses are CRUCIAL to your future success at Cal. If you don't get the fundamentals in these courses, all of the courses that follow will prove to be even more difficult than they should be. These courses will form the ‘foundation’ of your future work at Cal. 
The most difficult of these classes (which vary from year to year) are generally known as the "weeder" courses, since they cause many engineering students to change majors because they feel they can't make it as engineers. Nobody knows for sure if the college is really trying to weed out weaker students or not, but the fact remains that many students drop out of engineering because of these courses. Our advice to you is: 

Don't Get Weeded Out!

Cal is a tough school. You're most likely not going to get straight A’s, especially in your lower division classes. Chances are you'll fail a few midterms and maybe even some finals. You'll get zeros on homework assignments or lab reports for silly reasons. It has happened to all of us. But just keep in mind: you were admitted into civil engineering at Cal because you're one of the best students in the nation. You wouldn't be here if that wasn't true. Just roll with the punches and move on. Ask any CEE major and they'll all say the same thing: lower division is hell, upper division is heaven. Well, not quite heaven, but once you get into upper division you're guaranteed to enjoy school far more than before. Just hang in there, kid, it gets much better. 
 

Let's go look at something that is very important.... 
 

• Professional and Ethical Behavior