- The Lockers
On the south side of the LB building, second floor, there is a row of stately blue lockers, quietly rusting away. I mention it, because none of my classmates seemed to be aware that these lockers were available to students. All you have to do is bring your own padlock and you’ve got two feet of depth, one foot of height and one foot of width that is entirely your own. I use mine to store food, because you never know where you’ll be when the hunger hits. I’d also recommend a stapler, for those essay days, quarters for the copy machines, and coffee, because being a human is hard. Lockers also have been included in the new VA building. Next to the art classes are a couple rows of lockers that are perfect for art students to store, whatever it is they carry in those giant, canvas bags. Make sure you empty out your locker and take your lock at the end of the semester and lay claim to a new one at the beginning of the next.
- Counselors
When I first started attending Citrus College the idea of picking my classes and setting my own schedule was almost to much to bear. I’ve tried every major that I’ve ever shown the slightest inclination for. I took whatever classes sounded fun to me and, while Survey of Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers was admittedly interesting, eventually I had to come up with a plan.
For that, there were counselors. The counselors can help you come up with a Student Education Plan, planning out classes for the next few semesters or all the way up until graduation. They will choose classes with you, based on the what you are interested in and what’s required by the universities. They will also answer, or refer you to someone who can answer, any questions you may have about transfer requirements, programs Citrus offers or how personal is too personal in the personal statement essay.
It’s best to call a week in advance to schedule an appointment, because trying to get a walk-in appointment is living on the edge. To set up an appointment or for more information, visit the Citrus College Counseling Site or call the Counseling Office at (626) 914-8530.
- Textbooks
The first day of class is a mad rush of finding parking, adding classes and buying supplies. However, you don’t need to wait until the first day of classes, to start your textbook shopping. If you go to The Owl Bookshop Website you can get what you need ahead of time or find out how much your textbooks are going to cost. First, click the link helpfully entitled “Click Here to Find Your Course Textbooks”. Then, select the semester, course, and instructor you’re going to be taking and click “Find Books”. You can buy your textbooks new or used online or take the ISBN number to look online elsewhere.
Another option is the Textbook Exchange group on Facebook. Those who join the group can sell your old textbooks or get in contact with students selling textbooks for lower prices.
- Office Hours
There is a magical place at Citrus College, a portal to another world where you’ll never have to feel embarrassed about asking a stupid question or admitting to needing help. It’s a place where the professors you admire most can tell you about all the mistakes they made in their misspent youths, a place where even the most intimidating professors turn into marshmallows. That place is the CI building. During their office hours, professors are often willing to go over something you didn’t understand in class with you or give you advice to help you along in your college career. Many of them seem to enjoy these activities and you might find the you enjoy having a building full of mentors as well. Professors typically list their office hour availability on their syllabi, but for those who don’t, you can always email a professor to set up a meeting.
- Email Forwarding
Many important, and plenty of not-so-important, emails are sent to students via the student email account. However getting into and navigating these quirky email accounts can be cumbersome. It may be more convenient for you to set up email forwarding to link your regular account with your school-provided one. To do this, you first have to login to the account. To find your student email, look under the Personal Information tab of your wingspan account, then follow the instructions provided under the … icon next to the search icon on the Citrus College website. Once in your email account, click “settings”, “app settings”, “mail”, “select accounts”, “select forwarding” and “start forwarding”. If by this point you haven’t lost your mind, enter in the email account where you would prefer to receive your emails and click “save”. Congratulations! You have just completed the first step to getting organized.
- Ratemyprofessors.com
You know that one professor, the one you barely passed, that you wish you could’ve seen coming; they are on ratemyprofessors.com. You know that other professor, the one that changed your life, the one you wished you’d taken semesters ago, the one you’re probably going to name your first child after; they’re on ratemyprofessors.com too. There are several sites dedicated to reviewing professors, but Rate My Professors, started in 1999, is popular due to the number reviews it has. I avoided the site for awhile, picturing a place where disgruntled slackers could put down hard-working teachers. There is a some of that. However, the site also includes tags and descriptions explaining whether the professor is a strict grader, whether the class is homework-heavy, whether you will actually use the textbook, and more. It can be useful a useful preview to what a class may be like. However, since these sites tend to lean heavily towards rants and raves, reviews should be taken with a grain of salt.
- Transfer Admission Guarantee
For those who are interested in transferring to one of the UC’s, community college students are given a tremendous advantage in the Transfer Admission Guarantee. This program guarantees admission to one of the UC’s for California community college students, provided they meet the campus’ requirements. Each university’s requirements are different, however the information can be found under the Citrus College Transfer Center Page. Students who meet the requirements and complete the application are guaranteed admission to the UC of their choice and, in many cases, to the major program as well.
