Winter registration is here and Clackamas Community College has a lot of resources to help students register for classes and prepare for graduation. According to Chris Sweet, the registrar and enrollment services operations manager, the optimal time to register is during your priority registration window.

Sweet said, “Each student is assigned a priority registration window based on the number of credits they have completed here at Clackamas Community College.”

He also mentioned that open registration for all students, including new students, becomes available on Friday, Nov. 20. However, depending on how many credits you have, you may be eligible to register earlier and have first pick at the available
classes. The priority registration windows are listed on page eight of the 2016 winter class schedule.

When asked which classes fill up the fastest, Sweet said, “I have been told that the classes that tend to fill the fastest are WR 121 and the sciences. Math can fill fast, but not as fast as WR 121 or the sciences.”

This is something to keep in mind if you’re planning on registering for these courses winter term. Many students don’t know which program they want to pursue and those who do don’t always know which classes are required for their program or degree. Therefore, registration can be a little more difficult than simply picking a class and checking the register box. Luckily, CCC has many resources available for students struggling with these uncertainties.

The counseling department is a great resource for students who are undecided on a career path. P.J. Martineau, an academic advising specialist at CCC, said, “There are some general classes that we can get someone started on if they’re a brand new student and are undecided.”

She took it a step further by saying, “If they’re undecided, then we would guide them towards some career exploration opportunities that we have here online.”

When asked about those career exploration opportunities, she said, “We have a new link from our career services website that’s called Career Coach and that is the first place that we direct our undecided students to.”

Visit www.clackamas.edu/CareerCoach for more information.

Students who know what program or degree they’re working toward can run an academic evaluation report and find exactly which required courses they have already met and which courses they still need. This report can be found in your myClackamas account by clicking on the drop down tab to the left labeled “Account Information” and then clicking on “Academic Evaluation.”

For students who are planning to transfer to a four-year university, it’s a good idea to explore the websites of the universities you are interested in. Many universities have modules where you can see exactly which courses offered here transfer to their school.

Another resource for transfer students is the Oregon Transfer Day CCC is hosting on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Gregory Forum, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be in-state as well as out-of-state schools there to answer any questions you may have about transferring.

Another thing to be aware of when planning for graduation is the fact that you have to petition to graduate. The counseling department recommends that you petition to graduation two terms before you’re planning on graduating. When you petition to graduate, you can look over your academic evaluation that has been reviewed by the office of graduation to get a better idea of your academic progress. For the petition to graduate form, log on to your myClackamas account and towards the bottom of the page under “Forms” you’ll see a link that says “Petition for Graduation.”

Figuring out what you want to study and which university you want to transfer to is hard, especially when every school has their own course list and requirements. Therefore, it’s important to make sure you’re taking the classes you need and that those classes transfer. That process is made much easier by utilizing all of the resources Clackamas has to offer.

Mekayla Borley

Writing-121: English Composition

Instructor Ryan Davis

“With Ryan, he tends to try and leave the discussion up to the students, and not dictate the conversation.”

Gabe Sullwold

R-103: Comparative Religions

Instructor Donald Hartsock

“It’s good to expand your horizons by seeing what other people believe.”

Breanna Nichols

TA-141: Acting

Instructor James Eikrem

“My favorite part about the class was learning how to effectively communicate in front of people.”

Photos by Cassidy White