Students tend to face some of the same situations. Here are some tips to help you finish the Anthropology Major--and your B.A.--smoothly.

The most important tip is to read the College of Letters and Science LASAR guide. --it can answer questions you may have and help you to avoid a lot of problems.

Tip #1:
Get a umail account and get on the Anthropology e-mail listserv by contacting the Undergraduate Advisor.

Tip # 2:
Look to the Anthropology web site to find information that you need about anything in the department--most likely you'll find it there. If you need contact information for professors, look under "people" you can find the phone numbers, office location, e mail addresses of faculty, visiting professors, etc... If you need another copy of the major sheet, you'll find it there too.

Tip #3:
Crashing a course: if a course is full, you may find an electronic waiting list at https://waitlist.ucsb.edu. If the course does not have a waitlist, you may contact the instructor.

Tip #4:
Have grade disputes resolved as quickly as possible with the instructor. If you feel that you have received an unfair grade or a grade in error, speak with your T.A. and the course instructor ASAP to have the grade dispute resolved. Due to the nature of their work, frequently our faculty go on leave for one or more quarters, and a number of classes are taught by visiting professors. So when the instructor is not at UCSB, consequently, attempts to adjust grades cannot be processed in a timely manner, or in some cases, not at all. Save yourself time and grief by taking care of any grade problems as they come up.

Tip #5:
If you take an incomplete in a class, keep in touch with the instructor or professor. Again, frequently our faculty go on leave for one or more quarters, and a number of classes are taught by visiting professors. To avoid the unpleasant surprise of trying to turn in your completed work only to find that the instructor is gone, you need to maintain contact with him or her (maybe an email at least once during a quarter). Instructors are busy and can't keep a track of all the students they have. It is your responsibility to make sure to make sure that you finish the work in a timely manner with the instructor. If you need to file for an "extension for incomplete," you come to the Anthropology office (note: to file the original incomplete petition, you need to go to the Registrar for the form and submit it there).

Tip #5a:
Please note that if you receive an incomplete or a NO Grade in a class, the grade WILL change into an "F" in 3 months unless the instructor of the course turns in a grade for you. So be sure that you complete all of your incompletes or drop courses that you are not attending.

Tip # 6:
If your academic performance is being severely and negatively affected by a personal tragedy, please do contact the College of Letters and Science. They will help you take the appropriate steps to withdraw from the quarter, etc.... Rather than doing poorly and receiving F's in your classes, it is perhaps in your best interests to withdraw from the quarter. Also, you might wish to seek counseling from Counseling and Career Services.

Tip #7 :
If you are doing poorly in a class, please seek help! This seems pretty obvious but you'd be surprised by how many students never speak to their professors or TAs. If you have questions or don't understand the material, ask. Also, don't forget about learning resources like C.L.A.S.

Tip #8:
If you are planning on going to graduate school of any kind, get to know your professors and TAs so you can get good letters of recommendation. As the undergraduate advisor, I routinely write letters stating that students are in good standing for various applications. I encourage you to get involved with research or independent studies (Anth 198, 199, or 199RA--please note that the university and department require about a 3.00 GPA for 3 preceding quarters in order to sign up). It is a good way to get to know professors and develop relationships with them. Graduate schools look very favorably upon those applicants with research experience and skills. If you've enjoyed a class with certain professors or are interested in what you read about their work on their web sites, approach him or her to conduct research under their guidance. (Side note: drop by Counseling and Career Services for info on their workshops on how to get into grad school or come and speak with our Graduate Program Assistant if you are interested in the UCSB's program.)

Tip #9:
Don't forget to get junior progress checks through the College of Letters and Science and senior progress checks through the Office of the Registrar. You can meet with an advisor there, or you can order these progress checks through the Registrar, too (and then meet with an advisor if you need help deciphering them). Remember, completing the Anthropology Major requirements is different than completing the requirements for the B.A. degree.

Tip #10:
Do not concurrently enroll at another college during the regular academic school year without getting prior approval from the College of Letters and Science.

Tip #11:
Make sure that your courses will transfer to UCSB if you plan on studying elsewhere for a quarter, whether it be overseas or somewhere else in the U.S. You can contact the Office of Admissions to find this out. Also, you will need to petition these courses to have them apply to the Anthropology major if you need them for major requirements. You can come to our office to fill out the petitions.