The term “shopping” may evoke images of malls and
money, but shopping isn’t only used for clothes and food; the
term is expanding to include the way students on campus choose
their classes.
When entering a class for the first time, it is a reality to
students and professors that not everyone sitting in the room will
be at the next class meeting.
For many students, first and second weeks are usually the time
to shop around for classes, in hopes of finding the best fit.
“I go into a class and after the professor goes through
the syllabus, I decide whether I will stick it out or try to find a
new class,” said Honey Hashemian, first-year undeclared
student.
With $10 add or drop fees not being charged until third week,
students are given flexibility with a two-week grace period at the
start of each quarter.
This unofficial shopping period allows students to listen to a
lecture, read through the syllabus, and talk to the professor
before ultimately committing to a class.
And some professors welcome the exploration.
“Students are consumers, and this is the product,”
said communication studies Professor Michael Suman.
Professors often encourage students to drop a class if they
don’t think they’ll benefit from it.
“Class is a collective effort; we want students who are
happy to be here,” said anthropology professor Alessandro
Duranti.
Still, Duranti said he likes the early enrollment process at
UCLA, which usually takes place around seventh week in the previous
quarter.
“I get a sense of how many people will be in my class. It
helps to structure classes, assignments and exams,” he
said.
Art history Professor Steven Nelson also welcomes the
exploration process.
“You might find a class you didn’t otherwise know
about,” he said, adding that the fluctuation of class size
greatly depends on the size of the class.
“The bigger the class, the more we see change. In a big
class, not everyone is going to like it,” he said.
Because of the large class sizes, general education classes are
commonly the target of student shoppers.
“Students try to find the class that’s least painful
or looks the easiest,” Nelson added.
Though professors encourage students to shop around, many
students find it difficult due to time constraints and limited
class offerings.
Blaming the two-pass enrollment system for giving students
scheduling problems and keeping students from taking advantage of
this shopping period, third-year psychology student Shirine Satee
said, “Classes fill up really quick, there’s always a
risk to drop.”
Because of financial aid, minimum progress requirements and
housing eligibility, students must enroll for a minimum of 12 units
during the standard enrollment period. It isn’t uncommon for
students to sign up for their second-choice classes to temporarily
satisfy this requirement until openings occur in their preferred
classes.
To avoid dropping below the required unit minimum of a full-time
student, Satee said she usually enrolls in 16 units, leaving a
class as a backup so that she can drop one if she doesn’t
like it.
Many students start the shopping process before enrollment
actually begins, depending on Bruin Walk professor ratings and
friends’ recommendations to guide them.
But for some students, this just isn’t enough as they need
the first couple of weeks of each quarter to finalize their
schedules.
Norma Salazar, a first-year psychobiology student said she
dropped two classes early last quarter because she found other
courses she would rather have taken.
“I keep checking URSA until the classes I want open
up,” she said.
But other students say they find the shopping system leaves them
with less-than-desired classes.
“Those who don’t make a commitment on their schedule
and instead “˜class shop’ end up with second-tier
classes compared with those students who pick a schedule and stick
with it,” said Kyle Davis, a first-year civil engineering
student.
Other students opt not to use the exploration period and plan
out their schedules well in advance due to a need for security.
“I try to plan my quarter in advance. I give myself
options and try to contact professors before classes start. So far,
I’ve only dropped one class here,” said third-year
economics student Michelle Gavilanes.
Third-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student,
Quang Ngo agreed.
“Once I register, I know which classes I’m going to
take. South campus classes, especially upper division, are harder
to move around (in). It isn’t often that a certain class is
offered.”