Hello again everyone, I hope you’ve all enjoyed these unusually warm and sunny October days! Don’t let the summer weather fool you however, we are well underway here at UC Davis and believe it or not it is already time to look ahead to winter quarter. As you begin to plan out your winter quarter schedule, there are a few key things to keep in mind. Let’s break them down:
1.Pass-times:
As most of you know, pass times are the dates assigned to you indicating when you can register for your classes. Things can get a little tricky beyond this especially when you start to consider the different pass time intervals and the different number of registration units that each allows. The easiest way to keep this information in line is to make a list.
Winter Quarter Pass 1 Registration: Nov 2-Nov 13
17 units allowed
Pass 1 Open registration:
Weekdays 6:00 a.m.–midnight (PT)
Weekends 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (PT)
Winter Quarter Pass 2 Registration: Nov 23- Dec 5
19 units allowed
Pass 2 Open registration:
Weekdays 6:00 a.m.–midnight (PT)
Weekends 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (PT)
*open registration means that you can adjust your schedule during those times after your passtime
You can view your assigned pass times on Schedule Builder, right below the yellow search buttons. A key thing to note about Pass 1 is that you may not wait list a class during this time. You must wait until Pass 2 to wait list courses. AP units will no longer contribute to an earlier pass time in an effort to be fair to students who did not have access to AP courses in high school. This is effective October 26, when pass times are released. If you feel confused about anything I have written so far, you may visit the Office of the Registrar’s website to access all of the information listed above.
2. Units:
Unit count is an important thing to consider when registering for classes because it can affect your status as a student as well as your academic standing.
12 units= full time status (you qualify for financial aid and may live in the residence halls)
13 units= minimum progress (must average 13 units a quarter and have 39 units by the end of the year to be in good academic standing)
Remember that wait listed units do not count towards your full time status. Therefore, you must ensure that you are registered for 12 units by the start of the quarter to receive financial aid (if you qualify for it). You can do this by registering for a backup class that you can drop if you get into the wait listed class or keep if you do not get into it.
If you are a first year student and living in the residence halls I encourage you to attend the Residence Hall Advising Team (RHAT) program “Planning Your Winter Quarter Schedule” to learn more about both pass times and unit requirements. Please contact your RA if you wish to find out when RHAT will present on your floor.
3. Studying, Fun, and Wellness
While it is crucial to fully understand the information I mentioned above, it is also important to be self-aware when planning your winter quarter schedule…or any quarter schedule for that matter. What I mean is, take a moment to reflect on how you are doing so far. If you feel like 
you are totally in control here at UC Davis and your grades are where you want them to be, then feel free to continue at your pace. However, if you feel like you need more room to breathe and you want to work on improving your grades, it is perfectly okay to lighten your load. We have student peer advisers and staff advisers here at the Biology Academic Success Center (BASC) that can help you plan a schedule to best fit your needs and still meet university, college, and major requirements. I also recommend that you visit the Student Academic Success Center (SASC) if you would like to learn more about tutoring options BEFORE you even begin your next quarter; this way you can fit tutoring into your schedule!
Once you feel like you are on the right track with academics, start to think about how you physically feel so far. Are you exercising the right amount and eating a well balanced diet? Are you generally healthy or do you notice an increase in sick days? Make all the necessary adjustments in your daily routines to make sure that you are the best version of yourself as often as can be. Our previous blogs cover topics such as campus recreation, wellness, and campus activities, which you can browse through to learn more about things you can do to improve your lifestyle!
I hope you found this to be a helpful read and that you feel more prepared to make the right decisions for yourself come winter quarter. Drop by the BASC with any questions or leave a comment below. One last note: enjoy the rest of fall quarter! Don’t let all the talk about next quarter distract you from the present.
Take care,
Daiana Bucio
4th year Genetics & Genomics
BASC peer adviser
STUDENT TO STUDENT 