Counseling Frequently Asked Questions

counseling frequently asked questions (faqs)

 

A Student Education Plan (SEP) is a roadmap that you and your Counselor create together showing the courses planned to reach your academic and career goals. You can click here to schedule an appointment and meet with a Counselor.  
To clear a prerequisite a student will need to email the Counseling Department. If the prerequisite was completed at another institution, the student will need to provide a transcript by uploading a transcript to verify the successful completion of the prerequisite course. 
You can change your major anytime by meeting with a counselor and to create or update your educational plan. You will also need to fill out a Change of Major form and submit it to Admissions and Records. 
If you are planning to repeat a course for a 3rd attempt (attempts include "D", "F", "W", and "NP/NC"), you will need to meet with a Counselor to complete an Excessive Repeat Petition form. EW's (Extenuating Circumstance Drops) do not count as an attempt. You can email this form to admissions@compton.edu from your @compton.edu email.
An "AA/AS degree" is an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree, and is the degree granted by Compton College. Each AA/AS degree consists of 60 units, and is a combination of general education, major, and elective classes. Compton College also offers a Transfer AA/AS for students planning on transferring to a 4-year university. For more information about the AA/AS degrees offered at Compton College and their requirements, see Major Advising Worksheets
If you need assistance in identifying your career goal, writing a resume, preparing for an interview, or finding a job, career counseling services are available for Compton College students at the Transfer & Career Center. To make an appointment or for more information about the services offered by the Transfer & Career Center, please see the Transfer & Career Center website.
The classes required for your major depend both on the major you choose and on your academic goal. For example, the courses required to transfer to a university may differ from those required for an AA degree. To learn of the specific courses required for your goal, please meet with a Compton College counselor.
There are many student service programs offered at Compton College. For a full listing of programs, please see Student Services.
Click here to view the Counselor assigned to your Guided Pathway Division.
You may drop a class by logging into your MyCompton. For a list of withdrawal dates and deadlines, refer to Compton College's Academic Calendar for dates and deadlines. You may also want to make an appointment with a counselor to determine if withdrawing from a class will impact your academic status Compton College. Stopping your attendance in a class does not withdraw you from that class, and will often result in a grade of "F." Please remember that it is your responsibility to drop a class!
Your GPA, or grade point average, is the main indicator of your academic performance in college. GPAs are based on the following system:

Grade Points
A = 4
B = 3
C = 2
D = 1
F = 0

To calculate your grade point average, multiply the letter grade points by the number of units in the class. For example, if you received an "A" in English 101, a "C" in Math 150, and an "F" in History 101, you would have:

Divide the total number of grade points (24) by the total number of units attempted (11) and that gives you your Grade Point Average = 2.1 GPA.

For information about Financial Aid, please view the Financial Aid website. You may also want to consult websites such as www.fafsa.ed.gov, www.ed.gov, and www.finaid.org. All students are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and the GPA Verification Form (for Cal Grants) between January 1st and March 2nd for priority consideration, and the California College Promise Grant. 
The maximum full-time student program for a semester is 18 units without a physical education class and 19 units with a physical education class. The maximum program of study for a six-week summer session is 8 units. The maximum program for an eight-week summer session is 9 units if one unit is physical education. For the winter term, the maximum program of study is 7 units. 
If you are experiencing constant stress, fighting depression, or having other personal problems, please visit our Student Health Center: St. John's Well Child and Family Center. For appointments, please call 213-226-7480.
You can click here to find out more information on how you can qualify for the AB 540 nonresident tuition exemption.

If you are a student who identifies as undocumented or AB 540, click here to learn more on how to access resources and support at Compton College.

A unit is the amount of credit you receive for successfully completing a class.

Units also give you a clue about the approximate number of hours the class meets each week. For example, a 1-unit class will meet about one hour per week for the semester, while a 4-unit class will meet about 4 hours per week for the semester.

Units also are an indicator about the level of difficulty of the class. The more difficult the course, the more units you receive for successfully completing that class. For example, you would receive 1 unit for completing a swimming or aerobics class, while you would receive 4 units for completing an English or math class.

The number of units you should take per session depends on what other commitments you have in your life, such as work, parenting, etc. It will help you in planning your schedule if you have an idea about how much time you need to dedicate to your classes, so here is a good rule of thumb:

  • For taking classes in a semester, multiply the number of units you will be taking times 3. That will tell you how many hours you will need each week between going to class and doing homework outside of class. For example, if you are planning on enrolling in 12 units in a semester, you will need 36 hours (12 x 3) each week to dedicate to school - which is almost a full-time job!
  • Remember, it is not the number of classes that will determine how busy you will be - it is the number of units you enroll in. Taking three classes that total 7 units is very different from taking three classes that total 11 units.

The general guidelines for the number of units you should take in a semester are as follows (the maximum allowed is 18 + 1-unit PE):

  • 40 hours of commitment per week (work, parenting, etc.) - take 3 to 6 units
  • 30 hours per week - 3 to 6 units
  • 20 hours per week - 6 to 9 units
  • 10 hours per week - 9 to 12 units
  • Fewer than 10 hours per week - 12 to 18 units

A student shall be placed on academic probation if the student has earned a cumulative grade-point average below (2.0). A student shall be placed on progress probation if the student has enrolled in a total of at least 12 semester units and the percentage of all units in which the student has enrolled, for which entries of "W," "I," "NC," and "NP" were recorded reaches or exceeds 50 percent.

A student shall be placed on progress probation if the student has enrolled in a total of at least 12 semester units and the percentage of all units in which the student has enrolled, for which entries of "W," "I," "NC," and "NP" were recorded reaches or exceeds 50 percent. A student shall be removed from academic probation when the student's cumulative grade point average reaches or exceeds 2.0. A student shall be removed from progress probation when the percentage of units of "W," "I," "NC," and "NP" drops below 50 percent.

Fore more information, click here.

A student may petition to have up to 24 semester units of substandard work (D, F or WF grade assigned) taken at Compton College disregarded in the determination of the grade point average (GPA). For more information, please view Academic Renewal policy.
If you want to transfer classes from another college to Compton College, first have your transcripts from that college sent directly to Compton College, Admissions and Records, 1111 E Artesia Boulevard, Compton, CA 90221. You should also always have your own copy of transcripts for reference or use in counseling sessions. A student needs to come in to see a counselor to have their college transcripts evaluated. Once you have your transcripts, make an appointment with a counselor to determine if your classes count toward an AA/AS degree and/or transfer, and to have an official evaluation completed.
To prepare to transfer to a four-year university, it is important that you make an appointment with a counselor to discuss the specific requirements for your university and major. You may also want to consult the Transfer & Career Center for more information.
If you're a new student to Compton College, your first step is to complete the online application. You may also want to look at the Welcome Center webpage.
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