A Guide to Transitioning to College Classes

The winter semester begins in January. For many WTMC students, this will be their first experience in a college class. College classes differ from high school classes and it's helpful for parents/guardians to understand the key differences in order to support their students as they begin this new academic challenge.

 

College schedules can be viewed in MyWCC (your student will need to log in to show you). The drop deadline is the last day of the semester that a class can be “dropped” from your student’s schedule with no penalty. Add/drop dates for each semester are listed on the WCC website. Remember: 7.5-week, 10-week, 12-week, and 15-week classes have different drop deadlines. After the deadline, your student’s college classes are set for the term and cannot be changed without penalty.

 

Attendance in college classes is different than in high school classes. The typical college class meets twice per week. A student who misses two classes has missed an entire week of instruction, equivalent to missing five days of a high school class. Attendance policies differ from one instructor to the next, but will be explained in the course syllabus.

 

In college classes, grades are not available in PowerSchool. To see your student’s college grades, ask them to log in to Blackboard or Canvas to show you their gradebook, or contact your student’s BASE advisor. Parents should not contact college instructors. Your student’s BASE advisor will coordinate communication with WCC faculty.

 

All students can access the college’s Learning Commons (2nd floor GM) for tutoring and the Writing Center (LA 327) for help with writing-related assignments. The WTMC Math Success Center is available for students that need help with WTMC and WCC math classes and the National Honor Society at WTMC hosts Study Space, where students can receive help with their coursework from peer tutors. Students in college classes should plan individual BASE meetings with their advisor on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. WTMC counselors, success coaches, and social workers are also available for support.

 

If a student fails or withdraws from a college course, they will be placed on a special status that allows for additional support. The student and family may have to repay the tuition and fees for the course. If your family is contacted about this status, we will ask you to schedule a follow-up meeting with the WTMC office.

 

WTMC provides books and supplies for college classes but students are responsible for getting them from the bookstore and returning them as soon as the course ends. Students should never pay for textbooks without speaking to Ms. Zoe in the WTMC office first.

 

College books are available at the bookstore the week before classes begin through the second week of class. Dates are always listed in the WTMC monthly newsletter at the beginning and end of each semester. WTMC students need a book sticker on their student ID to get their books. Book stickers are available in the WTMC office.

 

Some classes use ebooks or online components. Access codes can be provided in two ways – an email from the bookstore or a card with the code. Students should always use the two-week trial code first, then activate the full-semester code.

 

College books must be returned to the WCC Bookstore as soon as a course ends. Students who don’t return their books on time may have to pay for them.

 

Some classes require specialized equipment or materials. WTMC provides most of these with a few exceptions. Students should never pay for any class materials without speaking to Ms. Zoe in the WTMC office first.

 

On-campus computing resources are available for all students. Students can access the software they need in the GM computer commons or department labs. This includes students taking online classes.

 

Students taking tech-heavy WCC classes that require specialized software (VID, CPS, ANI, GDT, PHO, etc.) should be prepared to spend time on campus in the computer lab. WTMC will not reimburse students for the cost of software subscriptions and cannot install specialized software for WCC classes on personal or WTMC laptops.

 

WCC has a limited number of laptops to lend students in digital media arts classes. Students should ask their instructors about checking one out for the semester. Students taking PHO or GDT classes that have checked out a WCC laptop can access the Adobe Creative Cloud apps for their classes by emailing Mr. Long ([email protected]) with a request that includes the name of the class and the IS-number (found on the barcode tag) of the device.