Here are some answers to some common questions.
If you need more information, do not hesitate to contact Student Services
at (808) 235-7413.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO ENROLL AT WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE?
Students will need to submit a system application to Admissions and Records
located in Hale Alakai, room 112. The system application form can also
be found at: http://windward.hawaii.edu/cat/stsrv/stsrv.html or by contacting
the Admissions and Records Office directly.
Students will also be required to submit the tuberculosis and measles,
mumps, rubella clearance before they can register for classes. For detailed
information, see health clearance page.
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HOW DO I APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID?
Students interested in applying for aid from WCC should follow the process
described below:
1. Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit
it to the Federal government. The FAFSA is available at WCC and at most
community colleges or universities in your area. WCC's Title IV Code for
the FAFSA is 010390. The FAFSA may also be submitted electronically via
the Internet. The USDOE website is http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.
2. Within 4 to 6 weeks of submitting the FAFSA, a Student Aid Report
(SAR) will be returned to the student. The SAR should be reviewed for
accuracy.
3. The student will be contacted if any additional information is required
and also upon determination of their eligibility for financial aid from
WCC. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible since some
of the financial aid programs have limited funds. The priority deadline
in applying for aid at WCC is April 1st of each year. Completed applications
received after the deadline will be considered as long as funds are available.
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WILL I NEED TO TAKE A PLACEMENT TEST?
Yes. WCC uses the COMPASS test to evaluate your current skill in English
and Math. Visit the Placement Testing page for more information.
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WHAT IS A PREREQUISITE ?
A prerequisite is skills or courses required prior to enrollment in a
course. Required prerequisites for each course can be found under the
course descriptions in the catalog and Schedule of Classes.
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WHAT IS A CO-REQUISITE?
A co-requisite is a course that a student should take the same semester
with another course. Required co-requisites for each course can be found
under the course descriptions in the catalog and Schedule of Classes.
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WHAT DOES "RECOMMENDED PREPARATION" MEAN?
The student should already have acquired the stated skills or knowledge
needed for the course. This will improve your chances for successful completion
of a course.
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HOW LONG DOES A SEMESTER LAST?
A semester is a time span of fifteen weeks within a four and one-half
month period during which courses are offered and completed. There are
usually two semesters in one academic year: fall semester and spring semester.
There may be several "accelerated terms" within each semester. A six-week
long summer session may also be held.
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WHAT IS A CREDIT HOUR?
A credit hour is the credit value assigned to each course and is indicated
in parenthesis next to the course title. For each credit hour, a student
usually spends at least 1 hour a week in class. Most classes are 3 to
5 credit hours each. The number of credits is determined by the number
of lecture, laboratory or field experience hours required for each course.
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HOW MANY CREDIT HOURS ARE NECESSARY TO BE A FULL-TIME STUDENT?
The full-time class load is 12 or more credit hours. Students who carry
less than 12 credits are considered to be attending part-time.
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HOW OFTEN DO CLASSES MEET EACH WEEK?
Generally, classes meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or Tuesday and
Thursday. Usually if the class meets 3 times a week, each class period
will be approximately 50 minutes long. If the class meets 2 times a week,
each class period will be approximately an hour and 15 minutes long.
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DO I HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL EVERYDAY?
When you attend school will depend on the schedule that you create. Some
students elect to take courses only in the mornings, whereas others choose
to attend on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The days that you must attend
school depends on how you choose construct your schedule. Since classes
fill on a first-come, first-serve basis, you are encouraged to register
early.
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HOW MANY CREDIT HOURS SHOULD I TAKE?
Recommended course loads vary from student to student depending on the
demands of other responsibilities/activities in their personal lives.
You should take only as many credits as you will do well in. If you are
working full-time, you should probably register for no more than 6 credits.
You will need to balance all of your responsibilities. If you have a family,
everyone will need to adjust to ensure your success in college.
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HOW MANY HOURS OF HOMEWORK SHOULD I PLAN FOR EACH CLASS HOUR?
It is recommended that you study at least 2 to 3 hours for each hour
spent in class. A full-time student taking 12 credits, therefore, should
plan on at least 24 to 36 hours of study time each week.
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HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD A FULL-TIME STUDENT WORK?
It is recommended that a full-time student not work more than 15 to 20 hours a week.
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WHAT KIND OF CLASSES SHOULD I SELECT?
It is suggested that students take their classes from the different core
requirement areas. For example, English composition (ENG 100) is a basic
requirement for all degrees. It would be ideal to register for your
English course as soon as possible. Building a solid foundation in English
will prepare you for the writing/comprehension demands of courses in other
disciplines. World History (HIST 151 and HIST 152) is also a basic requirement
for WCC's Associate in Arts degree, as well as all of the University of
Hawaii's degrees. You could also mix in a humanities, natural science,
social science, or elective course.
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WHAT IS AN ASSOCIATE IN ARTS (AA) DEGREE?
The AA degree is awarded after 60 credits of liberal arts courses have
been completed. For details on WCC's AA requirements, please refer to
the catalog or contact a counselor. Once a student receives their AA degree,
they often choose to continue their education and pursue a four-year bachelor's
degree. Although we do not offer a bachelor's degree at WCC, our counselors
can assist you with planning for a bachelor's degree. For more information, visit the AA Degree page.
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WHERE DO I PARK AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
There is no charge for parking, but parking is permitted in designated
areas only. Cars parked in restricted areas may be towed away at the owner's
expense. The College assumes no liability for damage to or thefts from
automobiles parked on campus.
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WHAT ARE SOME HELPFUL STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS?
1. Attend every class. Arrive early.
2. Keep up with the assignments. Do homework on a daily basis. Allow
2 hours per week for each hour you are in class.
3. Ask questions in class or use your instructor's office hours to meet
with them.
4. Have someone in class who could share notes with you and collect handouts
for you when you are absent.
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WHAT CREDITS FROM MY OTHER INSTITUTION WILL TRANSFER TO WCC?
All counselors can assist you with an unofficial evaluation. For registration
purposes, unofficial transcripts/ report cards can be used to enroll in
classes. If you would like to officially transfer credits from a previous
institution to graduate with your AA degree, you will need to:
1. Send an official transcript to WCC from each institution that you
have attended. (Official transcripts are transcripts that have been sent
directly from your previous institution to WCC's Admissions and Records Office.) WCC can accept credits from any regionally accredited institution
if applicable to your WCC major.
2. Complete a Request for Transcript Evaluation and turn it in to Admissions
and Records (A&R). You can obtain a form from a counselor or at A&R.
3. Applicants will have their transcripts officially evaluated about
2 weeks after the beginning of the semester. If you withdraw from all
of your classes prior to an official transcript evaluation, your transcripts
will not be evaluated.
4. Once the transcripts have been officially evaluated, a letter will
be sent to you indicating how the credits apply to your major at WCC.
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ARE THERE IMPORTANT DATES THAT I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?
Yes. In the catalog and schedule of classes there will be deadline dates.
These deadlines are important for you to remember. For example, there
are deadlines to withdraw from classes, receive a refund on your tuition,
and much more.
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HOW DO I GET HELP WITH DISABILITY RELATED ACCOMMODATIONS?
The College has a designated Disabilities Services Coordinator on campus. |
