Bakersfield College

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

FAQs by Department or Subject

This collection of FAQ pages is by subject:

General FAQs

Three guidelines to help you graduate BC in 2 years

  1. Take 15 units the first semester.
  2. Take 30 units the first year.
  3. Take transfer level Math & English the first year.

NOTE: If you do not reach 30 units in the first year, you can catch up by enrolling in summer school courses.

Meet with a counselor or advisor regularly and update your CSEP to meet your goals. Counseling and Advising Office (counseling@bakersfieldcollege.edu) at (661) 395-4421.

Go to Office.com and sign in using your BC email and password. You will then be able to download a free copy of Office 365 including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Bakersfield College students can use Microsoft Office at no charge. Go to Office.com and sign in using your BC email and password. You will then be able to download a free copy of Office 365 including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Students can connect to the wireless network on campus. Get instructions at How to connect to BC Wi-Fi.

Make a mental health appointment at the Student Health Center (FREE) (661) 395-4336.

Make a physical health appointment at the Student Health Center (FREE) (611) 395-4336.

  1. Enrolled in at least .5 units
  2. Fill out the proper web forms
  3. Present photo ID upon pick-up

Daily and Weekly, Visit the Pantry for more information.

Your Daily Bread Levinson Hall from 8:00-gone (when campus is open). Visit the Pantry for more information.

Food Distributions

Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Tuesdays
11AM-5PM

Shelf Program

Daily
10AM-5PM

See the Renegade Pantry for further information.

Every student gets monthly points. Shop the shelves until you use up your points. See the Renegade Pantry for further information.

Clothing, hygiene and school supplies. Complete the request form on the Clothing & Hygiene Assistance page.

Expect to dedicate 2 hours for every hour you are in class. A three-unit class meets for 3 hours per week in a 16-week class. That means you should expect to spend 6 hours per week to this class in addition to the 3 hours in class.

You must succeed, earn a "C" grade, in 67% of your classes to protect your Federal Financial Aid eligibility.

In 16-week classes, you have 2 weeks to drop without receiving a “W” on your transcript. The Academic Calendar for Important Dates will have the specific date for the semester. See your class syllabus or speak with your instructor to get dates for classes shorter than 16 weeks.

In 16-week classes, you have 2 weeks to drop without receiving a “W” on your transcript. the Academic Calendar for Important Dates will have the specific date for the semester. See your class syllabus or speak with your instructor to get dates for classes shorter than 16 weeks.

In 16-week classes: The Friday before Census (20% date). See the Academic Calendar for Important Dates.

  1. You may have to repay part of your financial aid.
  2. You may jeopardize your financial aid status.
  3. You may push your graduation date back by 1-4 semesters.

You must succeed in 67% of classes attempted. A W counts as an attempt.

If the course you dropped is a prerequisite for a course that is only offered once every 4 semesters you’ll end up waiting to take the course.

If you are struggling in a class, talk with your instructor about ways to improve. BC also offers services such as Tutoring and the Writing Center to further support you.

Meet with a counselor this week. To make an appointment with a Counselor or Advisor, email counseling@bakersfieldcollege.edu from your BC email or by calling any of our office direct lines:

  • Panorama Campus: (661) 395-4421
  • Delano Campus: (661) 750-2549
  • BC SouthWest: (661) 395-4150

Your Counselor or Advisor will contact you via your BC email or call your on-file phone number to schedule and confirm your appointment. If you need to update your phone number, please update the information within InsideBC (top left of our website) or by calling the Counseling and Advising Center at (661) 395-4421.

Meetings are conducted as 30-minute Zoom Cloud Meeting or a phone appointment.

See graduation application periods on the BC Graduation page.

Steps to apply for graduation are on the BC Graduation page.

The UC application period is November 1-30 of the year prior to the year you seek admission. You can find more information at University of California Dates & Deadlines.

CSU system has three application dates depending upon the term and the school:

Term Priority Application Filing Period*
Winter June 1- June 30
Spring August 1- August 31
Fall October 1- November 30

To find the application dates for a specific CSU, for specific majors, and terms, see CSU Application Dates & Deadlines.

See a transfer counselor and complete a “TAG.” Find out more about the TAG in the Transfer section of our website on the Articulation Page.

To make an appointment with a Transfer Counselor, email counseling@bakersfieldcollege.edu from your BC email or by calling any of our office direct lines:

  • Panorama Campus: (661) 395-4421
  • Delano Campus: (661) 750-2549
  • BC SouthWest: (661) 395-4150

Your Counselor will contact you via your BC email or call your on-file phone number to schedule and confirm your appointment. If you need to update your phone number, please update the information within InsideBC or by calling the Counseling and Advising Center at (661) 395-4421.

Meetings are conducted as 30-minute Zoom Cloud Meeting or a phone appointment.

See a transfer counselor and follow the plan the counselor sets.

To make an appointment with a Transfer Counselor, email counseling@bakersfieldcollege.edu from your BC email or by calling any of our office direct lines:

  • Panorama Campus: (661) 395-4421
  • Delano Campus: (661) 750-2549
  • BC SouthWest: (661) 395-4150

Your Counselor will contact you via your BC email or call your on-file phone number to schedule and confirm your appointment. If you need to update your phone number, please update the information within InsideBC or by calling the Counseling and Advising Center at (661) 395-4421.

Meetings are conducted as 30-minute Zoom Cloud Meeting or a phone appointment.

No. Ask a financial aid counselor about a “dependency override”.

  1. Be “Cal Grant Eligible”
  2. Take 15 units per semester

Find out more at Financial Aid Programs Overview.

BC counselors and advisors recommend that you start out with “The Golden Four” to transfer in 2 years. You must earn at least C’s in the Golden Four.

The Golden Four

  • A.1: Oral Communication
  • A.2: Written Communication
  • A.3: Critical Thinking
  • B.4. Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning

It is recommended that you meet with a counselor to create your Student Education Plan and meet with them once per semester to make sure you are on the correct path. Make an appointment with Counseling and Advising.

15 units per semester (fall and spring). If 15 seems like too much for you, you can also take 12 units per fall and spring semesters plus 6 units each summer.

Probably not, depending upon the time of year you are reading this. We often have Late Start classes beginning in weeks 4, 5, 6 and beyond. To see a list of Late Start Classes that are open:

  1. Go to the Banweb Class Schedule Search.
  2. Select the semester you wish to check for late start classes and then click the “Select Term” button.
  3. You may narrow the search by subject and campus.
  4. In “by College,” select Bakersfield College.
  5. You may further define the search by selecting Day or Evening, Start Time, End Time and Days.
  6. Under “by Open Classes Only,” select Yes.
  7. Under “by Late-start Classes Only,” select Yes.
  8. If you are only looking for online classes, select yes under “by Online Classes Only.” If you want to see all late start classes, leave this at No.

To see a list of Late Start Classes that are open:

  1. Go to the Banweb Class Schedule Search.
  2. Select the semester you wish to check for late start classes and then click the “Select Term” button.
  3. You may narrow the search by subject and campus.
  4. In “by College,” select Bakersfield College.
  5. You may further define the search by selecting Day or Evening, Start Time, End Time and Days.
  6. Under “by Open Classes Only,” select Yes.
  7. Under “by Late-start Classes Only,” select Yes.
  8. If you are only looking for online classes, select yes under “by Online Classes Only.” If you want to see all late start classes, leave this at No.

See a counselor each semester. To make an appointment with a Counselor or Advisor, email counseling@bakersfieldcollege.edu from your BC email or by calling any of our office direct lines:

  • Panorama Campus: (661) 395-4421
  • Delano Campus: (661) 750-2549
  • BC SouthWest: (661) 395-4150

Your Counselor or Advisor will contact you via your BC email or call your on-file phone number to schedule and confirm your appointment. If you need to update your phone number, please update the information within InsideBC or by calling the Counseling and Advising Center at (661) 395-4421.

Meetings are conducted as 30-minute Zoom Cloud Meeting or a phone appointment.

Between the 4th and 7th weeks each semester is the best time to meet with your counselor. Don’t wait until the busy times during open enrollment, just before the semester begins, or the first 3 weeks of the semester.

A Promise to take 15 units a semester, 30 units a year to transfer in 2 years.

Commonly, it is 60 units. Check your major degree requirements for your catalog year.

Complete an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT). See the catalog for ADT’s being offered.

Student Employment is located in FACE 9 along with the Student Employment lab. Visit Student Employment to learn how to sign up for on-campus and off-campus employment and scheduling an appointment with a Job Development Advisor.

Earn an A or B in a class and ask your instructor to recommend you.

Tutoring Services generally have extended hours to assist students, but if you cannot make those hours, they also have NetTutor on Canvas. To learn more about NetTutor, see the Tutoring page and select the “Online Tutoring” tab.

Appointments are ½ hour. The Writing Center takes appointments, but consultants can also assist walk-in students on a first-come, first-serve basis. For a successful 30-minute consultation, students are encouraged to bring assignment sheets, hard-copy notes and drafts, and any other needed material, and should be prepared to discuss assignments with consultant.

Find more information about resources and workshops at the Writing Center.

The center takes appointments, but consultants can also assist walk-in students on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For a successful 30-minute consultation, students are encouraged to bring assignment sheets, hard-copy notes and drafts, and any other needed material, and should be prepared to discuss assignments with consultant. Find more information about resources and workshops at the Writing Center.

No. Check the syllabus for each course to find out which of your instructors give midterm exams.

Schedule an appointment with a writing coach in the Writing Center, (661) 395-4735 or use NetTutor on Canvas.

To learn more about NetTutor, see the Tutoring page and select the NetTutor tab.

  1. Join a study group
  2. Meet with your Instructor

YES. At the halfway point in the semester most instructors have a major assignment to assess what you’ve learned so far.

Make an appointment with your counselor or advisor, they are here to help. To make an appointment with a Counselor or Advisor, email counseling@bakersfieldcollege.edu from your BC email or by calling any of our office direct lines:

  • Panorama Campus: (661) 395-4421
  • Delano Campus: (661) 750-2549
  • BC SouthWest: (661) 395-4150

Your Counselor or Advisor will contact you via your BC email or call your on-file phone number to schedule and confirm your appointment. If you need to update your phone number, please update the information within InsideBC or by calling the Counseling and Advising Center at (661) 395-4421.

A combination of:

  • One-time steps
    and
  • Steps you must complete each semester

See priority registration for priority by Student Group.

The Matriculation steps:

  1. Online Orientation
  2. First Counseling Appointment

It isn’t too late. Complete the matriculation steps now and you’ll be on your way to earning priority registration.

The Matriculation steps:

  1. Online Orientation
  2. First Counseling Appointment

Only once. Most students complete these steps before they ever take a class.

  1. Update Form
  2. Maintain 2.0 + GPA
  3. See a counselor every semester
  4. Make sure your CSEP is up-to-date
  1. Log in to InsideBC (top left of our website)
  2. Click “MyBanWeb” Menu from the black bar
  3. Select “Update Form”

TODAY! It must be completed every semester before you may register for classes.

Comprehensive Student Education Plan. It is the map of courses you need to achieve your education goals. See more at Education Planning.

  1. Priority Registration
  2. Your CSEP provides a roadmap to get you through BC as quickly as possible.
  3. To maintain Financial Aid eligibility.

No. A CSEP, Student Education Plan, includes your entire plan to complete your goal at BC. If you only got a plan for the first year you still need to complete a CSEP.

Take STDV B1 Educational Planning
or
make an appointment with a counselor TODAY: (661) 395-4421

  1. Students with less than a 2.0 GPA
  2. Students with more than 80 units
  3. Students who have already earned a degree at BC

YES! Increase your GPA then follow the steps each semester to earn priority registration.

You are more likely to get the classes you couldn’t get for Fall because there are no Incoming Freshman. ENROLL EARLY!

Check important dates for the first day of priority registration. Your specific registration date can be found at InsideBC.

To find your registration date:

  1. Login to InsideBC (top left of the Bakersfield College website)
  2. Click the MyBanWeb menu
  3. Select Registration Status
  4. Select the Term
  5. Click Submit