Graduate Survival Guide
...tips for selecting your major professor, finding financial support, and important information for international students.
WHAT EVERY NEW GRADUATE STUDENT SHOULD KNOW:
Welcome to UC Davis! We realize that academic life is not new to you, but we would like to help you become familiar with the UC Davis environment. The information collected here is a combination of useful facts and helpful tips, given to us by current and past graduate students. We encourage you to contact us if you have any additional tips or suggestions.
Where am I?
Davis is a centrally located, small northern California city with a small-town feel. It has a population of 56,000, so you are likely to run into someone you know while buying fresh bread, fruits, and vegetables at the twice-weekly farmer's market, riding your bicycle around town, or participating in one of the numerous intellectual and cultural activities offered by the city and the university. The climate in the central valley is fairly temperate: summers are hot, sunny, and dry; winters are generally mild and rainy. Davis is 15 miles from Sacramento, the state capital, and an hour and forty-five minutes drive from the excitement and culture of San Francisco.
Check out: The Davis Community Network and The City of Davis
Airport Arrival:
Davis is twenty miles from the Sacramento Airport and ninety miles from the San Francisco Airport. It is easier to fly into Sacramento, since transportation into Davis is less expensive and more straightforward. A taxi ride from the Sacramento airport to the heart of downtown Davis will cost about $35, or you can arrange with the less-expensive Davis Airporter Service to have them meet your flight and deliver you to the address in Davis that you request. Contact them at least a day before you arrive at (530) 756-6715 or (800) 565-5153.
Even less expensive than the Airporter is the Yolo bus service. Yolobus Line #42 leaves the Sacramento Airport every hour at twenty minutes after the hour between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. and arrives at the Memorial Union on campus about forty five minutes later. The ride costs $1.25 per person.
Check out: Davis Airporter and Yolobus
The Housing Question:
The vacancy rate in Davis is extremely low, so competition for the best accommodations is stiff, and housing prices are expensive. The UC Davis Student Housing Office (530) 752-2033 will provide you with on-campus living and married student housing information. The Associated Students of UC Davis maintains a Community Housing Listing data-base of off-campus housing for the Davis community. Give them a call (530) 752-1990 or check out their Web site (see below). You may also try contacting one of the many property management companies in Davis. King Properties: (530) 753-0121; Acadian Properties (530) 753-2736; and Tandem Properties (530) 756-5075 are three of the most popular and more can be found in a local phone book. Most returning students begin looking in the spring for places to live in the fall. It is advisable to begin your housing search as soon as possible to ensure you get your first choice of accommodation.
Housing in adjacent cities is somewhat cheaper, but transportation into Davis requires a car or a lengthy bus ride.
Check out: Community Housing Listing
Initial Costs:
If you are a new graduate student and have been offered a research or teaching assistantship in your academic department, you will not get your first paycheck until about five weeks after you begin to work (generally not until November 1). If you are not being offered any funding by your department, you will need to cover you own initial expenses. Tuition for California residents is approximately $1,620 per quarter and for non-residents tuition is approximately $5,250 per quarter. It is recommended that you have at least $900 per month set aside for living expenses, plus an additional $200 per month if your partner is with you, and $100 for each child. Health insurance for family members is no longer available through UC Davis, so plan accordingly. Also, remember that credit cards are not accepted by the University cashier's office for payment of tuition and fees.
Check out: The Office of Resource Management and Planning: Student Fees for the most up-to-date information on tuition and fees.
If you have young or school-aged children:
If have children, consider yourself lucky: Davis has one of the best K-12 educational systems in the state of California. Davis is also very community-oriented, and the school district provides a number of special services to both children and their families. Before enrolling your children in a California school, you will be asked to provide proof of birth and an immunization record. A child's birth or baptismal certificate will be accepted as proof of birth. The immunization record must show the month, day, and year of the vaccine that was given and who gave the immunization (private doctor, clinic, etc.). Students must be immunized against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), mumps, rubella, and measles. You will not be able to register your child without this information. (If you are an international student, please provide trans-lat ion for these important documents.)
Following your arrival in Davis, contact the Davis Joint Unified School District (530) 757-5300 to determine which school is nearest your residence in order to arrange for registration and school entrance. There are a number of quality schools and child-care resources available in Davis. For a comprehensive directory of day care centers, nursery schools, cooperatives, playgroups, and recreation programs licensed by the state of California, contact UC Davis Child Care Services at (530)752-5415.
Check out: The Davis Joint Unified School District and Division of Human Resources: Childcare and Family Services
Getting around town:
Bicycles: Davis is sometimes referred to as "The Bicycle Capital of the United States" because of the large numbers of people who elect the bicycle as their main form of transportation. the flat terrain and bicycle accommodations make bicycling a workable option. There are numerous riding clubs in the community, and wide bike lanes can be found on most major Davis streets and all areas of campus. All bicycles used on the UC Davis campus are required to have a valid California State Bicycle License and all riders are expected to pay careful attention to the sections on traffic laws that apply to them. Licenses are available at the Transportation and Parking Services office (TAPS), through their Bicycle Program. Call (530) 752-2453 for more information. Davis also has a number of stores where you can purchase new bicycles. Used bicycles are advertised in local newspapers and on bulletin boards on campus and in the community. At the beginning of fall and spring quarters, the campus police department holds a bike auction. To find out the date and time, call the TAPS Bicycle Program at (530) 752-2453.
Unitrans: Public transportation is also safe and widely used. The in-town buses are run by the student association, A.S.U.C.D. Buses leave directly from the Memorial Union (MU), or Shields Library on the Davis campus and go to most parts of town. Current bus schedules are available at the MU Information Desk on the UC Davis Campus. Yolobus at (530) 661-0816 serves Yolo county and links Davis to downtown Sacramento and to Woodland.
DEPARTMENTAL AND ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Registration:
Registrar Students Via Phone (RSVP) is the UC Davis telephone registration system, which allows students to register via touch-tone phones from anywhere in the world. You are required to enter personal student information at each transaction, and you can add or drop courses, select the grading criteria you want, change the unit value for a variable-unit course, and hear a list of your courses, complete with locations and times. When you register through RSVP you know immediately the status and availability of courses. Students wanting to add courses that require instructor approval (such as courses numbered 290C, 299, and 390) must obtain the appropriate course reference number (CRN) from their major professor before calling RSVP. Please note that you must receive instructor approval before changing units. Failure to secure instructor approval before registering for a variable-unit course or changing units may result in disciplinary action, academic penalty, or both. Students must register for at least 12 units each quarter during the first pass of registration to avoid problems with financial assistance and payment of fees. The last day to drop a class is the tenth day of instruction. The last day to add a class is the fifteenth day of instruction. The last day to file to take a course on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis remains at the end of the fifth week of instruction. It is also possible to register for classes online.
Check out: UC Davis SISWEB
The Graduate Adviser:
Your department's graduate adviser is probably the best resource for information on academic requirements, policies and procedures and is the best person to go to for registration advice. The graduate adviser serves on a number of university committees and acts as an intermediary in such issues as changing major professors. The graduate adviser's signature generally is the one that will be required when you file academic documents.
Selection of a Major Professor:
One of the most critical decisions that you will make in your academic career is the selection of a major professor. Because dissertation research is the principal activity of a graduate student in a Ph.D. program, the person whom you select as a major professor may determine the direction of your future career. If you have not already selected a professor to work with, weigh your decision carefully. Make an effort to meet individually with all faculty members during your first quarter as a student, to discuss the specific details of your proposed research project and to determine the status and availability of funding for your project. It is also the responsibility of your major professor to obtain stipends for you and your research through extramural funding. Under certain circumstances there may be valid reasons for a graduate student to want to change his/her major professor after they have made a commitment to work together. If a student requests a change in major professor, the department will make every effort to be helpful, but you should know that a change in major professor may result in a loss of extramural support for the student or may increase the time required to your completion of the degree.
Major Professor (a.k.a. Research Adviser):
A student's major professor is the faculty member who assists the st u-dent in preparing a detailed study program and in supervising the research that forms the basis for the preparation of the dissertation/thesis. The major professor serves as the chairperson of the student's grad u-ate research and planning committee and may or may not serve on the student's qualifying examination committee.
Support:
Most departments will make all possible efforts to ensure that a suitable financial commitment is made to their graduate students to allow them to progress with their studies and research. There are generally seven categories of support available to graduate students, and they are all administered by either the University's Office of Graduate Studies, the Student's home department, or individual faculty members. It is best to check with your specific department to determine when grant and fellowship application deadlines are and what specifically you should do to increase your chance of receiving financial support.
Probation and Disqualification:
Graduate students are subject to probation if their progress is judged unsatisfactory in their annual review, or if, in any quarter, their cumulative grade point average is below 3.0, or if they accumulate more than 8 units of incomplete (I) or unsatisfactory (U) grades. The Dean of Grad u-ate Studies will inform the student that he/she is on probation and will explain what must be done to return to regular status.
Important Deadlines:
Please note there are many important dates/deadlines of which you need to be aware, such as the last day to pay fees, to add/drop classes, to file petitions, to file theses, etc. These deadlines are listed in the General Cat-a log, the Graduate Guide, the Registration, Orientation and Fee Payment Information Bulletin, and in the Class Schedule and Room Directory. Most deadlines are also posted on various bulletin boards throughout Bainer Hall, and reminders are generally sent via e-mail. You should also check the UC Davis College of Engineering Home Page. The ultimate responsibility lies with the student to be aware of impending deadlines.
MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND SUPPLY FACILITIES ON CAMPUS
Engineering Design and Development Services:
Engineering Design and Development Services includes two shop areas, a North Shop and a South Shop. The North Shop is located in 1220 Bainer Hall, and is filled with modern metal and wood working machinery and a welding area. This shop is open to students, staff, and faculty to work on UCD-related research or class projects. The North Shop is staffed by a professional machinist and graduate students that will help with questions or problems associated with fabrication. A safety class and machine shop orientation is required to be completed before access to the shop facilities is granted.
There is a large, well-equipped South Shop area in 1329 Bainer Hall, staffed by professional mechanics and welders. Graduate students and faculty may have work done by the South Shop staff if their work is funded by a research grant or is part of a class demonstration or laboratory. Shop time is currently recharged at $46.00 per hour.
Other Services:
There are a number of other, highly-specialized services on campus and supplies are available from a number of sources such as high-vacuum system maintenance, glassblowing, chemical supplies, etc.
ADDITIONAL GRADUATE STUDENT RESOURCES AT UC DAVIS
Shields Library:
Take time to become familiar with Shields University Library because it provides great services and resources. The library provides tours of its facilities throughout the year and also provides regularly scheduled library tours during the first two weeks of fall quarter. The Shields Library is home to one of the many computer labs on campus and also houses I.T. Express, the place where you go to set up your UC Davis e-mail account and set your login ID and password. I.T. Express also sells software for installing the UC Davis e-mail program on your home computer for a nominal charge.
Check out: The Shields Library and The Physical Sciences Engineering Library
Graduate Student Association:
The UC Davis Graduate Student Association (GSA) is a student-driven representative body linking students of diverse graduate programs. Funded by graduate student fees, GSA provides services to graduate students and protects and promotes their interests at all levels of university administration.
Check out: Graduate Student Association
Check out: International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Local 2865
Cowell Student Health Center:
The Cowell Student Health Center offers primary health care for st u-dents, including general and specialty clinics. Services and facilities include X-ray, laboratory, pharmacy, physical therapy, and a women's clinic. General information: (530) 752-2300; advice nurse: 752-9649; appointments: 752-234
Check out: Cowell Student Health Center
LOCAL POINTS OF INTEREST
The Post Office:
The Davis main post office is located at 2020 5th Street (corner of Pole Line Road) and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. The Post Office offers a variety of services, including post box rentals, insurance, parcel post, postal money orders, and registered and certified mail. For more information, call them at 753-3496. In addition to the main post office there are eight minimum service branches in Davis that provide basic services, such as selling stamps and mailing packages and letters within the United States. One of these is located in the UC Davis Memorial Union on campus.
The Department of Motor Vehicles:
This is the place to go for driver's licenses, ID card processing, driving tests, and anything else related to your vehicle. The DMV is located at 505 Pole Line Road (corner of 5th and Pole Line Road), and is closed on Mondays and Sundays, It is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday. For general information, call (800) 777-0133.
Recreation:
There are too many recreation choices in Davis to list. Be sure to check out the UC Davis Web site for information on the Memorial Union Games Area, the Craft Center, Experimental College, Recreation Hall and more. Also check out the City of Davis Web site and the Davis Community Network Web site for information on the Farmer's Market, local pools and parks, the indoor sports arena, Putah Creek, and much more. You should also consult campus recreation services.
Check out: The City of Davis
SHOPPING:
Woodland County Fair Mall:
The only regional mall in Yolo County features a number of shops and restaurants and department stores, including Target, a large store with a variety of household supplies at reasonable prices. The mall is located at the corner of East Gibson Road and East Street in Woodland. Access is simplest by automobile, but Yolobus also stops here. It is open Mon-Fri: 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., and Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Phone: (530) 661-0777
Downtown Plaza-Sacramento:
This mall has over a hundred shops and restaurants, including two major department stores and a movie theater. It is bordered by 4th, 7th, J, and L Streets in Sacramento. Again, the easiest access is by automobile, but Yolobus also stops here. Phone: (916) 442-4000. Monday-Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Old Sacramento:
This area, authentically restored to its Gold Rush-era style, houses more than 130 specialty and tourist shops and restaurants and features three museums. Many festivals and special events are held annually. Bordered by Capitol Mall, I Street, I-5, and the Sacramento River. Monday - Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Phone: (916) 422-7644
International Students
Services for International Students and Scholars
The staff at the Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS) can help provide answers to questions from the international community about visa and immigration concerns, obtaining social security cards, and obtaining proper visas for study in the United States. The SISS office is an excellent hub for information and referrals regarding the campus, the city of Davis, housing, activities, and community resources. In addition, the SISS staff can put students in touch with other students and scholars from their home country and can help with the adjustment to student life at Davis.
RESOURCE INDEX
City of Davis
www.dcn.davis.ca.us
www.city.davis.ca.us
Davis Joint Unified School District
757-5300
www.djusd.k12.ca.us
DMV
777-0133
Housing
King Properties: 753-0121
Acadian Properties: 756-5075
Tandem Properties: 756-5075
Community Housing Listing: 752-1990
chi@asucd.ucdavis.edu
Post Office
753-3496
Public Transportation
Davis Airporter: 756-6715
Yolobus: 1-800-565-5153
Unitrans: 661-0816
Cowell Student Health Center
General Information: 752-2300
Advice nurse: 752-9649
Appointments: 752-2349
Fees
www.ormp.ucdavis.edu/studentfees/
Graduate Student Association
752-6108
gsa.ucdavis.edu
Registrar Students via phone
752-7787 (RSVP)
sisweb.ucdavis.edu
Libraries
Shields Library: 752-6561
Physical Science: Engineering: 752-0540
www.lib.ucdavis.edu
Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS)
752-2453
TAPS Bicycle Program
752-2453
UC Davis Child Care Services
752-5415