STREET BEAT Withdrawal dates in need of reform

Aconstant worry for college students and faculty each semester are drop dates that could potentially hinder their performance.

Do you plan on taking winter session classes?

Do you plan on taking winter session classes?

One way this could be fixed would be to extend the last day to drop without a “W” to one more week, and reduce the amount of days to drop with a “W” to five weeks before finals start.

Extending the drop date for a “W” would beneficial for students while the change to the second drop date would help teachers near the end of the semester so they have a better idea as to how many students they have left.

The community colleges in California follow a 10-20-75 percent format to schedule drop dates each semester, according to Golden West College’s academic calendar.

Unlike other colleges from different districts, Pierce and the rest of the LACCD choose to have its last day to drop with full refunds and last day to drop without a “W” as the same day. Schools such as Moorpark, City College of San Francisco, and Orange Coast along with the other colleges in their districts have a drop date for refunds at the two week period, 10 percent of the semester.

A week after that day, the semester’s 20 percent mark, there is another drop date for students so they can withdraw from a class without a “W”.

For Pierce and the other LACCD colleges having the second drop date could be beneficial to its students who don’t drop classes so quick into the semester. It will also give them the opportunity to try a class for another week and drop without the implication of a “W” on their transcript.

As for the last day to drop a class with a “W”, it comes far too late into a

“Yes, I plan on taking Sociology because I have to re-take it. Then just a couple of electives that are transferrable.”

-Earl Hargrove Communications major semester and should have an earlier date.

The 75 percent “W” drop date is too lenient for students and gives them an easy out with such a late drop date, which hurts them. It also hurts classes because they empty out so late in the semester.

While Pierce is following the 75 percent of the semester formula, the Nov. 23 drop date was only three weeks before finals, which begin Dec. 15.

If the college wants to follow the 75 percent format then it should be from the last day of instruction, not the last day of finals. Doing so would have pushed the drop date forward to Nov. 16, and the Spring 2015 semester deadline from May 10 to May 3.

This date change would be five weeks prior to the first day of finals, a timetable that students know whether or not they will be able to pass a class.

These minor changes to a system that is already set in place could boost the performance of both students and faculty .

Do eBooks serve as a good alternative to textbooks?

the number of classes a semester you end up spending up a lot of money just on books when you can download eBooks faster and at a reduced price.

cpimentel.roundupnews@gmail.com

Life without technology can seem impossible at this point in time. The 21st century has altered some opinions, especially students. They believe that anything high-tech is better, when in reality it is depleting the worth of actual bound books.

According to an article in the School Library Journal, 66 percent of schools nationwide offer eBooks, while its collections in campus libraries grew in numbers between 2010 and 2014. Reports have shown that elementary schools have utilized eBooks over lectures while in class the most.

Age is overlooked when it comes to using any technological advances and children as young as six or seven years old learning from a screen is ludicrous. eBooks defeat the purpose of attending school and forgetting where real sources and citations originally came from.

There are even high possibilities of technical difficulties in using a tablet for school. An eBook can dysfunction at any time while trying to study for a test or turning in homework on its due date. An

Flydoskope

by iPad or eBook is not as dependent as having the physical copy of the textbook. By having the book, it guarantees a smooth sailing study session without any connection problems, inability to open a new page, or any other technical dysfunctions.

Students complain about the weight of textbooks and how tedious it is to carry all the way to class. However, just because the iPad or Nook is lighter, there can be moments of clumsiness where it can drop and break. Textbooks and its high prices are inevitable and another main issue, but buying the eBook doesn’t allow students to sell or return it. It may be cheaper to purchase the eBook version, but at least students have the ability to rent and sell actual copies. Nooks, eBooks and iPads encourage students to use them because it is to their convenience, but what they don’t realize is that staring at a pixelated screen can do harm to your eye sight.

Students find it financially smart and more efficient to use a tablet to study, take notes, or read textbooks. However, nothing compares to flipping through a published book’s printed pages. The option of an eBook may be an easier and lighter way while attending class, but having the actual copy of the textbook in hand will go long ways for a successful study session without technical difficulties.

Tobennh Dacanay

Santiago Svidler

Cristina Pimentel ssvidler.roundupnews@gmail.com

In the technological era we live in, most students would prefer to use electronic books either through their tablets, laptops, or various smart phones instead of over priced and heavy textbooks.

Regardless of the subject, there is an eBook out there for download, instead of carrying multiple books in one bag. The ability to carry a whole semester’s worth of textbooks without carrying a heavy backpack full of big and bulky textbooks that can hurt your back.

When downloading an eBook you are able to access the file within minutes, making it much easier and faster to access your textbook rather than waiting in line at the student store or even few weeks by mail.

More professors on campus are allowing students to use an electronic device containing e-books and eBooks because it is more practical.

Most typical college textbooks can cost anywhere between $40 to $300 and if you multiply that by

-COMIC STRIP- of the creators and not necessarily that of the Roundup. The college newspaper is Matthew Robinson Santiago Svidler Jordan Williams Estefani Zamorano published as a learning experience under the college journalism instructional program. The editorial and advertising materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff. Under appropriate state and federal court decisions, these materials are free from prior restraint by the virtue of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the L.A. Community College District, the college or any officer or employee thereof.

When you buy a regular textbook you are getting the book and only the book alone, whereas when you buy an eBook they come equipped with extra features that can vary from an integrated dictionary to doing online research from the palm of your hands.

When you have an e-reader device you have the option of a quick search for certain words or phrases, which can direct you straight to the desired page.

Considering the amount of pages most textbooks have and the amount of ink they use by buying e-textbooks or e-books you are saving a large amount of paper that results in less tree being cut down.

Having access to the internet at the palm of your hands can be very helpful when you are desperately searching for a certain textbook that it is already sold out in the student store or if the product is overpriced while in stores.

Most e-reader devices already come equipped with the ability to take notes, search key quotes and to be able to highlight words.