Frequently Asked Questions

While the Counseling Center recommends that all first semester students  schedule an appointment with a Counselor to develop a Student Education Plan, you are not required to do so. 

Similarly, all continuing students are encouraged to see a counselor once per semester but attendance at a counseling appointment is not mandatory unless otherwise advised. 

​Drop-in Counseling is available for quick questions during the week, however, times will vary so please contact the Counseling Center for drop-in hours. Students are served on a first-come, first-serve basis. Drop-in Counseling is limited to ten minutes and is appropriate for general questions only. Drop-in Counseling is not appropriate for transcript evaluation, or Student Education Plans as drop-in Counselors do not have access to your transcript or other student records. 
Make an Appointment

You can make appointments in person, by telephone, or online.

If you are scheduling an appointment with a counselor for the first time at OCC, you will only be able to schedule in-person or by telephone. Thirty-minute appointments are scheduled a week in advance. Each Thursday at 8:00 A.M., Counseling Services begins scheduling appointments for students for the following week until all appointments are filled. Cancellations do occur, so please feel free to contact the Counseling Office.

The pre-requisite for Chemistry A180 can be met one of two ways:

• Complete Math 030 with a "C" or better (or appropriate placement) and Chemistry A130 with a grade of "C" or better.
• Complete Math 030 with a "C" or better (or appropriate placement) and complete high school chemistry and appropriate placement based on the OCC Chemistry A80 assessment test.

You can add a class through MyCoast. Please see the Counseling Center's "Document Library" page and click on "How to Register for classes at Orange Coast College - A Quick Guide" for more information. 

If you need further assistance after referring to the Quick Guide Document, please see the Counseling Center's "Document Library" page and click on "How to Register for classes at Orange Coast College - A Comprehensive Guide" for a detailed step-by-step guide with images. 

​High school students may be eligible for Orange Coast College’s Early Start Program. The Early Start Program was designed for 11th and 12th-grade high school students seeking advanced scholastic or vocational coursework not available at the high school. Additional information on Early Start can be found here.

A student in the Coast Community College District shall be placed on probation whenever one of the two Conditions listed below are met.

Academic Probation-The student has attempted at least 12-semester units at a District college and has:

• A cumulative grade point average of less than 2.0 in all units attempted.
  

Progress Probation-The student has attempted at least 12-semester units at a district college and the percentage of units in which the student has been enrolled for which entries of “W,” “I,” and “NP” are recorded reaches or exceeds 50 percent.
A student on probation from one district college shall be on probation at all three district colleges. All probationary students shall be notified of their status and provided with an opportunity for counseling services. (Title 5, Sections 55754, 55755). 

All grades appear on your transcript and there is no way to have a sub-standard grade “removed.” However, it is possible to have previous sub-standard grades omitted in the computation of your OCC GPA:

• Course Repetition- Repeat a course in which a “D” or “F” was received. After the course has been repeated, the past grade will be excluded from GPA calculation and the most recent grade will be included. Refer to the OCC Catalog for more information.
• Academic Renewal- If certain conditions are met, apply for Academic Renewal which is a forgiveness policy that disregards some “D” and “F” grades in your GPA. Refer to the Course Catalog for more information. Make an appointment with a counselor to apply.

Students seeking an Associate of Arts degree (AA), Associate of Science degree (AS), Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) or a Certificate of Achievement must submit a petition for graduation at the beginning of the last semester in which you will be completing the requirements for graduation. Petitioning periods for graduation are:

• Fall: September 1- November 1
• Spring: January 4-March 1
• Summer: July 1-August 1

More information visit the Graduation page.