Smart Start
Enroll in West's "Smart Start" Program
If this is your first year at West, take our "Smart Start" program. No matter what your placement score is, you'll do better if you also enroll in Personal Development 5 "College Survival Skills" -- a 2 unit CSU transferable course. Designed to help students survive and succeed in a college program, Personal Development 5 (PD5) emphasizes making informed decisions, developing good study skills, and learning how to manage your time.
Enrolling in Personal Development 5 is a smart start!
Placement (Assessment) Level
These English and Math classes have CAI (computer-assisted instruction) supplements that students can take in the Math or HLRC labs.
Personal Development 5
"College Survival Skills"
Sections: #1666 (TBA) or # 8125 (online)
Here's what Personal Development 5 (PD 5) students say about the course:
- My time management skills improved tremendously. I overcame my test-taking problems by not waiting until the last minute as I had in the past. I stopped cramming in studying time just before a test because that only made it harder for me to pass the test. Instead, I studied often and for a longer period of time.
- Thanks to the time management skills I've learned in PD 5, I've learned how to organize my schedule. Before this course, I used to always run out of time, and I never completed all my assignments. But now, my new time management skills have made my entire college experience fun.
- Before taking PD 5, I was a poor, inefficient note-taker, and I had poor reading and time management skills. PD 5 gave me the knowledge needed to make me a more confident test-taker.
- Now I can read my notes and actually understand what I have written and use my notes to obtain the knowledge needed for passing my courses.
- Taking tests now is easier for me because of the good notes I take.