Frequently Asked Questions
- How can an educational advisor help me?
- How do I prepare for my meeting with an educational advisor?
- How do I contact an advisor?
- How do I find out how much my program will cost?
- What textbooks do I need for my courses?
- Will the courses I take at the College of Rockies transfer to university?
- How do I apply for a student loan?
- What is considered full time status?
- I have a course conflict, what should I do?
- Who can I talk to if I have a concern about my progress in a course?
- What happens if I don’t attend my classes?
- What courses are offered this year? This semester?
- How do I get access to my student computer account?
- How can I check my grades?
- How do I apply to the College of the Rockies?
- How do I find out if I have been accepted?
- How do I learn about the courses offered at the College of the Rockies?
1. How can an educational advisor help me?
Educational Advisor appointments are available to prospective, new and returning students.
Educational Advisors can provide prospective students with assistance in Career Exploration and Program Planning, provide information about how the post secondary system works, and discuss the wide variety of programs and courses offered at the College of the Rockies. For students who are hesitant to return to school, an Educational Advisor can help you develop a return to school plan that will guarantee your success.
Before selecting courses, it is suggested that new and returning students meet with an Educational Advisor to ensure all program requirements are met and that they will be able to complete your program successfully. If you are planning to transfer to another University, an Educational Advisor can help you select the correct courses to ensure full transferability.
Prospective, new and returning students can meet with an Educational Advisor at any time during their studies to receive assistance with:
- Becoming a student
- Developing a plan to complete your Adult Graduation Diploma (BC’s high school diploma for adults)
- Selecting upgrading courses to prepare for entry into specific programs
- Understanding admission requirements
- Determining tuition fees
- Understanding Transfer Credit information
- Program planning and course selection
- Information on how close you are to completing your program and what courses you still need to complete
- Developing study skills
2. How do I prepare for my meeting with an educational advisor?
Appointments are often booked for 30 minutes. If you take the time to prepare for your appointment, your time with the Educational Advisor will be more valuable. Educational Advisors are often very busy, so please be on time for your appointment. Frequently, a second appointment will be required to ensure all of your questions are answered.
- Bring a copy of your high school transcript and any other transcripts you have. This will help the Educational Advisor determine what courses you are able to take.
- If you interested in career exploration, read through the Career Exploration page.
- Read through the College Calendar to get an idea of what programs and courses we offer.
- Prepare a list of questions you would like to ask Educational Advisor to answer.
3. How do I contact an advisor?
If you want to contact an Educational Advisor, it’s best to schedule an appointment, either at the college or by phone. Advisors may be able to respond to simple questions by email.
4. How do I find out how much my program will cost?
Tuition fees vary depending on the program you are enrolled in. You can find the current cost of your course or program at Tuition Fees.
5. What textbooks do I need for my courses?
Once you have determined which courses you are taking, you can use the Textbook Calculator to help you determine which books you will need and how much they will cost for each of your courses. For any course, if a text is not listed, please check later for updates. Please note that the Textbook Calculator will only provide book information for the upcoming semester. It will not give you texts/prices for all semesters in the current academic year. For convenience, a full printed list may also be viewed at the store.
6. Will the courses I take at the College of Rockies transfer to university?
The BC Transfer Guide will help you determine if the course you are taking at COTR will transfer to the University you are interested in attending. It is important to realize that transfer credit varies from institution to institution. The College of the Rockies also has transfer agreements with schools outside of BC and also has block transfer agreements with some institutions. If you are unsure if your courses will transfer, it is a good idea to meet with an Educational Advisor for clarification.
7. How do I apply for a student loan?
You can find information and apply for a student loan at Student Aid BC. In addition, check out our Financial Awards page to see if you are eligible to apply for any scholarships or bursaries. Application dates vary. If you have questions about financial awards contact the Financial Assistance and Awards Advisor.
8. What is considered full time status?
The number of courses to be considered full- time depends on the program you are registered in. Full-time status is considered at least 60% of a full program of work each semester.
9. I have a course conflict, what should I do?
If you have a course conflict check out the course time table to see if you are able to take one of the classes at an alternative time or if you are able to take the class on-line. If one of the courses is an elective, look to see if a different course would meet your needs. If that is not possible, then contact an Educational Advisor or your Department Head to look at alternative solutions.
10. Who can I talk to if I have a concern about my progress in a course?
If you are concerned about your progress in one of your courses the first step is to speak directly with the instructor. All instructors have scheduled office hours. If you are not able to meet with your instructor during their office hours, you can make an appointment to meet with your instructor at another time. The earlier you meet with your instructor during the semester the more likely you will be able to come up with strategies to complete the course successfully.
If you have met with your instructor and are still concerned, you can make an appointment with an Educational Advisor to discuss your concerns and develop some strategies for successful course completion.
11. What happens if I don’t attend my classes?
If you have enrolled in a course and no longer wish to attend it is important to officially withdraw from the course. Non-attendances does not constitute withdrawal and will normally result in the assignment of an “F” grade. You can find information on the last date to withdraw from a course in the College Year section of the college calendar. If you have questions, you may wish to speak with a Educational Advisor.
12. What courses are offered this year? This semester?
You can find information about course offerings by looking at the current time table schedule. It is important to note that not all courses listed in the program guide are offered every year.
13. How do I get access to my student computer account?
To get access to your AccessCOTR account you will need to input your last name and either your student number or your SIN. If you have outstanding fees with COTR you will not be able to access your account until these fees have been paid.
14. How can I check my grades?
You can check your grades using AccessCOTR. This website allows you to check grades, register for courses, print course schedules and print unofficial transcripts.
15. How do I apply to the College of the Rockies?
To find out how to apply to College of the Rockies go to our Course Registration web site.
16. How do I find out if I have been accepted?
You will receive an admissions/registration package from the Registration Department indicating if you have been accepted to the College of the Rockies within 5 business days from your application date. If you have not received your admissions package after that time period, contact the Admissions Department at 250-489-2751 ext: 3239.
17. How do I learn about the courses offered at the College of the Rockies?
You can check out the college calendar, which will give you a brief description of each course. In addition, detailed course descriptions including information on course topics, learning objectives and evaluation can be found in the course outlines. You can also visit our Programs web page for a quick overview.
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