tips for registering + choosing for classes in university
Just a few things to keep in mind when choosing + registering for classes in university. I tried to keep the advice general because every university will have their own way of running things, but I hope this helps someone!
Have a copy of your program/degree requirements handy. These are your #1 priority. These should be available somewhere on your university’s website but, if you can’t find it, email an academic adviser. (Basically, if you’re ever confused about anything, talk to an academic adviser! You can email them or set up an appointment. Some might have drop-in appointments at certain times of the year too.)
First year is usually full of a bunch of prerequisites/requirements for your degree, so you may not have as much choice. If you’re taking less than a full course load, for example, make sure you have the necessary prerequisite classes for classes you must take the next year.
Not everyone takes a full course load. Do what suits you best. Consider how much time you’ll need to invest in each class (Does your class have a 3 hour lab portion? Is your class known to be difficult? Have you always struggled with the subject?). If you are better off taking 3 or 4 classes and getting good grades than taking 5 classes and failing/almost failing, then go for it.
If you don’t take a full course load you will have to complete those other classes at another time. You may have to do summer classes or even take an extra year. Keep in mind what is financially plausible for you (i.e. take summer classes if you can’t afford living away for an extra year). If you are taking summer classes, keep in mind that your options will be limited (so summer is actually a good time to take electives).
As much as your program allows, try to take a variety of classes in first and second year. You don’t want to get to fourth year and suddenly realize you have a passion for one of your electives and could care less about your classes for your major. I took psych in my first year on a whim and now I’m a psychology major!
Plan your classes carefully if you decide to do a double major! I was going to a bio + psych double major (I ultimately to go with psych b/c I narrowed down my goals) and during that time I had my classes carefully planned out. If you’re not sure about something, talk to someone who does know! For example, I needed a certain number of upper level science electives. I talked to an adviser and found out that my bio classes counted as upper level science classes for my psych degree and vice versa. However, she said for double majors that are more similar, like geography and environmental science, the classes didn’t count as credit for both so students would have to take additional classes to fulfill that requirement.
Check out ratemyprof.com and talk to students who have already taken the class. In my experience most professors are awesome – even if you don’t connect with their personality they still teach fine and are enthusiastic about their subject – but there’s always one prof who is rude or makes learning suck. Take everything you hear with a grain of salt. Often the people ready to complain about a professor are the ones who did receive a bad mark or had issues with the prof.
Make note of which building/floor each of your classes will be. If your uni is small this might not be as much of a worry, but if you go to a bigger university make sure you have enough time to get to your next class! And don’t tell yourself “oh ya it’s far away but if I run I can get there on time,” because you won’t run (trust me) and this won’t work if campus is busy, weather conditions are bad, etc.
If you still can’t decide which classes to take, learn as much as you can about classes. Talk to upper year students, find a copy of the syllabus online (I google something like “myuniversity CHEM 101 syllabus”), find past class averages online (I think some universities are required to release this info it might just take some searching), etc.
If you’re planning ahead for classes, make sure you know when each class is offered! My university is smaller so most classes are only offered once a year or even every other year. You don’t want to have a plan and then realize all of the classes you want to take are only offered in the first semester.
Make a few mock schedules before your registration. On the off chance some of the classes you want are full when you register you want to have a plan B ready. It’s easier to have a complete back-up schedule than trying to fill in the gaps in an incomplete schedule when spots are filling up. Of course, once you’re registered in a somewhat decent schedule it’s always good to take a second look and see if you can switch things around to make your schedule better.
Be ready for your registration time. This means log on to your student account a little bit before your registration opens up. When your time hits, refresh till it’s open and register ASAP (I can just click a “register all” button – make sure you know how your uni’s system works).
If you can’t get into a class you need email or talk to an academic adviser as soon as possible and register on the wait list (if there is one). An adviser will be able to help you the most. They may recommend you attend class for the first week in case someone drops the class.
In terms of wait lists, your school may open up more spots in the class if there are enough people on the wait list (and if there is enough physical space in the classroom). Otherwise, if someone drops the class, the first person on the wait list will automatically registered in the class. I’ve also had classes where you aren’t automatically added – they’ll send you an email if a spot opens up and it’s up to you to actually register. If this is the case or there is no wait list, check up on the class every day to see if a spot opens up (fun fact: I got a spot in a virology class at 1 am because of this).
Check out my other posts here, including don’t let calculus d(e)rive you mad, guide to introductory microbiology classes, how to ace intro psych, and physics doesn’t have to suck.
