<p>I already know that all first years have to register for their classes at their summer orientation session, and the class slots are divided so the later orientation dates still have the same opportunities for classes. However, I recently heard someone say to have a list of like 30 classes ready for orientation, and that when they registered they got almost none of the classes they wanted. This worries me a little. I want to double major, and I found that with both majors there are a lot of classes that I'm required to take....with that being said, there really isn't a whole lot of wiggle room on my schedule, it would suck to not be put in the classes I want right away because that would just make my double major harder. Is it really as hard as this person said to get into classes? Also, essentially all of the classes I wanted to take first semester are large intro classes, I was thinking this might make it easier for me to get into them. Any thoughts on this though?</p>
<p>When people say you have to have a lot of classes chosen when going to register does not necessarily mean “30” different classes, it means different sections of the same class and different combinations. Each orientation class has slots but depending on the time during your registration that you are scheduled will determine how successful you are. There are plenty of slots for the intro classes of the popular majors, there just may not be popular times open. As a freshman my son got all the classes he wanted when he went in to register. He thought he would be a morning person (not so much) and registered for all 8am classes without a problem. Do you see what I am saying. Also there is movement at the beginning of the semester. What you need many choices of are your elective type classes or interesting classes that may fill your other requirements. Any class where there is only one section offered etc that upperclassmen may be interested in are usually the ones that are filled. Don’t spend time worrying, just prepare properly so you can make adjustments when you go to register and you will be fine. The people that have trouble are the ones that are not prepared and go with one schedule mapped out and do not know what to do if a class is not available. </p>
<p>Even in that case people end up okay, a friends son left orientation with only one class, ended up with 5 for fall of freshman year, and all the ones he needed so don’t stress. Calmly prepare, and enjoy orientation.</p>
<p>The easiest classes to get into are typically the 1000 and some 2000 level classes, which are designed for first years. The hardest may be some of the 3000 level classes with popular professors and interesting topics. Try to get as many required classes out of the way first semester. You will have plenty of time to take other classes in future semesters, when you will get registration priority over younger students. </p>
<p>It is not a good idea to load up on too many 3000 level classes anyway for your first semester. It will be easier to adjust to college if your classmates are other first years, then if the class is full of older students. </p>
<p>Also, some spots will open up in the first couple days after classes start, because many students drop and add classes at the last minute. If you are still on a waiting list at that time for a class, make sure you attend those first couple days of that classes. Some profs won’t pull you off the wait list unless you are present.</p>
<p>Once you get a UVa email address, register for [url=<a href=“http://www.thecourseforum.com%5DtheCourseForum%5B/url”>http://www.thecourseforum.com]theCourseForum[/url</a>] and check out the student ratings for various classes and profs. However, keep in mind that other students are also reading those ratings, and the most popular classes fill up early. If a required class has a low rated prof, it may be worthwhile to wait to take that class, in the hope that a different prof will be assigned in the future.</p>
<p>Great advice in this thread just as I was going to post it.
- Most people have to “class shop” as charlie mentioned, which involves going to desired classes on the first day of class and asking the professor to add you. There is SO MUCH movement in enrollment the first week, you can get into almost anything by the end of the first week. The only exceptions are under-40-person 3000 level classes with a waitlist equal to the class size, and Spanish, as far as I remember.
- Take required classes (sciences, humanities, foreign language, etc) with a mix like high school if possible - one foreign language, one science, one social studies, one math, one language arts. You can sub math/science for each other or something similar, like econ, psychology, statistics, computer science, etc (the former classes having a more reading heavy flair). There’s a religion class called bioethics, etc. You can sub social studies/language arts interchangeably within eachother, 2 ss or 2 l/a or whatever. As a math major, I never took more than 2 of these per semester since reading hundreds of pages and writing response papers is not my pleasure. If you don’t have a foreign language requirement, you could take a USEM, pick up a new language for elective credit, take multicultural education through the ed school, find another elective that doesn’t overwhelm your math or science balance, etc.
- Consider that many people switch their major multiple times during college, so take a few classes in each before declaring and worrying about not being able to fit it all in. Definitely keep planning and stay on top of it, but you may end up just wanting to major in one of them or something completely different.
- You could overload or take summer/jterm classes in the future when you understand how to balance college academics if you are running into trouble getting your double major done.
- Another choice would be to just minor in one of them if you would rather have a social life and more electives and less scheduling stress.
- (eta) Please understand that by choosing a large public research university this was part of the deal. My friends in smaller private schools had it way worse; they had required first year schedules with no choice at all (the only way to get around this mess that UVA puts up with in letting us actually choose). So think of it that way, you are already getting more choice than that.</p>
<p>Good luck and stay calm.</p>
<p>The only thing I’ll add is have different options picked out for your gen ed’s. Yes, you may have a preferred course picked out that meets a requirement. It might not be available, or to get two other courses you may have a conflict. Have second and third choices picked that fill that requirement. This way you’re not faced with picking a random course that simply fits, you’ve done your homework. While it isn’t your first choice it meets a requirement. </p>
<p>I’ll also agree with others, be flexible with time of day. You’re in college to be a student full-time, that’s you’re availability for classes. In early August everything will open back up. As upperclassman start making changes you can often pick up classes then. The advise about going the first week of class is obviously spot on. Just a quick mention here for those that think of double majoring, don’t overlook J’term as an option to pick up a class.</p>
<p>I was a transfer admit last fall and I had the second-to-last orientation date. This was a big concern for me as I needed some exact courses to complete my intended major. Was VERY worried. I had to plug in a few courses I wasn’t too thrilled about; I brought what I wanted plus about 5 backups. </p>
<p>As others have said, there was a lot of movement among courses even BEFORE school started. I got into every course I wanted without having to just “show up” and ask to be added. Just offering a positive experience. Good luck.</p>
<p>Oh ok so how do we which classes we’ll need? I’m going to be in the eschool, but I don’t know whether I have to take humanities or not, and how many, and which courses exactly. Like if I want to take chem (which I think eschoolers have to) then what course number will I need</p>
<p>There will be some people available to help on registration day. However, it will work much smoother for you if you do research in advance on the University’s website. Many depts. and schools of UVa have advice on classes that should and should not be taken by first year students. For example, the Chemistry dept. has extensive advice online. In some cases, it is listed as FAQs.</p>
<p>madara, here is a link to the course checklist for the B.S. in C.S.; if you look at page 2, you will see the recommended course sequence for the first year curriculum. This curriculum applies to all first year SEAS students, regardless of intended major. Not everyone will need all the courses listed there; that is what your advisor will help you with at registration. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cs.virginia.edu/acad/bscs/docs/checklist_rules.pdf[/url]”>http://www.cs.virginia.edu/acad/bscs/docs/checklist_rules.pdf</a></p>
<p>In terms of the HSS electives, you can find information on those in this handbook in section 4.10, beginning on page 24: </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.seas.virginia.edu/advising/UG_handbook.pdf[/url]”>http://www.seas.virginia.edu/advising/UG_handbook.pdf</a></p>
<p>The UG handbook has a lot of very good information. I think it should be required reading for all incoming students.</p>
<p>Too late to edit, but for anyone who is in the Rodman program, additional information on curriculum: </p>
<p>[Curriculum</a> | Rodman Scholars Program](<a href=“http://seas.virginia.edu/students/rodmans/curriculum.php]Curriculum”>http://seas.virginia.edu/students/rodmans/curriculum.php)</p>
<p>sabaray, You’re awesome! Slow typing strikes again, lol. :o (I’m blaming trying to write the post on my iphone this time). I agree about the SEAS UG Handbook. Read it and bookmark it. There’s so much information in there.</p>
<p>I did want to add for any e’school students that might be looking to add a one credit course to their schedule there is a new course being offered by George Cahen (professor of materials science and engineering & director of experiential learning), ENGR 1501, Auto Mechanics (Wed 6:30-8:30pm). There’s no location given yet, but my guess is the new Lacy Hall up next to O’Hill (the three car projects, solar, electric, and baja teams will all be moving here, yea!). The course is only offered C/NC so no stress on GPA. Great skills to learn IMO (or reinforce).</p>
<p>I forgot to mention before, I am an Echols Scholar and have no are requirements. Even though they say this, will people at orientation try to push me into gen ed classes? I wanted to use this privilege as much as possible and wasn’t going to take any kind of english or history at all. I wanted my schedule to be more math/science-heavy. Are there any drawbacks to this?</p>
<p>Eschool is easy to plan for at registration. There are something like 9 schedules, labeled A-I or something, and they basically register you like that. At least that’s how it was when I registered a few years ago. You don’t have much choice in what you take unless you place out of things.</p>
<p>vnatch, don’t take 5 math/science classes. I always took at least 1 humanities class. The most math/sci I ever took was 2 maths and 1 science. I really enjoyed foreign language so I usually had that in my schedule, or CS. Do you have any passions outside of math and science? I would also encourage you to look into classes like psychology, economics, and certain other classes with a science flair such as bioethics in the religion department. No one will push any classes on you, but seriously there is no reason to be taking 5 math/science. Even the eschool has writing and HSS classes to balance things out.</p>
<p>Why should I take them though? Just for a change of pace? Because I could honestly take all math/science and not get bored at all lol I love those subjects. Is there any other concrete benefit aside from just changing it up?</p>
<p>^^ being well-rounded intellectually, academically, socially, etc., is always a benefit both personally and professionally.</p>
<p>Part of a liberal arts education is the opportunity to explore disciplines one never knew existed. The stories are legion of students who discovered new interests when taking a course on some random subject they were not familiar with previously.</p>
<p>I’ll let hazel and others address the time-sink that math and science classes are . . . .</p>
<p>Maybe you are not understanding how math courses work in college. You will have all of your homework due on Thursdays (most math classes are Tuesday/Thursday) and you will spend at least 4 hours on each homework set. You will need to start Sundays and some problems will take you all week to prove. I say this having graduated Phi Beta Kappa (a great honor society) and Pi Mu Epsilon (which is the math honorary society). I can’t imagine having more than 2 classes at a time. You will get way more out of just 2 math classes than taking 5, because you can think way more in depth about that material. As for science, many of them involve labs which are extremely time intensive. I never took any of those. I took lots of astronomy and computer science which I highly enjoyed. Also you won’t be eligible for Phi Beta Kappa if you don’t take a mix. I am not saying that the time is greater for these classes (reading takes forever for me, but once I do it then it is done, no thinking about the proof all week), but for someone who loves these subjects, to overload and not be able to think in depth would be a shame.</p>
<p>Sorry I guess I should’ve clarified. I wanted to take a math and a stats class, and then a bio lab (I have ap credit for the lecture) and a chem lec/lab. I get what ur saying about not overloading on math but I figure I’m really only taking 1 (I technically have ap credit for the stat class, I just want to take it cuz its been a while, but I took the ap as a sophomore and thought it was easy) as for the bio lab, I just took ap bio and I’m rly good at it, I’m not expecting it to be much of an issue. I also have credit for chem but I’m not using it cu honestly that class and the math are probably gonna be the rly difficult ones for me. I’m not saying my other classes will be easy, I’m just saying I think they are all doable.</p>
<p>It is of course your choice, I just don’t see how you can sustain only taking math and science for 8 semesters.</p>
<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I was wondering if anyone knew the number of classes that we sign up for at orientation. Is it just first semester, or the entire year? I ask because when I was searching for classes on SIS, they didn’t have Fall 2014 classes available to view yet.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>