<p>this is going to be a dumb question, but im confused about when where and how does one sign up for classes for my first semester as a freshman</p>
<p>SOAR I believe</p>
<p>Is that when you meet with your academic advisor?</p>
<p>yes, at one of the SOAR dates you come down, overnight I believe, and you meet with your adviser, sign up for classes and get all the info you need.</p>
<p>See the SOAR website. Sign up and DO bring your parents. They will get a parents' session which will answer a lot of their questions and therefore hassle you less with questions later; they will stay on a different dorm floor (parents get coed rooms- twin beds and the separate down the hall bathrooms, but worth the convenience and experience). You do meet and discuss your placement testing and courses with your advisor, you then get to go online and register. They pretty much keep the students and parents separate, even for most meals, and since the students start earlier you can avoid them for breakfast, too. Even though I had gone there eons ago I found it worth my while to attend. There's even a tour of a dorm room (even off campus, private one, I believe) in the dorm you will live in- they gather parents and students together, but take them separately to see the room and ask questions- you won't embarrass each other... The food is good, too. You will receive a course catalog then (parents can buy one at the bookstore) but go online and view the catalog and timetable before you get there, have ideas about which courses you want to take (but don't neglect finishing HS first...).</p>
<p>In terms of signing up for classes does it make a difference if you go to the earlier SOARs during the summer and sign up first? Is it first come first serve for classes?</p>
<p>No, they try to save classes evenly for all groups.</p>
<p>They say they save classes evenly for all groups, but in reality it does help to go to the earlier sessions. I went in mid July and couldnt get into a single political science class. I have to e-mail professors and fight for three out of my 4 classes. If at all possible, go to the earlier SOAR session, it can't hurt.</p>
<p>But, Hows that possible for international students? We only have one date!!!</p>
<p>They put the international registration et al close to the class start date for red tape reasons (I peaked at all the forms/paperwork required by the government- ouch) and it saves some huge travel expenses; a compromise. Don't panic. You will find changes in class availability in the online timetable as the summer progresses- people change their minds after registering in the spring and at SOAR. Also, despite what the computer timetable may indicate, your advisor will help you work out a class schedule when you get here, humans can sometimes tweak systems computers can't, or point out viable alternatives.</p>
<p>After SOAR, sit down and plan beyond your first semester, at least for the first two years. Perhaps you want to do a study abroad, a co-op/internship, or a summer session elsewhere. E.g. your transferable course choices (in study abroad/summer session) may be more limited so you may not want to take those courses in Madison. If you are gunning for co-op/internship, you may want to jump into your major courses sooner - to have most talking points during interview. Or you may want to take more courses up front to reach junior standing which is a pre-req for certain programs. </p>
<p>Also, many intro level courses are taught by different professors. Don't just sign up the last opening - your may find a great professor is worth waiting an extra semester or two and you are likely to do better with one whose teaching style suits you. Unfortunately, the courses by the best professor often run out fast so you want to play the seniority card.</p>
<p>Finally, leave one or two "easy" electives to the senior year so you have some time to focus on career/recruiting activities or grad school application or dealing with senioritis. :)</p>
<p>Bottom line, take some time off this summer to come up with a draft design of your Wisconsin experience. It is a lot easier to have a plan from onset and then tweaking it as you go. It also helps you to balance your workload (key to maintaining a good GPA) and social life. </p>
<p>Another tip: Check out a class or professor ahead of time. You can sit in (without register) most classes - a courtesy note to professor will be appreciated. That will help you tweaking your plan. Note: This is probably very hard to do in first semester since UW doesn't have the idea of the "course shopping week" in first week.</p>