<p>hey i was just wondering how hard it is to get the classes you want at NU. like say i want to take intro to american gov and politics fall quarter (but i'm not a polisci major) will i have any trouble getting it since its presumably a big class? thanks..</p>
<p>That honestly depends on the class in question. Large classes like 300+ usually aren't a problem, unless they're SUPER popular classes (Intro to Micro with Kamal usually fills up, for example). However most majors allow pre-registration, so Econ majors get first pick at the Econ classes, which is helpful. As a freshman I didn't have a problem registering for Intro to Soc with Moskos which is very popular (600 people). </p>
<p>The problem is, most classes you want to take, you want because they're good classes with good CTECs... and these are the classes that fill up first. So as freshmen you most likely will take classes you pre-registered for and classes that were leftover after the upperclassmen took the good ones. But it does pay to watch CAESAR religiously to check filled classes. This summer I checked a 15-person English class I'd wanted almost every day, and finally one day about 2 months after registration ended, 1 spot was open, so now I'm taking it. Also, you can always email teachers to ask about enrollment, but I have had minimal luck with this, although they're usually nice about saying no at least.</p>
<p>dfleish do you have the link for the class evaluations? thanks</p>
<p>intro to micro with kamal is the ****tiest class ever, don't take it!!!</p>
<p>Kim, go to <a href="http://hereandnow.northwestern.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://hereandnow.northwestern.edu/</a>. Under "Academics" there is a link to CTECs. Click on that and enter your net ID and password.
(by the way, you'll probably want to make hereandnow your homepage when you get to school... it's EXTREMELY helpful!)</p>
<p>hereandnow is run by the school? and it has class evals? that's slightly odd, but okay. thanks for the tip crypticism</p>
<p>umm no, it's run by the student govt. the class evaluations are only linked to as they <em>are</em> run by the school.</p>
<p>ASG (the student government) does control most of what is put on hereandnow, but the university does step in sometimes, ie. No link to “facebook” anymore. As for CTECS, until this year, professors were allowed to hide some of their numerical ratings! CTECS is a good resource, but I put much more weight into direct word-of-mouth.</p>
<p>Very few profs hide their CTECs because that would basically mean they're admitting their class sucks. I've never encountered a class without them. And they're usually pretty accurate.</p>
<p>Most classes have them, but professors were able to hide certain portions of their CTECs, thereby inflating their class ratings. Also, to me, CTECs are not as reliable as they could or should be because students are forced to fill them out during the trimester (while class is sill in session) instead of after the final. I mean, for many classes the final exam and/or assignment is a large part of a student’s overall perspective of a class. I know that I would have given different scores in at least a few classes had I already taken the final and were able to have a more holistic opinion of the courses. I’m not saying CTECs are terrible (I’m using them right now to choose a 4th class!), but I still would not put too much weight into what they say- especially if I am new to the School. Freshmen should learn the campus and see what kinds of classes they like, and not rely on a system that is, to me, flawed from the start.</p>
<p>I agree about the time problem and that's definitely the biggest issue with CTECs. But in general, especially with large classes, they can be helpful. If you simply look at the # of people who gave the class a specific number (from 1-6) and it states that 210 people gave the class a 6 overall out of 300 people, it is a fairly safe assumption that this is a good class. And the comments are usually the most helpful and spot-on, with good advice on what and how much to study, how difficult the tests are, if you need to go to lectures/do the reading, if the class is boring, etc. You can't trust any INDIVIDUAL ranking or comment, but when you see things appear in high numbers that's how you can get a good idea of the class.</p>
<p>Well said, d!</p>
<p>How does advising and registering work for freshman during New Student Week? I'm sure it's explained once we get there, but it'd be nice to have a general idea.</p>
<p>you'll register on Friday of NSW</p>
<p>What college are you in?</p>
<p>Thanks Elena ;)</p>
<p>You should get some kind of schedule that tells you when your meetings are with adviser groups and such. I am in SESP and had a couple of meetings with my group, peer adviser and actual adviser during the week, just to make sure I had some class options picked out. Based on your student ID # you will be given a registration time in which you can go onto CAESAR and pick classes, during the Friday of NSW. </p>
<p>Between advisers and random upperclassmen who will be helping you, you'll be prepared, don't worry! I had a SESP '09 meeting just to teach us about CAESAR, and then Willard put on a fireside about using CAESAR the night before registration... and a number of sophomores offered to be there when I registered to make sure I did everything right.</p>
<p>If you are in CAS you will probably be meeting with your freshmen seminar class sometime during the week. Your seminar teacher is also your advisor so he will most likely be able to answer any questions you have about procedure.</p>
<p>I would suggest you talk thoroughly to your peer advisors about picking classes, as the whole process can be overwhelming for a new student.</p>
<p>hey does anyone know about the class intro to american gov and politics. i'm not a polisci major but i'd like to take it fall quarter bc i'm from overseas and want to learn about american politics at the beginning. is it a big enough class that i could get it fall quarter or will it fill up with polisci really fast? thanks everyone</p>
<p>There are currently 125 spots out of 185 left for freshmen, so it really just depends on your reg time. The class is being taught by a prof with no CTECs, so it is a toss up as to how good it will be. This might deter some from registering.</p>
<p>See what I mean. There are no CTECs, so students don’t know what to expect of the class. It’s ridiculous....</p>