<p>Just for grins I looked up my son’s rotation. He drew the dreaded 1 during Freshman fall meaning his 1 will be wasted and he’ll have 12 this winter. Given that registration is changing, giving priority to graduating seniors, should he burn a priority in the winter or play the game the best he can? If play the game is the best option, what specifically will he do? I’ve read about rushing, but have no idea what it specifically involves. Other tricks? All help is appreciated! Thanks!!!</p>
<p>Oops…crash classes, not rush classes. New concept and term to me.</p>
<p>He should talk to his department head and advisers. My son had 12th rotation for fall '14 classes and originally planned to use a priority. When he talked to his department head and adviser about it, they told him not to use a priority so soon. So he didn’t use it and ended up with 3 classes (13 units) that he wanted (one is actually wait listed, but he was told by the teacher he would get in). He also plans to take one general ed. online class from Foothill to get it out of the way (if he isn’t able to get into it at SLO when classes open up again). </p>
<p>Priorities can not be used until sophomore year (after completion of 3 quarters) at Cal Poly, so he will have to just do the best he can for Winter quarter. He should waitlist as many needed classes as he can and keep watch throughout open registration for new sections opening up. (Cal Poly usually notifies waitlisted students by email when a new section is opening up.) He needs to be willing to take early morning and Friday afternoon classes that quarter and not be picky about professors. He should also plan on crashing several of his waitlisted classes the first week of the quarter. He may want to check one of the CCC’s that is on the quarter system for online GE’s that are transferrable to CP. Check Assist.org to find articulation agreements. It’s not the end of the world, my son ended up with 20 units (16 required for his major), all at Cal Poly, when he had 12th rotation as a freshman. It usually works out, and he will never have 12th rotation again in 4 years at CP.</p>
<p>Oops, forgot about that. Dooh!!! I know he’ll work it out. Thanks for the tips!</p>
<p>He can’t use is priorities first year, but he should still be able to get classes even with 12 rotation with some effort.</p>
<p>The new registration will be by cal-poly units within class years. So if your son is an engineering major or another high unit requiring major, he will most likely have a slight advantage in registration over others. I wouldn’t stress over it too much. </p>
<p>Most importantly, when he has a good rotation. DON’T waste it on easy to get classes that everybody takes. Try get those hard to get classes, even if it means taking something a year ahead of his flowchart or a class with people all older than him. I took a class freshmen year with all older students. It wasn’t the best while I was taking it, but I made friends and it turned out fine. Now many people I’ve talked to are struggling to get that class, so a bit of planning goes a long way!</p>
<p>Assuming if your son is an engineering major (I can’t speak for other majors), below are the hardest classes to get:</p>
<p>ENGL 149 - Technical Writing
CSC 231 - Programming for Engineers
MATE 210/215 - Materials Engineering
IME 141 - Materials Casting
Some technical electives (senior year)</p>
<p>Hope this helps! Good luck to your son. Feel free to message me or post if you have more questions :)</p>
<p>He’ll be starting ME, thinking right now that he’ll do the Mechatronics concentration.</p>
<p>He’ll have some advantage as he’ll start in Calc III, place out of Freshman English and depending on how credits transfer, possibly all of Chemistry. He’ll have some GE credits too. </p>
<p>He’s also motivated to figure the system out. He knew Cal Poly would require more individual effort in that area than some of the small privates he passed up.</p>
<p>Thanks!!!</p>
<p>Coincidentally, I’m also studying ME and looking to focus in mechatronics!</p>
<p>One tip for your son, tell him to get as many of the IME (industrial manufacturing engineering) classes as he can his first year! They’re really fun and make the time more enjoyable. Besides, who doesn’t want to learn how to weld, cast molten metal, or lathe and mill metal parts? 
</p>
<p>After seeing those course descriptions and touring campus, I asked Dr. Davol if they’ve ever had a 50 yo Freshman. I’m ready!!! :)) </p>
<p>Thanks for the tips!</p>
<p>@r77r77, in looking at the future rotations here <a href=“http://registrar.calpoly.edu/node/76”>http://registrar.calpoly.edu/node/76</a>, my pea brain can’t sort through the logic of the rotation progression. Is there any? Sometimes 12 follows 1, sometimes it doesn’t. When it does, then the next one can be 5, 2 or 7. Is there a way to infer the rotation 2016 and later, beyond knowing the next 4 will be some sequence of numbers not represented in the previous eight?</p>
<p>Also, did you follow the flow chart for your IME classes or do even more?</p>
<p>@eyemgh Sorry for the late reply!</p>
<p>Rotations can be found using this handy little website: <a href=“https://ajfite.com/rotations/”>https://ajfite.com/rotations/</a>
Just enter in your last name. </p>
<p>As for the the IME classes, I took all 3 of them my first year; one per term. They are 1-2 units each and are great filler classes for getting up your units slightly. The casting class (IME 141) is by far the hardest to get, so when a good rotation comes by try and go for it, but don’t sweat if you don’t take it during freshmen year. </p>
<p>IME 142 (welding) and 143 (machining) are two fun classes that I’d highly recommend taking freshmen year. They give you some basic skills, confidence working with a new level of tools, and introduce you to the machine shops and lab areas. </p>
<p>The best advise I received this year for planning classes is to “get off the flowchart”. This trying to avoid taking classes when they are listed on the flowchart. The majority of people follow the flowchart so not having to compete for those spots at the same time means less stress and better teacher options!</p>
<p>@eyemeh, The future rotations chart you linked to above will make sense if you ignore all the “Summer” columns. The pattern is consistent when looking only at Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters.</p>
<p>Thanks!!!</p>
<p>Are this year’s students even being given priorities? My understanding was that they weren’t because the new system will go by the percentage of degree completion rather than by the previous rotation chart. When they announced the new system they said current students (last year) would be able to continue using any remaining unused priorities. Maybe since the rotation schedule shows it going through this school year they are delaying that a year. In any way…priorities can’t be used until second year. My other advice is to find an advisor you like and meet with them frequently during your time at Poly.</p>