First Year - Course enrollment

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
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<p>So, in looking around SIS with my S, he is able to add courses to his "my planner" tab to save them. But it also appears he is able to submit Enrollment Requests already for Fall 2013 as well. Is this right, and is it something he can/should actually do at this time in SIS? </p>

<p>His schedule needs to work around a few key things (ENGR 1410 for Rodman, and Marching Band), and he'd like to get into Econ2010 for the Business minor. To do these things limits which STS1500 session and which Physics session he could take based on class times. He's already taken Calc II & III (local university) so that doesn't impact it.</p>

<p>So, does he need to wait till Summer Orientation in mid-July to place classes in the enrollment requests area? Or should he be talking to an Advisor already? Anyone know? Thanks.</p>

<p>On a separate, but related, note: he has a lot of AP (and dual-enroll) credit and shouldn't need Chem or Calc (has actually taken through DiffEq at univ), so we're assuming he should move Phys I to Fall of first year and Phys II to Spring, but aren't sure (other than Econ) what else might be good to move around, and if he should take another Math class in there - don't want to get too far ahead of the std curriculum, but don't want to go too long without a math course. Also, if he wanted to refresh in DiffEq later (it's normally take Spring of 2nd year) could he audit the class later? Any suggestions?</p>

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<p>Most students take the 2 2000 level intro econ classes as 2nd year students. Don’t be surprised if they are full when a first year goes to register. Most first years with an interest in business take the 1000 level Comm school class.</p>

<p>Unless it changed in the last couple years, a first year student cannot officially register for classes until they come to UVa for their summer orientation session. There is no benefit in registering for classes at an earlier summer session vs. a later summer session.</p>

<p>Rodmans and Echols get some preference in course registration, but I think that doesn’t start until second semester. Is that right, people???</p>

<p>I’d suggest asking your course questions first on this site, so you can narrow down the questions when you have your advising session.</p>

<p>Once you have a UVa email address, you can register for <a href=“http://www.thecourseforum.org%5B/url%5D”>www.thecourseforum.org</a> That is the site where UVa students rate courses and professors. However, some first year course instructors won’t show up on that website because they are grad students.</p>

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<p>Thanks charlieschm. I do wonder if there is any downside to putting classes in the enrollment request if it allows it.</p>

<p>With regard to Econ, the Engineering Business Minor curriculum document says all students will need to take ECON2010, so that seemed like a good thing to fill in 1st year, but if he wouldn’t be able to get into it then I guess we’ll need to ask for suggestions about what to take - becasue without it he’d only be at 13 credits (2 of them being Band)because of testing out of Chem and Calc. So I would think he’d need to add at least one more class.</p>

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<p>Does he have credit for Comp Sci? That’s a really good one to move to first semester if you have room in your schedule. The classes will be smaller then spring semester.</p>

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<p>@blue - thanks for the suggestion. He does not have credit for that. It’s probably the class he’s least looking forward to as well (typical MechE)! Maybe that’s the way to go if he can’t into ECON. Will have to see what that does to the schedule - he’ll need to have a few options.</p>

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<p>Echols get priority registration over the summer, but I’m not sure about Rodman.</p>

<p>Your son will most likely not be able to get into ECON 2010, I don’t think. One, it is hard for college students to get into ECON when they sign up at orientation. Second, and more importantly, there is a hold on engineering students so that they cannot enroll in College classes until a specific date. It is the same way with College students trying to take Engineering classes (like CS1110). I know that my friend who is an Engineering Business minor did not take ECON 2010/2020 until Second-Year.</p>

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<p>Thanks @10iswarrior. I believe Rodmans do get priority registration along with Echols at Summer Orientation. I guess we’ll need to see how it plays out on the ECON front. </p>

<p>But if ECON’s not a possibility, then we’re really in need of some suggestions from Engineering students and/or Rodman participants as to options for Fall semester due to S’s existing credits.</p>

<p>Here’s where he is currently: </p>

<p>Should be getting credit for: Chem, Calc II, Calc III, DiffEq, and MacroEcon. Don’t know if he’ll need to take the Chem lab or not. I’ve heard that even with a 5 on AP, the lab notebook needs to be submitted for review to see if you get credit for that or have to do Lab?</p>

<p>His math is what we’re really not sure about. He’ll get AP credit for Calc II, and he took Calc III last year at university (got an A) so he’ll probably transfer that to fill the Calc III requirement - unless it makes some kind of sense for him to re-take it as a refresher (and probably an easier grade) unless that will cause scheduling problems. </p>

<p>He took DiffEq this year at university, and we think will get a B (no grades back yet) - but he’s not sure that he wants to transfer that even if he could, because he’s not sure how he feels about his actual DE knowledge - especially when most won’t be taking it till end of 2nd year, and he’ll have forgotten everything he’s learned by then. So, if he can’t audit or retake as pass/fail he may just skip transferring that credit. Looked great on the transcript to get admitted which served its purpose there.</p>

<p>Anyway, currently a first guess at Fall term was:</p>

<p>ENGR 1410 (Engineering for Rodmans) - 3CR
STS 1500 - 3CR
PHYS 1425 (Physics I) - 3CR
PHYS 1429 (Physics I WS) - 1 CR
ENGR 3580 (Rodman Seminar) - 1CR
MUBD 2610 (Marching Band) - 2CR
CHEM 1611 (Lab, if needed) - 1CR</p>

<p>Which is only 14, 13 if Chem Lab isn’t needed. He already took AP Macro and would get credit for ECON 2020 if he gets a 5 on the test next week, but he didn’t take Micro, which is why we thought ECON 2010 might be a good class for him to take 1st year.</p>

<p>So, any other suggestions (blue’s suggestion for CS makes sense)? Any ideas about Spring as well since it would then be missing EVERYTHING from the std Second Semester curriculum (with the exception of the 2nd part of the Rodman engineering class)?</p>

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<p>If the E School allows it, it might be beneficial to take a one credit physical education class first semester. Some healthy exercise can help in making the adjustment to college life. </p>

<p>(I believe the College of Arts and Sciences allows something like 2 phys ed credits to count towards a degree.)</p>

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<p>@charlie - have you ever been a part of Marching Band? He’ll get plenty of physical exercise, believe me. :)</p>

<p>@blue, Unfortunately CS 1110 is already showing that it is completely FULL for Fall 2013. How can that be if it’s a 1st Year class and no 1st years have formally registered yet?</p>

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<p>We high-step in the Cavalier Marching Band. 'Nough said. :]</p>

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<p>There are some courses that may be full now, however they do open up slots for incoming first years. </p>

<p>We are season ticket holders for football and LOVE the marching band!</p>

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<p>Yeah, he’s looking forward to high-stepping with a sousaphone! One heck of a band though. We have the Cd and listen every day!</p>

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<p>Enrollment for CS in the fall is 150, not all of the spots are open right now (typical of how UVA does registration). It is a required class in spring, so fall is for all of the 3rd/4th year math/astro/etc majors in the college of arts and science who are also required to take CS.</p>

<p>Please have him take CS. It is 150-200 in the fall and 500-600+ in the spring. It will be the best decision you helped him make. I TA’d that class for 3.5 years so I can vouch for the better learning that happens in the fall.</p>

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<p>Thanks hazel. That sounds like the plan then to try to get into CS in the Fall. Great tip. We’ll make sure that’s on his request list during enrollment at orientation. I assume the same is probably true of Physics I.</p>

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<p>grp2013 – the mechanics of SIS takes a little getting used to, but the “enrollment requests” box is just an electronic holding area until your son’s class registration appointment at orientation. Accordingly, there is no real benefit or downside to placing specific classes into the box now. </p>

<p>It is good to be thinking about what he wants to take, but as an SEAS student his choices are much more structured than for those in CLAS. </p>

<p>As to getting into Elzinga’s Micro Econ first year, that really depends on how early one’s registration appointment is during the orientation session. Right now the class is listed as closed with 306 students – see:[UVa</a> Class Schedule - Schedule of Classes for Economics - Fall 2013 (Unofficial, Lou’s List)](<a href=“http://rabi.phys.virginia.edu/mySIS/CS2/page.php?Semester=1138&Type=Group&Group=Economics]UVa”>http://rabi.phys.virginia.edu/mySIS/CS2/page.php?Semester=1138&Type=Group&Group=Economics). As I recall the class caps at about 500, so there look to be 200 seats reserved for incoming first years.</p>

<p>PS – that link is to “Lou’s List.” An invaluable tool compiled by a wonderful UVa physics professor. Class registration would be a nightmare if one was left only with SIS to figure out class availability.</p>

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<p>Thanks @AVA. Good to know about SIS. We’ve actually been reviewing Lou’s List quite a bit. I agree, I don’t know how you could do it without that. The Rodman/Echols orientation session is right in the middle (session C) and hopefully he’ll get a favorable appointment time.</p>

<p>As for SEAS being structured, yes we get that. But, the issue for 1st year for him is he’ll already be out of 10 credits worth of 1st year classes upon entry, which actually makes scheduling a bit more challenging to fill in credits appropriately. He doesn’t want to only take 13CR (even though he would probably be allowed to with the incoming credit) but also doesn’t want to just take electives either. Would be nice, as hazelorb suggested, to find those few options where it’s to his advantage to shift when he takes a required class to have a smaller class size.</p>

<p>With that said, I think Spring semester will be even more challenging because he’d only have one regularly scheduled class - ENG1420. Everything else would either have to be electives, or pulling something from 2nd year forward. But obviously you don’t want to be too far out of sync with the rest of your class. That’s why we’re curious what others who came in with a bunch of credit have done. He may be unique in that he’s already gone through Calc III.</p>

<p>Per the recommendations here so far, I think what he has options that include:</p>

<p>ENGR 1410 (Engineering for Rodmans) - 3CR
STS 1500 - 3CR
PHYS 1425 (Physics I) - 3CR
PHYS 1429 (Physics I WS) - 1 CR
ENGR 3580 (Rodman Seminar) - 1CR
MUBD 2610 (Marching Band) - 2CR
CHEM 1611 (Lab, if needed) - 1CR
CS 1110 (Intro to Programming) - 3CR</p>

<p>While that’s 17CR, 2 are band and it leaves a few options if something needed to give, especially if he was able to not have to take Chem Lab. Anyway, that’s the oringal thought process.</p>

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<p>I would suggest calling SEAS before orientation to speak with an advisor. He or she may have good suggestions for your son to consider. </p>

<p>His situation is not at all unique in the College of Arts and Sciences. I heard the dean there, Dean Woo, speak last Fall on how the CAS faculty are studying ways how to make the first year experience work better in light of the large number of students coming in with credit for many of the classes traditionally considered to be “first year courses.” Schools and students are losing whatever benefits there were of a “common” first year academic experience.</p>

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<p>You may also consider a USEM. My son was coming in with some credit and was going to have 14 credits first semester so he added a USEM. His was taught by a professor from McIntire, had about 12 students, and it ended up being on of his most interesting classes that semester. It completely stretched his math/science brain in directions it didn’t normally go. The fact that he could come in as a first year, have a class with only a dozen students, taught by a prominent professor in a university with 15k students was just a really fun experience that first semester. I’d recommend it for any first year student. </p>

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<p>[Executive</a> Vice President & Provost, University of Virginia](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/provost/USEMS.html]Executive”>http://www.virginia.edu/provost/USEMS.html)</p>

<p>[University</a> Seminars Fall 2013 - Executive Vice President & Provost, University of Virginia](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/provost/USEMS_Fall_2013.html]University”>http://www.virginia.edu/provost/USEMS_Fall_2013.html)</p>

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<p>@AVA - thanks, good suggestion. I believe he will also have a Rodman “mentor” for registration, so we’ll try to make some connections prior to orientation. I just don’t want to bug any advisors or professors (or students) right now at the end of the term. I’ll wait till they can breath again!</p>

<p>@blue - great suggestion, Thanks! I will have him look into that. That truly sounds like a great experience if you can work it.</p>

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<p>grp, As your son is a Rodman, this may not be as important to him. He’s going to get a lot of chances for smaller group interaction. I just thought I’d throw it out there as an option, and also mention it for others reading. It was probably shoe or hazel who told me about them the summer before my son enrolled. You know about having your son turn in his chem lab notebook for evaluation, right? If it’s cleared then he’s exempt from the lab. He doesn’t earn credit, but doesn’t have to take it. It’s not that it’s hard, it’s that it’s three hours for one credit and can really impact your scheduling opportunities for other courses.</p>