<p>Ok, first, apologies if this info is somewhere in this forum…</p>
<p>S in a bit of a panic because his “jenga” piece class (what we call the 1 that you have to have to make everything else stand up in your schedule!) he is #3 on the waiting list. He cannot register for any other classes - not in this same class, understandably, i.e., another section of it…but also not any other class which conflicts time-wise with that waitlisted item.</p>
<p>So, according to the class list, tho, there is 1 slot still open (it is showing 34 reg out of 35 actual spots), with 6 on the waiting list already (w/ 4 remaining spots on the wait list).
Does the university send you a text about when there is an opening…or why would that 1 spot still be showing open?
Are the people taken off the waiting list in order, or is it just whoever jumps on and sees that the class now has an opening? (this makes me nervous, because the slot is showing “open”, but if he cancels his waitlist, does that mean that he would then go to the end of the waitlist, if the slot turns out to not be open afterall - tried this several times already…)</p>
<p>Any advice/experience with waiting lists is helpful. I’ll keep searching on UA website and on this forum for other tips.</p>
<p>The class is Math 237 Linear Alg. I really don’t want to go in and try anything if it will only make things worse (like put him to the bottom of the queue, which I think will happen…) I have not tried anything for him yet. He is (I think) at this very moment trying to talk with math dept about this. I’m conscious that he needs to sort this, but I am also trying to help in the background by gathering info that could help him. Curious if anyone has experience so I can relay info to him. At this point, after trying/retrying, I’m not sure what # he is on the waitlist, because it no longer told him apparently (but it did tell at initial registration?).</p>
<p>My real question is HOW the waitlist gets filled. The class shows an open slot, but does the 1st person on the waitlist have to take it, or can anyone on the waitlist drop off the waitlist and try for it? I think this is exactly what my S tried already. The 1 open slot remained unfilled. That suggested to me that there is some sort of priority on the waitlist. I just wish there were some specific guidelines - the info from the Registrars office, while informative, does nothing to tell a student exactly what the process is, and how they should attempt to get into the class. There are some helpful “don’ts” on that link, but precious little explaining what actually goes on. Have to wait for those “batches” to hatch over night!?!</p>
<p>Based on my own personal experience with a different school, I would think that if there is one open spot right now, your son should be able to pick it up now. If it doesn’t go through batch process, it’s whoever grabs it first. If the wait list process batch processes overnight, it should go in wait list order.</p>
<p>That being said, if he’s tried that and it doesn’t work, then obviously UA works differently. I know that class was full at 35 earlier this morning. Obviously person #1 did not move over to the available spot immediately as there’s one open right now.</p>
<p>He said it had 1 open spot at 2 pm…and then it immediately told him he was waitlisted. He saw it was still open so cancelled waitlist and tried to register again. Same thing. He kept trying. He thinks he is now 3rd…so this leads me to believe that there must be some priority going on?</p>
<p>Tell your son if something doesn’t work the first time, it probably won’t work the second time either. Definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. Apparently by your logic he just bumped himself back two spots. Good luck.</p>
<p>No, it is NOT him…and this is so weird. After reading the link that OP included here, I advised S to NOT do anything more to mess up his chances (by retrying and retrying to get onto wait list, because in order to do so, you have to ‘cancel’ your waitlist spot, and then reapply for the ‘open’ spot, and if you don’t get it, I think you get shoved to the bottom of the wait list?). Hmmmm, I watched that spot be open for a long time…then someone got it…and then it was open again…and then it appears that someone got it. None of those attempts were my S. His waitlist status now states “waitlisted as of Oct 28”. (It goes up by a day each night.) I am ASSUMING that the 1 or 2 open spots were automatically batched each night. I really don’t understand how this works. I have advised him to get Honors College help and/or registrars help and/or prof’s help Monday. He has several weeks before class starts, but it sure would be nice to get this settled before too long so he can relax about it all. In order for him to switch sections of this math class, he would have to re-do his entire schedule, thus (possibly) having to give up 2 other dept honors classes (which he benefited from early/Honors reg with and are now full) and taking a completely diff schedule. It’s heartbreaking trying to influence him from this far away. I have to keep telling myself he needs to sort this out on his own and have faith that he will be able to do so with a satisfactory outcome…</p>
<p>Just curious if your S got this sorted out? Some of these posts about registration make me nervous, the priority registration for Honors students is a big plus but if they can’t get the classes they need then that is potentially a big concern. Wonder how big an issue it is, and I agree that I don’t want to feel a need to be trying to help him manage this from home next fall…</p>
<p>My S was able to get all the classes he wanted despite being in the last Honors group to register (based on the number of credits he has). There is no doubt that had he not been in honors, he wouldn’t have gotten at least 2 of those courses/sections/profs. There is definitely benefit to being in honors - especially as you increase your standing via credit hours.</p>
<p>upstate13, please don’t use this as a reason to worry. Yes, the honors students have priority registration but that does not mean that they will be able to pick up every class in every section desired. With incoming students, registration is not at Bama Bound orientation and afterwards can be tweaked if desired throughout the summer. For spring, honors students are able to register before non-honors students but they also go be a timetable that’s based on credit hours earned. This particular class desired has 35 slots per section. Those slots in the one section/prof were full when aeromom’s son tried to register but there are other sections of this class that are not full. It’s their choice to wait to see if a spot in this section opens up or move the schedule around and pick another section/prof. Even with priority registration, it’s good to have a Plan A and Plan B ready for scenarios like this.</p>
<p>RTRMom2, my son was able to get every class/section/prof he wanted this time around and he is a frosh. When I went in this past weekend to see if books were assigned, I noticed many of his choices were full.</p>
<p>My D was on the waitlist for a class. After a few days she received an email stating she is off the waitlist and in the class. It originally showed that there was one spot open and one person on the waitlist. So weird that she wasn’t allowed into the class immediately. </p>
<p>Anyway, it worked out and thought I would share the story.</p>
<p>I can update you. It is not a happy ending, and it has not been fully resolved, but at least I (and more importantly my son) understand the process a bit better.</p>
<p>If there are open slots showing at time of registration, and you try to get in the class and get a message that says something like “this class is full, do you want to waitlist yourself?”, click to waitlist, and then apparently DO NOTHING ELSE but wait!!! My son’s problem was that he still saw that open spot (at one point it was open for days afterwards), and tried to get it. That open spot was evidently already held for another student (but someone looking at the reg page would not know this). A naive student would just see the open spot and try to grab it. Yes, you evidently do get an email telling you to drop off the waitlist and grab the spot, when your turn comes. Not sure how much time you have to do so. My son is now 1st on the waitlist. Had he done nothing else the first time he clicked, he would be in the class, but live and learn… This is NOT explained at all well (if at all) on the reg info page, I will add. So, be forewarned that if you are waitlisted for a class, and the class section still shows open spots, do NOTHING ELSE to jeopardise your spot in line - any spots showing open are for people already on the waitlist, who got emails but have not yet dropped off the waitlist and into the class. Make sense?! Yep, clear as a bell. (Son noted that this was the case w/ many of the Freshman seminar classes, as well, last week - it looked like there were spots open, but there really wasn’t…) Hope this helps y’all.</p>
<p>Oh I hope it works out for him! Thanks so much for the advice, I can see how a student wouldn’t understand that intuitevely. Seems feedback to the registrar would help, so this could be communicated better to the students in the future, and would alleviate alot of that stress and anxiety.</p>
<p>Ok, can update once more…but with a happier ending this time.
S just sent me notice that he is officially registered for his Math class. Not sure how it happened, or what combination of stars aligned to make it happen, but this is a HUGE load off his mind now to go forward with all of his classes on the original schedule in tact.
He did contact the prof involved, went and saw the Honors College, talked w/ folks in the Math Dept., in registration, and in Eng’g advising. While none of these was taking ownership of the issue for him, at least this problem got him out and about, trying various avenues for help. </p>
<p>In the end, I can honestly say, again, if you are waitlisted for a class, just WAIT - do not take yourself off the waitlist and then try to grab spots that appear open on the class list - they are reserved for others ahead of you on the waitlist. Live & learn. Good luck!</p>
<p>Don’t worry too much about this. The priority registration really helps. It’s not that this student can’t get into the class at all - he isn’t able to get into a particular session of the class, which happens to be with a very popular professor at a very popular time. (And now he’s in anyway - hooray!). There are plenty of other seats available with good professors at good times. It can be hard, even with priority registration, to come up with the perfect schedule, with every prof you want at the time you want, because sometimes the classes you want are offered at the same time, or the desired schedule requires that you get into a popular section of a class - it can be like a puzzle because the pieces are interdependent. My D has had to compromise (for instance, she had to take a regular section of her accounting course instead of the honors section she wanted because the math prof she wanted taught at the same time as the honors section), but she’s gotten every class she needed and with good professors. And she’s in her first year - her registration priority will only go up as she advances.</p>
<p>I didn’t want to worry anyone unnecessarily - OF COURSE everyone gets the classes that they need to graduate at UA! - or course there are other sessions of classes to try - new families here should not be worried about class sizes or not being able to get classes - flexibility is sometimes required, but there are plenty of slots for everyone.</p>
<p>My S’s situation is somewhat unique in that he is Aero Eng’g (and only certain classes are taught certain semesters)…he is in orchestra (so that has a set schedule of classes/rehearsals which is NOT flexible)…and he is taking a co-op Spring 2014, so he needs to get his classes into a certain pattern early enough to do so. This situation and the pressure it involved will not apply to others. So, again, new parents, do not worry about class registration. With this thread, I just wanted to understand the waitlist process better, and now we do. PM me if anyone has any specific worries about waitlisting and I can give you personal details from our experience. It’s all good.</p>
Good luck.</p>