<p>What is the difference between a lecture and discussion? If there is a waiting list does that mean that it is definitely full or will some spots open up at summer orientation?</p>
<p>Lecture and discussion are two different sections of the same class you have to attend. So if a class has both sections you need to pick one of each. Also, I believe spots open up during various orientations, but you can’t really count on getting everything you want your first semester there.</p>
<p>That’s what I thought, but Lou’s list has 4 units for math 2310 lecture and 4 units for 2310 discussion. It can’t be an 8 credit course can it?</p>
<p>TV – The lecture is given by the class professor. For most 3-hour classes with a discussion section, the professor lectures before the full class twice a week. The third weekly class meeting is a discussion session run by a teaching assistant. These small, break-outs usually have 20 students (vs the lecture which may have anywhere from 30 to 400+, depending on the class). </p>
<p>The likelihood of openings depends on the class. For lower level classes frequently taken by first year students, many will have seats added for each summer orientation/registration session. Even higher-level classes can have a lot of enrollment shifts before the process settles out at the end of the drop/add period, about two weeks into the semester for CLAS classes. </p>
<p>As I understand it, the process works as follows: During April, all students returning to grounds in the fall had the opportunity to register for classes. During this time they are limited to signing up for 15 credit hours (at least within CLAS). </p>
<p>Up until the time Summer Orientations start, those upperclassmen can revise their schedules, and some will. Once Summer Orientations start, the upperclassmen can no longer add new classes (although I think they can drop classes, if they wish – not totally sure of that, tho). If a particular class is full at your child’s registration time, she can add her name to with wait list, if there is one for the particular class. If she is otherwise registered for 15 hours, she will have to designate a class to drop if room becomes available in the wait-list class. She can also contact the professor about making room for her in the class, but that seems to be allowed less often since the automated SIS wait list came on line a couple years ago.</p>
<p>Before August 1st or so, all freshman and transfers will have a chance to sign up for classes – even those who don’t come to orientation before moving in. Accordingly, on or about August 1 (the precise time will be on SIS), the schedule reopens for everyone. This is the time to add additional classes beyond 15 hours (there is a limit on how may hours one can take in a semester without approval – might be 18?). There is also a lot of shifting around during this time. </p>
<p>The best advice is to come to orientation with a laundry list of classes one is interested in, since it is difficult to predict which CLAS classes will be available when a particular registration time comes about. Most students try to knock off competency and area requirements in their first 2 or 3 semesters, plus, of course, any prereq’s for their intended major. In that regard, it is a good thing to review the departmental webpages to learn the requirements of given majors, since some – history for example – require certain or al least a certain number of classes be taken before declaring the major. </p>
<p>Hope this is helpful. Your daughter (and you, too) have an exciting summer ahead of you!</p>
<p>A word of advice – remain flexible . . . .</p>
<p>Math 2310 – from the SIS listing, it meets 4 hours a week – 3 lectures and 1 discussion. Accordingly it is four hours total credit, not eight.</p>
<p>Thanks AVA- is ratemyprofessor a good site? Of the classes that are full so far it seems like a lot of them have profs that are highly ranked on that site. Since my D is up to her you know what in alligators right now with AP exams etc, I thought I would get a start on a few possibilities for her. Part of the problem is I don’t know what she wants to take, and I am pretty sure she doesn’t either. I’ve researched some of the prereqs for the major but beyond that I’m sort of lost.</p>
<p>you can also use thecourseforum .com which is UVA’s specific rate my professor website</p>
<p>TV – I occur with Hazel’s recommendation of thecourseforumsite. If you have looked for it, you will see your daughter needs a UVa email address to register to look at the info there.</p>
<p>Thanks. She is supposed to be taking the short online tutorial right now to register her email. It sure is a process to come up with a schedule. Just for example- under area requirements it listed a number of options with 3 or 4 letters that I had never heard of. It took forever to go through all the courses to find what the heck those courses were. </p>
<p>Then of course there is the process of reading the course descriptions, times available, professors etc. I/we have worked for 5 hours already and feel like we’ve only gotten only approx 50% done. </p>
<p>I don’t remember it being this hard back when we used stone tablets before the computer age.</p>
<p>It is a challenge. In my day, my university was one of the last to schedule students like high school – i.e., you picked the course numbers and you were MAILED a schedule telling you which section you were assigned to! Less hassle, but our large, 3-hour classes had sections that met Tu-Th-Sat AM’s . . . . </p>
<p>My suggestion is for you daughter to come up with a list of classes that interest her. A long list . . . . Make sure to consider the COLA classes and the USEMS (search on Lou’s list for them). These are great freshman seminars taught by senior faculty members. This list will give her what she needs to get “scheduled” for first semester. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t get too wrapped up with working out the “perfect schedule” with times, etc. The situation is so fluid on registration day, the likelihood of what you planned working out is very low. Coming equipped with a long list of classes increases her chances of taking a number of classes she actually wants to take. On the other hand, being thrown into classes that you didn’t know about can be a mind opening experience, as well.</p>
<p>Just take heart in knowing each subsequent semester registration gets easier, as one moves up the pecking order.</p>
<p>It could be worse — my first semester they dumped all the first years into Mem Gym on a hot day, without any explanation, and told us to walk around the various parts of the building until we collected computer punch cards for 5 classes. Each department had a table. Then you handed the punch cards to a guy by the exit.</p>
<p>After that experience, I volunteered to help put together the book with student evaluations of courses.</p>