<p>Hey guys, I plan on attending UT next fall and had a few questions! It might be a bit early, but I was curious and wanted to know if there is a website that compiles past syllabi by Professors and the courses they teach? Also, is there a website that shows grade distributions and general ratings (aside from ratemyprofessor)? </p>
<p>Furthermore, are there any classes or Professors you guys absolutely recommend taking? I'm open for anything, and in fact, I want a variety of classes so I can stay interested and learn different things. Similarly, any classes or professors to avoid at all costs? </p>
<p>Sorry for all the questions - it's just that there are so many questions. </p>
<p>Myedu.com is useful to determine which professor to take as well. There are a lot of people teaching at UT.</p>
<p>They show you how to do this during orientation.</p>
<p>UT uses Blackboard for the electronic distribution of document like the syllabus, but you have to be registered in the class to see it. The prof doesn’t put anything out until after classes start.</p>
<p>And some cynical experience with wishful thinking…</p>
<p>“are there any classes or Professors you guys absolutely recommend taking”
Recommend taking? Hahahaha…</p>
<p>You take what is available or what is left. You are lucky to get just classes you want, forget about professors. You often register for classes when professors are not assigned yet so you don’t know in advance who is going to teach you.</p>
<p>Your best option to register for classes with professors you want (AFTER the current students registration) is to sign for the very first orientation. You will be first in line among freshmen.</p>
<p>When you are a current student the registration looks like this:
Priority registration for “special rights” groups (any year) like Longhorn scholars etc before anyone else.
Senior registration, junior, sophomore, freshmen, not necessarily in alphabetical order. Letter Z might register before letter A.<br>
Some entry level/lower division classes are closed on purpose during your registration time, not because they are already full and waitlisted but because this is the way UT is trying to make it “fair” and keep something available for later registration. It means that sometimes you cannot register for the class you want simply because convenient time is not available.
When you see a convenient time slot check if it is available for you/everyone, it might be reserved for some special group like TIP scholars, Gates scholars, Longhorn scholars etc
As I said before, a lot of classes will not have any professors assigned yet at the time of registration. If you are already registered at UT website, go to registrar’s office and check Spring 2013 schedule for Math, for example. No professors in waitlisted classes.
AFTER you register the class can be cancelled. UT will send you email if it happens. What you do after that is your own problem. Counselors in your college can help only with classes in your college. They cannot help with classes in other colleges.
Your last hope is that some people will forget to pay or drop courses the first week of school.
Also, sometimes you have to apply to register for the class, and it is a competitive process. Though only upper-level classes require application, and very few classes </p>
<p>Well, everything described above is pretty typical for public universities, especially big public universities. It teaches you a very good lesson that life is not fair and you cannot always get what you want :)</p>