<p>I was wondering what course registration is like at Yale. I think I read somewhere that it's generally not first-come first-serve, is this true? The school I went to... Basically course registration started at a certain time before every semester and THE ENTIRE school is at their computers waiting to register when it starts... obviously this was quite a chaotic experience and many people were left with courses they didn't want.</p>
<p>I know there is a shopping period, but I was wondering if someone could give me a better sense of how course enrollment works. Thanks!</p>
<p>So for English classes, freshman seminars, college seminars (and a few other classes, not sure exactly what, but generally just the small classes) there is preregistration online for a week or 2. It doesn’t matter when in that week you try to get into a class- you register and then they do a lottery to decide who gets in, though at least for english classes if for some reason you don’t get into the one you want this semester you have a better chance next semester. </p>
<p>For the rest of class, you go to class during shopping period. I’m not sure exactly what happens if a seminar that isn’t a pre-register one is oversubscribed, but for the majority of classes, you show up and then after the end of that two week period you turn in a schedule with the classes you want on it. That’s it–you are in. A few small classes say you need permission of instructor which is instead of pre-registration to make sure that its not oversubscribed. And also, if you don’t want to take a class you preregistered for you don’t have to. And if you don’t get in, you can still show up to class during shopping period and if anyone drops it you can take their spot. It isn’t crazy like at some other schools. The system works pretty well.</p>
<p>shopping period: pure heaven. One of Yale’s best points.</p>
<p>Here’s how you assemble your classes. The summer before, the course catalog is released. Pull out a legal pad and write down every class first semester you’d consider taking. Then whittle it down to about 12. Yep, twelve.</p>
<p>The come first day of classes, you just attend all of them – “shop them”. You begin to cross come off, or some classes you didn’t expect get suggested to you. Then about 10 days later, you submit your registration form with six or five classes listed. You can always drop to four or five.</p>
<p>If any class is oversubscribed, the prof gets more grad students to TA the sections. It’s practically unheard of for classes to be closed. Obviously there are some upper level classes that require pre-reqs (or approval from a kind professor) to enroll.</p>
<p>I equate it to going to a 100’ long buffet and having a big appetite and lots of clean plates! Try some, sample another, pig out on the good ones!!!</p>
<p>Wowwww that’s amazing. Thanks for the quick replies.</p>
<p>It’s so great to hear that course registration is not time sensitive… I’m applying as a transfer student and course registration at my school now has been pure hell. I really love the idea of shopping period!</p>
<p>Yes, shopping period is amazing but only when used wisely. This was my first semester and I made absolutely no use of shopping period. I am suffering now because I am taking a class I HATE and did not shop. Rest assured that I already have a tentative shopping schedule for next semester and definitely plan about thinking more critically about the classes I take.</p>
<p>Most of my friends didn’t really use shopping period. If you’re pre-med, it’s sometimes difficult because you have to take Chem and chem lab, which limits a lot of what you can do. If you decide to do math as well (all in the morning), then a lot of the classes you can take are limited. Unfortunately, many interesting classes meet at around the same time as Chem and Math classes, so your options are limited. Hence, why I didn’t make much use of shopping period.</p>
<p>T26E4 said it perfectly… shopping period is a great (and almost unique) way of registering for classes. It allows you to take classes you are genuinely interested in, and allows you to get the feeling of how the Professor teaches.</p>
<p>When I first arrived, I was singularly unimaginative with my schedule</p>
<p>Intermediate French
100 level English class
Chem 115
Chem Lab116
Calculus</p>
<p>What a dope I was!!! I quickly got on the shopping period train for my remaining seven semesters, I tell you! I got to experience some truly wonderful classes and profs. Don’t miss out. TAKE PAUL KENNEDY’S HISTORY CLASS!!!</p>
<p>coco40: my wife attended a large state school (Indiana Univ) and she couldn’t graduate on time b/c needed classes were filled. How about that for a kicker? This is the norm for most big schools. This doesn’t appear in glossy brochures, does it???</p>
<p>^ OMG! That is way too similar to my first semester schedule. I came in sure that I was going to take:</p>
<p>FREN 160
English
Chem 114 (as it is now called)
Chem 116L
Calc</p>
<p>Then, I decided it was too skill-oriented of a schedule so I decided to take Intro to IR instead of Math. But this is why I did not shop well - because I thought I knew my schedule before I even got here. DON’T DO THAT!</p>