<p>I'm going to be attending UCF in the fall, and over the course of the last month I've been going onto my.ucf.edu to look at different classes I can take so that I'm prepared at orientation, but I've come across a small problem.</p>
<p>When I first started doing this, I had created a tentative schedule that I would try to get, and make small changes to if I come across a problem. I had done this a few times just to get a feel for it, but then today I go on there to take a look and it seems that everything I had chosen before is no longer there (I'm assuming because they were filled up by other students.)</p>
<p>So, what I'm wondering is do they open up more classes for freshmen registering? Or do we end up just getting whatever is left and if there are not many gen eds left over.. well then we're kind of screwed? </p>
<p>I've seen a lot of people on here say go to orientation prepared, but how do you get prepared when this kind of situation arises? Thanks for any answers/advice!</p>
<p>I am not an expert in this since I will be a freshman as well. However, I heard that they open up a certain number of classes during each orientation.</p>
<p>knightforum is right… UCF holds class spots and opens up spaces during orientation. </p>
<p>You’re definitely smart with creating a schedule ahead of time. When it comes time to register for classes during orientation, I highly suggest that you have the class number for each class so that when you register you don’t have to waste time looking it up when you’re in the computer lab. Spaces fill up extremely quick during the time when you’re at the computer, so having the number ahead of time while others are still looking it up will make it very likely that you’ll get whatever class and time you want. Good luck!</p>
<p>(If you don’t end up getting the classes or times that you want, check back on the days where orientation is scheduled, as more class space is opened and you can register for any opened classes then.)</p>
<p>I’m going to be signing up for 5 classes as that seems to be the norm schedule. I’ve heard a lot of people say their first semester they sign up for 4 in order to get a better feel for the campus and stuff, but yeah. </p>
<p>Personally, I’m just trying to get rid of all of my gen eds as quick as possible. So anything that doesn’t have to do with your major but you have to take anyway is what you’re going to be looking for.</p>
<p>I’m not an expert or anything, but that’s just what I’m doing.</p>
<p>There’s really no reason to “get rid of all the gen ed’s” up front. You are going for a 4 year degree, not an A.A.</p>
<p>If you look at some majors (engineering comes to mind) the course load gets pretty grueling around junior year. A required humanities or sociology course might be a nice break from the routine at that point.</p>
<p>I’m planning on signing up for 5 classes as well. I’m also going to take the pre-med route, if that makes any difference.
Which gen ed classes should I plan on taking?</p>
<p>How do we know what classes to take? Is it really just looking at the catalog and using that as a guide? How do you know which honor courses to take, if only 2 a semester? How do you know whether to take english comp I or II if at all? I just got access to the catalog, but haven’t received the response I may need to register for orientation or understand much of this. Any advice?</p>
<p>During orientation you’ll be split up into groups depending on your major. You’ll have your AP/IB scores by then and will use those to decide which classes you’ll get credit for and opt-out of. The advisors in your department will go around to each person, see what classes you have credit for and need to take, and will help you decide which classes to take and when. Also the Honors College has Peer Advisors in your major who will also be helping you with your classes… that helped me a lot since they’ve already been through the registration process and know like which professors are good and which classes they recommend. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>^^
Exactly! There will be people there to answer all your questions. My S, who’s a 2nd year student now (jr. standing because of all the AP credit brought in), says they’re very helpful in answering all your questions. He just appreciated having already looked over the catalog for his intended major and picked out a “tentative schedule.” He then knew he was being advised in the right direction. An example: he’s a B.A. Economics major, and he was the only one like that in his honors group at orientation. So, a lot of the advice, generally speaking, was going to general business majors. Also, the first years exploration person who was helping them had a little difficulty dealing with someone with sooo much AP credit. So, having checked his AP credits against what he could opt out of with his gen eds (using the catalog) and narrowing down his class decisions, again by using the catalog. He felt more confident challenging the advisor when he knew he was getting the wrong math advice. He was able to go, “wait a minute … I’m economics, I’ve already clepped Algebra II, I’ve had calculus … yada, yada.” </p>
<p>As far as the two honors courses. You’ll take symposium as one of your courses; it’s required. After that you can go to the burnett honors link and look up class the class list for fall. It’s currently up. That doesn’t mean they won’t be adding more, either. Recently, my S got an email regarding 3 classes that were going to potentially be added. Two of the classes were increased sections and one class was just an additional class (in a certain business major) that there was a great deal of interest in. That’s the cool thing about honors advising, at least. They really listen to what their students need/want. Spring semester last year, for example, too many kids were locked out of the honors comp class (the second one, forgot the number), and they opened additional sections to accomodate them based on their request. </p>
<p>Thanks! That really helps! When comparing AP credit for gen ed classes, how do you know what your able to get out of. For instance, I got a 3 on my AP english language last year, so I dont now if that gets me to Comp II or not. Are we able to get our AP scores earlier since last year I dont think I got mine until July and the orientation is in June</p>
<p>So with your 3 in AP Language you’ll be able to get out of Comp I and jump into Comp II (unless you choose to CLEP out of Comp II also).</p>
<p>Unfortunately the earliest that CollegeBoard has the AP scores are in July, so at Orientation you’ll have to put down what tests you took and how you think you did on the test.</p>