<p>Ok you registration veterans. The magic hour comes. We are prepared with carefully analyzed primary and heavily-filled alternate bookbags. We hit register all, then what happens? If we know we have an anchor, like say you REALLY want to start on your major, or a language, and you get that, how do you quickly figure out what else works and then move to primary, then try to get that class singly? Or do you wait and try to figure a whole alternative schedule, put it in primary and go for that? I'm trying to determine the best strategy? There are too many variables to figure it all out in advance. Thanks. Do we sound like newbies, or what?</p>
<p>I'm asking because I'm assuming that I will get back a message that I didn't get into several of my choices. I understand how it works if all goes well.</p>
<p>What happens is it will take you to a new screen and you'll be given a spot in line. I've been anywhere from 30 to 300, so it just depends on how fast you click the enroll all button. And ONLY CLICK ONCE! DEFINITELY do all your classes at once...don't do one at a time. It's kind of like when it your spot in line you're registered for all the classes, so doing one at a time doesn't give you a better spot in line or anything.</p>
<p>Anyway, so you just sit and wait while it refreshes with your new spot in line...it usually takes a few minutes. When you're all registered you click something to see the results and if you're enrolled it will say "Enrolled" in green, and if the class if full it will say something to that effect. If any of your classes are full just basically head to your bookbag, find your next best option that's still open, and click to enroll that class. It's pretty easy.</p>
<p>Anyway, to sum things up you should have an entire, workable schedule in your primary bookbag when you go into register, and attempt to enroll in all those classes. Doing one at a time is really not a good strategy because it actually puts you at a major disadvantage. Anyway, enroll, if those classes are full, have alternatives (and many of them if you're 2nd or 3rd window) in your alternate bookbag ready to go, and then enroll those.</p>
<p>ok, what about if my back up schedule has zero classes in common with my primary schedule??? this is basically what my schedule is like...</p>
<p>Primary
Math Section 1
Chem Section 1
Lab Section 1
Writing Section 1
Psych Section 1</p>
<p>Alternative</p>
<p>Math Sec 2
Chem Sec 2
Lab Sec 2
Writing Sec 2
Psych Sec 1</p>
<p>No, these are not the actual sections, this is just the basic idea. So lets say my writing class with 12 seats is full but none of the others are. Am i enrolled in the other 4? and if so, can i un-enroll in those to sign up for the different sections so the timing works out? doesn't this put me at a huge disadvantage? should i maybe just enroll in psych and writing first , and then if wiritng is full, go to my backup? i dont know, please help!</p>
<p>That's a really tough scenario. You can unenroll in those 4, but it really is a terrible disadvantage. Writing classes fill fast too, so I honestly wouldn't advise going into registration with that kind of situation, beacuse you might get stuck with last pick. </p>
<p>What I would do, honestly, I know this probably isn't what anyone wants to hear, is just put as many writing classes with that same time slot in your bookbag as you can, and if the only you want fills just pick a random one. They're really hard to get first semester, so if you get a writing 20 at all you're in luck. I know some people are really attached to certain topics, but I promise it will work out. It's not exactly going to be the core of your schedule...its just something you have to take so not getting a certain topic really isnt that bad.</p>
<p>Case and point...I was in the exact same scenario my freshman year...2 very different schedules just like that...and I REALLY wanted this writing 20. Too bad it was full. So I just seriously clicked a random class as fast as I could in order to GET a writing 20, enrolled in it. To make a long story short it was literally my favorite class of the semester (besides Chemistry:)).</p>
<p>Yeah--</p>
<p>Unenrolling in classes (unless it's the first day, they're huge lectures, or there's tons of space available) is a bad idea. Honestly, going into my third year now, I know the classes that I absolutely need to take that semester, so I keep them there regardless of the rest of my schedule, and I just sort of mentally rank alternate bookbag classes to quickly switch into that work with the rest of my already registered courses. Once you're enrolled in four, then take a look at your schedule graphically, see what's in it, and then you can swap around courses if there's space.... but enrolling in four classes that you want/need should be the top priority.</p>
<p>is this true even if i have the first window???</p>
<p>oh, and my third choice writing class fits in with the schedule if i just change my lab for chem. is that too much to un-enrolll in just my chem lab, which i assume wont fill too quickly since 3 meet at the same time.</p>
<p>Chem labs are usually pretty easy to switch around, from my experience, and if you have first window you should be ok with something like that. Even with the first window (which is what I had) writing 20s fill incredibly fast, so having to change a chem lab is probably the best option. I'd still have a ton of random writing 20s in the alternate just in case. </p>
<p>You never really know which writing 20s are going to be the most popular, so who knows. Your first choice might be relatively (and I say relatively for a reason) easy to catch, but it might also fill pretty quick. But that definitely seems to be a better plan than unenrolling in 4 courses.</p>
<p>What if only 2 writing 20 classes fit in your schedule? Is there a point of putting random writing 20 classes in your alternate if they don't fit any which way? I'm first window, should it be THAT much of a problem?</p>
<p>Well, I mean, then in that case I wouldn't put very many random ones, but in my opinion even if you have first window it's important to have more than one backup plan, beacues like I said, you never really know which writing 20s will go fast, and since many people enrolling at the same time you are HAVE to take these classes, they're much more challenging to get. Are there any seminars you'd be interested in, just as a backup? I mean, hopefully getting you're writing 20 won't be too big of a problem.</p>