New to CC, first time posting. I am wondering if there are any other UChicago parents who can share tips. Specifically, at the moment I’m wondering if there is any advice for how students shoud approach course registration. DC (finishing up first year) filled in the slots for 10 courses and has been assigned only to one for next fall, so will have to try to add 3 more. It seems odd (and annoying) to me that the algorithm schedules kids for what would be considered less than full time enrollment. Her advisor was less than helpful. (Would also appreciate advice from anyone whose child has successfully changed advisors and what that process is.) To be clear, I am not a helicopter parent and kiddo will have to figure it out, just wondering if anyone knows if this is the norm.
Check if classes she wants has space. If so, get up at 9:00 am on Monday (June 5th) morning and add/drop in. Otherwise, email the profs asking if they’ll add her in and explain why she wants/needs to be in. It’ll be fine, most people end up in sections they need and there is plenty of space and professors are pretty nice about letting people in.
I’ve got literally every class I’ve needed even when the algorithm didn’t give it to me initially. Everyone grumbles about classes when they are released but by the time classes are actually starting people are pretty happy.
Thanks, @HydeSnark. Btw, I’ve read some of your other CC posts. Just wanted to say thanks for taking time out of your busy life to share helpful info : )
Algorithm might kick her out if there are schedule incompatibilities between classes, so maybe choosing 10 of them was part of the problem? (is that normal, to choose 10?) I just checked with my daughter and she chose 4 and got 3 but will have to change things because the one she didn’t get is important. She does not seem to be stressing about it. She says you can check how many spaces are still open in the classes you wanted but didn’t get. See also HydeSnark’s comment.
My son got 1 too last year. It is not uncommon as third years are given priority over second years. My son sat in front of the computer 9 am in the morning and kept refreshing the page every 5 seconds to look for empty slots when people dropped the classes. He got in every single class he wanted eventually.
Thanks, @MindLife and @anaesabc. I appreciate it. This first year went by simultaneously too quickly AND too slowly.
How did she do on Monday? I hope it all worked out for her.
Thanks, @UCMom19 She was able to add two classes for which she had originally tried to register. She is hoping still to change things around if a spot opens up in the one class she wants most and hasn’t gotten – she may try to email the prof – and has slotted in a fourth class in case that doesn’t materialize.
All in all it was a challenging year – zero compatability with her roommate and lots of time spent fall quarter on both their parts trying to separate, to no avail – they managed to reach some sort of détente by the middle of winter quarter but it wasn’t great; hasn’t yet found “her people”; hates the food; etc. (Granted, she could have had these issues at any school.) She’s gotten deeply involved in, and spent lots of time on, two extracurriculars and her grades are very, very good. But all in all things haven’t really haven’t clicked for her. She’s hoping next year will be better.
Ugh, the transition can be so hard. Will she have a roommate next year? My son loves having a single. Congratulations on the good grades and I am glad she has a few classes she wants next fall.
Nope, she has a single next year. I think that will suit her better.
@MehitabelKat Oh that sounds rough. Good for her for finding extracurriculars and getting the grades. Hope next year is her year on the social / living situation front!