Waitlist position in Discussion vs. WL position in Lecture

[MechRocket]

<p>I just added a class in which I am #45 in the Lecture waitlist.</p>

<p>When choosing the discussion section, I chose the Discussion section with the least amount of people on the waitlist (there were only 5 people on the waitlist for this particular section, all the other sections had 8 people).</p>

<p>Does adding myself to the Discussion section with the shorter waitlist help me in any way in moving up the Lecture waitlist? </p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

[rider730]

<p>Yes - when you clear the discussion, you then automatically clear the lecture - the position in the lecture waitlist doesn’t matter.</p>

<p>If openings happen in other discussion sections, the first on those waitlists will clear first. It will only be once your discussion section gets an opening that its waitlist is processed. </p>

<p>If you pick a very desirable discussion section, you might not see as much movement on the waitlist even though other sections are turning over. However, in general, get on the waitlist for a discussion section that is reasonably low waitlist number and that you can live with, if in the worst case you can’t switch out.</p>

[AskMsSun]

<p>There are couple of factors that may affect your waitlist position. Some classes in Haas look at waitlist number for the lecture only: [ugba-10</a> - FAQ & Policies](<a href=“http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/robinson/ugba10/faq_and_policies.html#waitlist]ugba-10”>http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/robinson/ugba10/faq_and_policies.html#waitlist). </p>

<p>The Tele-BEARS FAQ offers a good explanation of how the waitlist generally works:</p>

<p>

I’m number 3 on the waiting list for Chem 1A, but my friend, who was number 27, already got into the course. What gives?
Your waiting list position number is an overall number, i.e., for the lecture part of the course, not for individual discussion or lab sections. Most likely, your friend signed up for a discussion or lab section which had fewer students on the waiting list than the one you signed up for. Remember that in such courses, there must be space available in the lecture and the discussion and/or lab section before you are enrolled from the waiting list. If your friend is in a different category than you (e.g., he is a junior and you are a freshman), it is also possible that some seats became available in the “junior” category while no seats were available in the “freshman” category (if the course was set up in this manner). Remember also that if the waiting list is manual, the instructor or department can enroll students selectively, using their own criteria, without regard to the sequence of students on the list.

Source: [Tele-BEARS</a> Frequently Asked Questions - Office Of The Registrar](<a href=“http://registrar.berkeley.edu/tbfaqs.html]Tele-BEARS”>http://registrar.berkeley.edu/tbfaqs.html)</p>

<p>The Poli Sci department goes a step further in its explanation:</p>

<p>

Q: I’m number 20 on the Waiting List. What are my chances of getting in?
A: Many students are admitted from wait lists, so if you really want a class, hang in there, but please have a back-up course just in case. If a class is full, the only way to be moved in off the wait list is if other students drop. A lot depends on the size of the course. Also, for classes with discussion sections, your number on the section wait list is more important that your number on the overall class wait list. When scanning for people to enroll in the lecture, the computer will skip over the people wait listed for full discussion sections. So, if you are # 20 on the lecture waiting list and waitlisted for a discussion section that has an open space, you will be the first person chosen if numbers 1-19 are waitlisted for full discussion sections. After the third week of class, the computer no longer automatically adds people from wait lists - the instructors manually decide who gets in, if space is available. At that point, for classes with discussion sections, getting in rests upon your being admitted into a discussion section. Until then, the question is: Should you hold out for the preferred discussion section (and risk not getting into the class) or enroll in an undesirable section (which will get you in the class) that you may be stuck with? Only you can decide. Once underway, some classes post Switch Lists for people wanting to change sections, if that helps.

Source: [Undergraduate</a> Program - Requirements for the Major - Enrollment Strategies](<a href=“http://polisci.berkeley.edu/undergrad/requirements/pre/enrollment/]Undergraduate”>Requirements for the Major | UC Berkeley Political Science)</p>

[MechRocket]

<p>thanks, great responses</p>