Preparing for Your Pre-Registration Appointment
New semesters and preparing for them are always exciting. And along with new semesters and new excitement comes preregistration. While preparing for preregistration can sometimes be stressful, here are some steps to help prepare you for your preregistration appointment prior to meeting with your advisor. Follow these steps to prepare for preregistration:
1. Check your program evaluation through WebAdvisor.
Once logging into WebAdvisor, access your program evaluation. Your program evaluation is where you will see the courses you have already taken and the courses you have left to complete to fulfill your degree requirement. First, browse the program evaluation to be sure that all of the coursework you have completed currently shows up on the program evaluation along with the courses in which you are currently enrolled. If you see that a course you have already taken or in which you are currently enrolled does not show up on your program evaluation, write that course down so that you may mention it to your advisor. The same applies to courses that are not filling in the program evaluation properly. For example, if you have taken ENGL 205 or PHIL 101, and those credits are filling in at the bottom of your program evaluation and not in the spaces where ENGL 205 or PHIL 101 belongs, be sure to make a note of that to mention to your advisor.
2. Notice the classes you still need in order to complete your degree.
While browsing your program evaluation, there will be program requirements that are marked (not started). The areas on your program evaluation marked (not started) are classes that you have not yet completed, and they are very vital as you progress towards your degree. These pool of classes are the classes you should use to build your schedule for the upcoming semester. As you look over the classes marked (not started) and begin drafting your schedule, make sure you are paying attention to the classes. Keep in mind the courses that serve as prerequisites for future classes. You want to complete those courses as soon as possible so that the course won’t prove to be stumbling block in a future semester and stagger your academic progress.
3. Browse through the course catalog for description of classes.
This step is very beneficial and should be done as you are building your schedule and noticing the classes you have left to take. Access your course catalog to find the titles for classes, class descriptions, prerequisites, corequisites, and credit hours. In completing this step, you make meaningful course selections. Knowing in detail the classes being offered and their descriptions gives students a general sense of the coursework in which they are planning to enroll. In addition, the more a student knows about the university’s course, the better they are able to choose classes that align with their future career path or their interests.
4. Write the classes down and bring them to your advising session.
Because an average semester of classes consists of 15 credit hours, make a tentative schedule of five classes. It may also be best if you think about two extra classes that will serve as alternatives as just in case the classes you desire fill before you get the chance to register. Bring the list of classes with you to your next advising section. While drafting this tentative schedule, be sure to take into account classes you need to repeat in attempt to earn a better grade. It is also helpful if you consider taking classes with a great amount of credits in different semester (For example, it may not be best to take science, math, and foreign language in the same semester because those classes are larger in credit hours and require a strenuous amount of work and effort to retain the information of these classes effectively).
5. Consider any questions you may have.
Have questions for your advisors to answer regarding minors, internships, opportunities for learning and career development, honors requirements, academic issues, course offering, and campus resources. Take the time to make the best out of your advising appointment. If you are unsure about anything, don’t shy away from asking. Your advisor will be glad to assist as you engage in your studies and progress towards your degree here in the Edwards College of Humanities.