Registering for classes can be harder than buying popular concert tickets; you must register for all your classes right when the clock hits 7 am. Freshman, sophomore, junior and seniors all have different registration times, and it does not help that the call time for this is at 7am. These are just a few things I do to ensure that I get all the classes I need and want for the next semester.
Advising Appointment
Your advisor will become your new BFF for a few weeks with numerous emails and ZOOM calls sent back and forth to make sure that you are prepared and know what classes you must take for the semester. Talking to your advisor will prepare you for future classes. Talk about any prerequisites that you need, any general education classes to take and if there are other requirements for your major.
You can contact your advisor via email or by making an appointment with them. Most advisors can be found either virtually or in person making them available to your schedule. To make an appointment with your advisor use this link to find your associated school Advising Offices these links will show you how to make an appointment with an advisor.
Planning a schedule
Use the plan my schedule option before registering for your classes to make your registration day easier. This option is available under your student tools.
Make sure to plan the schedule a few days before your intended day of registration. This ensures that the schedule will work for your next semester. Classes are split up as (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) or (Tuesdays, Thursdays). Planning your schedule allows you to look at the time slots available and what days the classes are on.
Picking up backup classes
ALWAYS pick back up classes! Seniors and juniors get priority registration, meaning they get to pick classes first. Unfortunately, this means that Sophomores and freshmen may not get into the classes they need or want. Always make sure you have a backup class if the original class you wanted is full.
Bulletin
Utilize bulletin Schools, Colleges and Divisions Bulletin this page will take you to a list of all the divisions at Temple, choose your associated school to see more details. This page will give you a description of all the classes offered for your major, how many credits you need and all the prerequisites that you need before taking this class. If your search does not go well, this link will take you to a list of all the majors provided by Temple (Course Description) click on your intended major and you will be able to see all the requirements. Look up your gen-ed classes and all the prerequisites that you need to take. Also, look at the electives and other classes provided when you need to quickly pick an elective, fill your desired number of credits.
DARS
Look under your Student Tools tab to find the DARS link (DARS). Run your audit and it will show all the classes that you have already taken and if they work for your intended major. If you are a transfer student your DARS audit will also show all your transfer credits.
DARS can be super confusing. You can find a guide on how to use it under the initial DARS tab. Another option is to talk to your advisor. They have extensive knowledge of the format and how to use it. Your advisor will be able to walk you through what you should be looking at and what it means.
Talking to other students and asking professors what classes they think will be good (find your interest)
Talk to your friends, classmates and even your professors about classes, their insights can be extremely helpful when picking courses. What did they do in the class, are there any required textbooks? Was it difficult? Etc. etc. I am not the best test taker so I would rather do a final project or do research instead. I always ask my friends about the classes they’ve already taken and if it was really test heavy. It can also be helpful to talk to others when you do not know what classes to take.