Register for classes at the earliest possible opportunity. The longer you wait, the harder it may be to get into the courses you want, BUT also be aware: courses that are full when you first try to register may open up later when students are dropping and adding.  If you're having trouble with the registration site, consult How to Register Using Enhanced Registration. 

Read all about courses in Course Explorer. Read full descriptions and all the fine print regarding credit availability, pre-requisites, additional fees if any, and so on. You will be held responsible for knowing this information whether you’ve read it or not, so do read it!

Know when courses are likely to be offered. You need to know if/when you’re likely to have the opportunity to take something in the future. In Course Explorer, click on "List of Terms Offered" to see how many times the course has been offered over the last ten years or so. You can make an informed guess as to when it will be offered next. 

Be aware of the possibility of duplication. The registration system will not prevent you from registering for a non-repeatable course twice, or indirectly duplicating a course.  Information about indirect duplication IS in Course Explorer (another reason to use it). Scroll to the bottom of your degree audit and check to see if credit has been reduced to zero for a course that you passed. That’s a sign of duplication. Act quickly, because you may be able to get that credit reinstated, either by dropping a course you’re currently in or getting permission to repeat the course. 

Which brings us to . . .

Know when permission is needed to repeat a course. If a course is repeatable up to a certain number of hours (a 3-hour course that can be repeated up to 6 hours, for example) with permission, then don’t forget to get permission! This usually means an advisor has to contact your records officer and ask for the original credit to be reinstated. Examples are ENGL 350 and CW 202, but there are plenty of others!     

Please be aware that the degree audit reviews we do in the English advising office are unofficial (LAS records officers do official audits, and you can visit them in Lincoln Hall, Suite 2002, any time).  Because there is such a mass of information to deal with, and because we want to avoid mistakes as much as you do, we NEVER mind if you come in “just to double-check” something, even if we’ve already looked at it. We’ll be happy to look again and to answer any questions.  If something seems off to you, say something.