Get Off The Waitlist And Into The Class

College Class Waitlist

Being on the waitlist for a class can be stressful and frustrating as you try to register for a college course. Waitlists are active once the class has reached it’s capacity. For example, 30 students can register for English 100 and after a few days of being able to register, all 30 slots are filled. A waitlist is then activated in case anyone in the class decides to drop, did not meet the course pre-requisite, or never show up to the first day of class.

How do you get in the class?

As summer school is commencing in the next couple of weeks, many students are asking, how do I get into class? The class you are wanting to add might be a class you need to graduate, transfer, move on in your educational plan, or personal enrichment. However, you can’t meet any of those goals if you aren’t in the class. The waitlist is numbered on a first come first serve basis. If you are on the top 5 of the waitlist, then you will most likely have an opportunity to enroll in the class. However, if you are higher up, your best best is to hope for students to drop or not show up the first day of class.

Steps needed to enroll in your college class

Here are some strategies you can take with you so that you can increase your chances of getting into the class of your choice.

1. Register Early.  The day of your registration, you want to be up at midnight the night before to ensure you register the first minute you can.  If you have a registration time, that means others do to.  You want to register before your peers to ensure you get the class you want or have priority on the waitlist.
2. Priority Registration.  Join a program like EOPS or EOP where you are given priority registration.  Student athletes often get priority registration to ensure they get the classes needed to be eligible to play their sport.
3. Email Instructor.  If you are on the waitlist, the best thing you can do is email your instructor to introduce yourself.  Let them know you are on their waitlist and are looking forward to their class.  If there is a special circumstance as to why you need that specific class, then let them know.
4. Show Up To Class.  Many students don’t show up the first day of class and are dropped.  Don’t let that be your opportunity and you’re not their to take advantage.  Show up early, talk to the instructor, and keep going to class until the instructor tells you they are no longer adding students to the class.

If you have any questions about waitlists or registering for a class, be sure to visit a college counselor to help you navigate your way into the class.

College Help:  ”Find out your registration date ahead of time by speaking with Admissions & Records to ensure you get in the class or first on the waitlist.”

Related Posts

1. Waitlist the Waitlist

2. Tips to Succeed in College Courses: In-Class & Online (Part 1)

3. Tips to Succeed in College Courses: In- Class & Online (Part 3)

4. Tips to Succeed in College Courses: In-Class & Online (Part 2)

5. Completing Homework During Class

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2 Responses to “Get Off The Waitlist And Into The Class”

1. Waitlist the Waitlists For Your College Classes | College To Careers says:

   June 15, 2010 at 6:07 am

   [...] education, more and more college students find themselves staring at a computer screen on their  registration date only to see the waitlist as an option. However, there are certain measures a proactive student can [...]
2. Students struggle to find summer classes in community colleges | College To Careers says:

   June 29, 2010 at 6:03 am

   [...] Now, combine returning veterans students, the newly unemployed, students home from the state’s public universities, plus the largest graduating high school class in California’s history, well, you can imagine…campuses end up with classes with waiting lists to the waitlists. [...]