Registration: Tips on How to Prepare, Plan and Enroll

A Guide to Registration

We get it鈥攔egistration is a bit of a process. But it鈥檚 an important process because it鈥檚 what creates your academic experience and helps you meet your goals.

Although registration happens every semester, it may bring up new questions or leave you wondering if you鈥檝e made the best class selections for your academic plan. To help you register with confidence, we鈥檝e outlined the steps for enrollment below, so you know when to plan, when to act and when to reach out for help.听

Check out our easy-to-follow steps and timeline.

听Step 1: Prepare

The best way to set yourself up for success is to set aside a bit of time to prepare. There are three things you need to do before enrolling for classes.

Resolve Registration Holds

Why it鈥檚 important:听
You might have a registration hold on your record for financial, advising, academic, health or student conduct reasons. These must be resolved before registering for classes. If you wait too long, you may miss your enrollment window and prolong your studies.

When to do this:
Resolve all holds and to-dos immediately after you鈥檙e notified and before your enrollment window opens. It takes some time for the hold to be processed and cleared.

Here鈥檚 how:听

Log into Buff Portal.
Select the notifications icon or go to the .

Learn More About Holds

Resolve To-Do Items

Why it鈥檚 important:听
To-do items are actions you should take to ensure you get what you need. This could be a financial aid to-do, a tuition to-do, etc.

When to do this:听
Resolve all to-dos immediately after notified and before your enrollment window opens. This gives the to-do time to process and clear.

Here鈥檚 how:

Log in to Buff Portal.
Follow the 鈥渢o-do鈥� prompt card under the 鈥減repare鈥� section.

Learn More About To-Do Items

Complete Preregistration

Why it鈥檚 important:
Preregistration verifies your most current contact information, and that you understand tuition and fees. Preregistration is required before enrolling in classes.

When to do this:
You鈥檒l want to complete this step before you begin planning.

Here鈥檚 how:

.
Follow the 鈥減reregistration鈥� prompt card under the 鈥減repare鈥� section of the .

Learn More About Preregistration

听Step 2: Plan

You鈥檙e here to fulfill your potential. One proactive way to do so is to plan ahead. There are three things you need to plan to ensure you stay on track.

Review Your Full Degree Plan

Why it鈥檚 important:听
It鈥檚 best to pick your classes within the context of your full undergraduate plan. Each semester before you begin enrollment, review your degree plan to ensure you鈥檙e on track and to see what classes best fit your overarching plan and goals.

When to do this:
Before you plan classes for next semester. We recommend scheduling an hour of time to review your degree plan, which will help inform the next step of enrollment.

Here鈥檚 how:听

.
Select 鈥淰iew Degree Audit鈥� in the 鈥淧lan鈥� section of the .

Learn More About Planning Your Degree

Search for Classes and Create a Semester Plan

Why it鈥檚 important:听
This is the exciting part鈥攕eeing what classes are offered and which meet your academic goals.

When to do this:听
We recommend starting 2 - 3 weeks before听your enrollment window to think through a solid plan for next semester. During this time you should:

Map out what classes you need.
Make note of which ones are your first choice.
Create a backup plan in case your first choices are not available. You can add extra, backup classes while enrolling and can later select 鈥渄rop if enrolled鈥� when your waitlisted, first choice class becomes available.

Here鈥檚 how:

Log in to .
Search for classes and start to build your cart in advance of your enrollment window.
Review course prerequisites.
Create a list of backup classes in case your first-choice classes are full.

Check Your Plan With an Advisor

Why it鈥檚 important:
Meeting with your academic advisor regularly throughout the semester is really important. You can check in, have your questions answered and be sure you understand how to best meet your academic goals and needs.

When to do this:
We recommend meeting with your advisor at the beginning of the semester and again before your enrollment window.

Here鈥檚 how:
We offer a few options for advising:听

Learn More About Connecting With an Advisor

听Step 3: Enroll

You鈥檙e prepped, you鈥檝e planned, and now you're ready to go.

Enroll

Why it鈥檚 important:听
鈥淓nrolling鈥� means choosing the classes you wish to take next semester and officially registering for the courses. There are six actions you can take during the enrollment process:

Add a class
Waitlist for a closed class
Drop a class
Swap a class
Edit your class options
Reserve a course

Learn More About Registration Actions

When to do this:
Check Buff Portal's 听for your enrollment window.听

Here鈥檚 how:听
Set two reminders:

One reminder one day before your window opens, ensuring you鈥檙e ready to go鈥攚ith no registration holds鈥攁nd that you have your plan in place.听
Set a second reminder 15 minutes before your enrollment window opens so you don鈥檛 accidentally miss your enrollment window.

Learn More About Registering

听Step 4: Review

You鈥檙e almost there鈥攋ust one more step before officially registering for fall 2022.

Review Your Classes

Why it鈥檚 important:听
After you鈥檝e enrolled in your classes, it鈥檚 important to review your semester holistically. Take a final step to look back through your selections, check the number and types of classes in which you鈥檝e enrolled to ensure that your semester overview aligns with your degree plan and goals.

When to do this:
Immediately after you enroll.

Here鈥檚 how:听

.
View the .
Make sure your enrolled classes reflect your plan.

Review Your Classes in Buff Portal

Have more questions? Live chat with our Registrar鈥檚 Office

Tips for class enrollment:

Know your enrollment window!

This information is available in .

Be sure to know if you have registration holds.听

You can鈥檛 enroll in classes until these are resolved.

Create two lists of classes: First choice and backups.

It鈥檚 always good to have backup options in case your first choices are unavailable.

Get familiar with Class Search & Buff Portal.

is our registration tool. You can also complete most of your class registration transactions through Buff Portal. If you have questions about Buff Portal, .

Start the process early!听

We recommend connecting with your advisor throughout the semester to ensure you鈥檙e staying on track.

Set reminders on your tech.

Setting reminders helps keep you on track to take enrollment actions. Our timeline can help you with this.

麻豆淫院