Scheduling Classes

Scheduling classes can sound intimidating, but with a few resources and helpful hints you can get the classes you need to stay on track!

Before scheduling it is a good idea to know what classes you need to take.  Here are some great resources for scheduling preparation: 

Website: http://www.engr.psu.edu/AcademicPlans/ 

This website is incredibly helpful for determining what classes need to be taken to stay on track for graduation.  The site contains academic plans for each Penn State campus and engineering major, making it easy for any Penn Stater to use.  Upon selecting the appropriate academic plan, the website lists the name of the class, the course number, and which semester it should be taken in.  By selecting the icon next to each class name more information about the class is revealed, specifically whether or not a C is required to move on.  Upon selecting a specific class, more information is revealed about the course including pre-requisites.  This is a helpful resource if you are unsure what classes to schedule on elion.  It also allows you to see what classes need to be taken in the future which allows you to plan and work ahead if desired.

It is always good to verify that you are staying on track, so a trip to the advising office before scheduling classes is always a great idea!

Website:  http://www.engr.psu.edu/Advising/

This website acts as a navigation point to a variety of additional scheduling sources.  Advisors are listed for both pre-major and in major students as well as Schreyer scholars, Millennium scholars, study or work abroad students and gives access to the engineering advising center and career resources.  By selecting the appropriate category into which the student fits, they will be able to schedule a meeting with their advisor to discuss their class choices.  This allows students to discuss adding, dropping or scheduling classes while advisors can verify a student is on track.  For pre-major students at University Park, scheduling can be done by the web appointment request system or by walk-in appointments.  Walk-in appointments are restricted time intervals and should be avoided if one can plan ahead.

And now to the day before scheduling…..

Website: https://elionnx.ais.psu.edu/

You will know what day you are to schedule by logging into elion and clicking on the schedule tab. In the drop-down menu it will read registration calendar.  By clicking on this link it will tell you the date you can schedule for example September 20.  IMPORTANT! You want to be online at 11:55 p.m. the night before you are meant to schedule.  For example, if you are to schedule September 20, be online on September 19 at 11:55 p.m.

The day before write down all your class numbers so you can quickly put them into the system.  The night before your scheduling date log into elion and into registration before it tells you that you cannot schedule yet.

Once it hits midnight its time to schedule!

Hit refresh and schedule those classes!  Simply type in the course number and hit submit.  It is a good idea to schedule the class with the least seats left first then schedule the rest.

If a class is already full do not worry welcome to the magic of watch list!  Simply go underneath the schedule tab in eLion and find the course watch list.  All you have to do is input the class number you desire and Penn State can notify you by texts and email when someone drops the class.  Sometimes, many people are watching the same class so it can be a race to see how can get on elion and claim it first may the odds be ever in your favor and good luck!

Sarah Markel is a junior majoring in Chemical Engineering, and is a Mentor for WEPO'15!

Scheduling Classes

Scheduling classes can be a confusing and challenging process but with a few tips the process can be made a lot easier.

1. Do not wait until an hour before you are to schedule your classes to figure out what you need to take. The college of engineering offers a general guideline found at http://www.engr.psu.edu/AcademicPlans/.

2. Regardless of whether or not you plan on following the above academic plan to a t, I advise going to meet with an academic advisor. This way you can verify you are on the right track. They are also extremely helpful working with you and your schedule if you decide to take on a minor, study abroad, etc. You can schedule appointments once you are on campus by using this link http://www.engr.psu.edu/advisingcenter/.

3. On eLion, under the tab schedule is a tab labeled registration calendar which is where you can determine the date you can schedule.

4. Have all your class numbers written down so you can input them quickly into the system when the time comes.

5. IMPORTANT! You want to be online at 11:55 p.m. the night before you are meant to schedule. For example, if you are to schedule October 12, be online on October 11 at 11:55 p.m.

6. Log into eLion the night of and go into registration. Log in as far as you can before you are notified it is not time for you to schedule yet. Then, hit refresh at exactly midnight and quickly input your numbers to get your classes. The class you want the most or has the least amount of seats left is the one you want to schedule first.

7. Once your class is scheduled a green bar will appear at the top of the screen indicating your confirmation in enrolling in the class.

8. However if you do not get the class you want/at the time you want/ or with the professor you want, there is still hope. Penn State has an awesome thing called registration watch list. Again, it is underneath the schedule tab in eLion. All you have to do is input the class number you desire and Penn State can notify you by texts/emails when a seat is open. Then, you can immediately log onto eLion and add the class.  (NOTE: Many people can be watching the same class so it’s a little bit of a race to see who can get the seat first)

With these few tips hopefully your scheduling can be an easy, stress free process. Good luck!

Sarah Markel is a sophomore in Chemical Engineering, and she is a Rover for WEPO '14!