Dean’s Note
Pre-Registration Planning has begun. Please keep in mind this is the first part of a three-part registration process.
During planning, you should be selecting courses of interest and ranking them in your preferred order. Be sure to build full list(s) to maximize your chances of getting a desirable schedule during the scheduling process.
Once planning closes, the scheduling process will be run. Your schedule will be viewable on August 20th. Once your schedule is available, you’ll be able to prepare for adjustment, which is the second part of the registration process. The adjustment period, which goes live in late August, allows you to add and drop (with caution) courses. Following adjustment, you’ll have additional opportunities to change your schedule during the drop/add period, which takes place during the first two weeks of classes. This is the third part of the registration process.
As the summer progresses, be sure to check your email for updates on each phase of the registration process.
The following questions might guide your course planning:
- Do I select a course about something I love?
- Do I need to add a gateway course for a department or major?
- Do I need to continue or begin a language?
- Could I explore something new and interesting?
Course planning involves much more than just the subject matter. You should aim for variety in subject as well as the kind, size, format, and time of day of the courses.
I would recommend selecting your courses for your first term/year with a mind to focused exploration. For example, you should check out the websites for your potential majors, as each department explains what courses you will need for entry into their respective majors.
There are a few different paths that require special attention, however, such as pre-health, pre-law and dual degree engineering programs. There is a three-year option. There are three majors that require declaration during the spring semester of the first year: College of Social Studies, College of Letters and the College of East Asian Studies. You’ll also want to consider either starting or continuing with a foreign language; here are seven reasons why foreign language study is a good idea for every student.
Finally, please check out this essay by one of our Academic Peer Advisors about how to approach Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss, and Hope in an African Slum. Also, please know that transfer students are encouraged to be a part of the Common Reading, as it’s an important part of entering into Wesleyan. I think this year in particular is exciting, as the text discusses Wesleyan and Kennedy Odede ’12 will be coming to talk with us.
Message from the Orientation Interns
Howdy incoming students!
As returning Wesleyan students, we Interns are also perpetually in the throes of course scheduling, so, to help you plan for registration, we’ve given you some advice below. If you are a visual learner, you may find it helpful to make a chart of all of the classes you will take over the course of your Wesleyan career, adding slots to fill up major and General Education requirements, and consider exploring classes outside of your major trajectory. It helps to keep things balanced; don’t only include reading-heavy or math-intensive classes. Most importantly, craft a schedule that gets you excited to start school.
To find more of our pre-registration tips check out this Instagram post. Just because you can take this time to plan ahead does not mean you should get overwhelmed. Relax and breathe. Don’t be afraid to reach out to professors, and don’t panic if you can’t get into certain classes. There are great courses out there for you to explore, and your first year at Wesleyan is a great time to do just that.
Remember that things tend to fall into place. You will see that the beauty of a liberal arts education is in your ability to craft a schedule equally unexpected and enlightening.
Good luck! GO WES!
The Orientation Interns
Naraa Altai ‘22
Ivanie Cedeño ‘22
Michelle Lei ‘21
Ariana Baez ‘22
Anya Kisicki ‘22
orientation@wesleyan.edu
(860) 685 5666
Summer Sendoffs
Sunday, July 21—Bay Area, CA
Tuesday, July 23—West Hartford, CT
Sunday, July 28—Beijing
Wednesday, July 31—Mamaroneck, NY
Thursday, August 1—New York City, NY
Sunday, August 3—Hong Kong
Sunday, August 4—Los Angeles, CA
Thursday, August 8—Mumbai
Thursday, August 8—Boston, MA
Sunday, August 11—Chicago, IL
Thursday, August 15—Seattle, WA
More information is available here.