August 2018:
With the term start just barely a week away, the back-to-school panic is taking its toll. Tune into this month’s Dear Sophie for some last minute tips and tricks to secure your best year yet at UBC!
I tried to register for a language course, but I got a warning that I don’t have the prerequisites! Do I really have to take those courses before I can take the course?
The first thing to know: Our prerequisite warning is a soft warning, meaning it WON’T block you from registering in the course. But, that doesn’t mean the prerequisites should be ignored! If you see the warning message, make sure you’ve completed the appropriate language placement test. If the placement states that you are able to take whichever course you are trying to register in, then you’re good to go! No need to heed the warning message. If you place lower or higher than the course that you’re trying to register in, then we have an issue… (See the next question for details on this.)
Okay, I took the placement test, but I think the recommended language courses are too high/low for my level.
First and foremost, make sure your answers on the placement test are as accurate as possible, this will make things much easier. But, if the recommended courses still seem to be at the wrong level, follow the directions as listed here! This will help determine which level is best for you. At times, students are able to take courses higher than the level they were approved for, but this is a very complicated process that must be approved by the appropriate Language Coordinator.
Term is starting, and I’m still not off the waitlist! Do I panic now!?
As always, don’t panic! There are a couple of ways to go about being added to courses after term starts.
- Check the course regularly. After the start of the term, the Department no longer monitors waitlists. This means, if seats open up in a course, we no longer automatically add you into the course from the waitlist. If your course is unblocked after the term starts, it is your responsibility to add yourself into the course when seats open up.
- Speak to the instructor. So, say your course is still blocked after the term starts and the Department is no longer monitoring the waitlists… This means, when seats open up in the course, not only will the Department NOT add you into the course from the waitlist, but you cannot register yourself into the course either. If this is the case, it’s time to speak to the instructor about being added to the course directly! If the instructor approves you to be in the course, they’ll send us an email, and from there we’ll take care of registering you in the course.
- Fill out the change of registration form. From new registration, switching sections, or dropping a course this amazing form can do it all! Some instructors, rather than emailing us directly, will require you to fill out a change of registration form if you have asked to be added into a course after the term starts. This form must be signed by the instructor and dropped off to the Department of Asian Studies’ main office BEFORE the Add/Drop deadline. From there we take care of the registration process.
Got your own burning questions about registrations or academic advising? Send your questions over for the next Dear Sophie at sophie.rock@ubc.ca with the subject “Dear Sophie”
