Jump off that Waitlist and into that Class

My MHC Class Schedule, including a waitlisted class

Each semester as class registration rolls around, students’ anxiety builds as we wait for our chance to pick the best classes with the best professors.  On registration day, each class slowly fills as those of us with late registration times sweat and then finally feel the disappointment flood over us when our first choices completely fill up.

Often times, these classes are necessary to take in order to complete majors, and being put on a waitlist can cause severe stress, and in some instances, prevent students from graduating on time.  So, how do you save yourself from this terrible dilemma?

1.       Plan Ahead:  Before entering freshman year, it’s important to look up all the classes you will need for distribution requirements (and for your major if you already know what it is).  It’s always a good idea to see if you can find classes that cover more than one requirement (more time to take classes that interest you later).  You should also see which classes have prerequisites and try to take them as early as possible so you aren’t caught by surprise if you can’t take a specific class because of a prerequisite.

2.       Have a Plan B:  When signing up for classes, you should have an alternate schedule that you can fall back on if registration doesn’t go exactly as planned.  This way, you aren’t scrambling last minute to try to re-think your schedule, and therefore, losing more time and potentially the last spot in another desired class.  Don’t rule out classes just because they are at 8am or you have heard negative things about the professor.  Often, students have different tastes in teaching styles, and you may love a professor that another student was not so fond of.   Be reasonable and remember it’s better to  suffer a semester of rolling out of bed early or needing to work just a little harder to do well than to incur more tuition fees and not graduate on time.  If you do end up stuck on a waitlist, register for an extra class that could still help you obtain credits you need, just in case you don’t get off that waitlist and into that class you wanted.

3.       Get to Know the Professors:  The best way to get into a class you are desperate to take is to know the professors who are teaching them, or more importantly, have them know you.  If a professor is aware of you and your desire to learn, and they know you are a passionate student who is truly excited to soak in their words, they will be more willing to work with you and attempt to fit you into their class.  Also, just as students talk about the classes and professors they like the best, professors also discuss which students they admire the most. They feel most fulfilled when they have passionate students whom they see succeeding.  Knowing just one professor, and having them know you, may help you get into that waitlisted class.

4.       Tell Your Story:  As soon as you put your name on the waitlist for the class you’ve tried every year to get into to no avail, email the professor and let them know how taking their class could very well change your life (you can exaggerate a bit).  Professors are generally excited about what they teach and they want students in their classes who are just as excited about learning.  They are not going to be very sympathetic to a student who says I need this requirement and your class is the only one that fits in my schedule.  Be as honest as possible, but let them know why you are so interested in the class, how it could help you in your future, and why it is so important to take it this upcoming semester (I’m graduating and this is my last chance; I have other requirements I will need to complete next year, but I’m really interested in this subject; etc.)

5.       Follow-Up:  After hearing back from the professor, some will immediately say they technically can’t move your spot on the waitlist, but they will try to be accommodating, or they will just say come to the first class, etc. and we’ll see how it goes.  No matter what their answer is, send a grateful email in return thanking them for their time and help, and then make sure you attend the first class to show you are still interested.  Your name will already be familiar since you emailed them, and they will be more likely to accommodate a student who showed such great interest.  Introduce yourself at the beginning of class, sit in the front row, look extremely attentive all class and ask questions, and cross your fingers that at the end, they will let you stay in the class.

6.       Don’t Give Up:  Like I said before, professors love passionate students, and not giving up shows them that you are not just taking their class because it’s required.  Some students have found success in being quite persistent.  They attend three or four additional classes even after that first class when the professor states they can’t help them.  Showing this kind of determination, persistence, and excitement to learn just may end up getting you into that class after all.

Hopefully, following all of these steps may help you avoid waitlists altogether, or give you the success of jumping off the waitlist and into your desired classes for that coveted perfect schedule.