Advising & Registration for New Students
Incoming Students: Preparing for Course Registration
We are so glad you decided to join us at RWU! Welcome to our community of active and engaged learners! The following information will help you prepare to meet with members of our community during New Student Orientation and course registration sessions.
Please note that students who have deposited should receive an email allowing them to sign up for a meeting with a professional academic advisor before summer orientation. This is highly recommended!
During New Student Advising and Registration, you will learn about the RWU curriculum, degree requirements, and academic opportunities. You will meet with a faculty member, your school dean, or an academic advisor to select your courses and learn how to register for classes using our student portal, Roger Central.
When meeting with an RWU faculty/staff member, we hope it will be a conversation where you can talk about your academic interests, goals, and strengths. We want you to leave this session with a class schedule for the semester that you are comfortable with and excited about!
Since this is your first time participating in academic advisement, we ask that you prepare for this conversation ahead of time, but don’t be afraid to ask questions – we don’t expect you to know everything! Here is a checklist of things to consider before discussing course registration:
- If you have decided on a major, get to know the major(s) and the required courses. You can go to the RWU website and visit the pages for your major. Many majors will list requirements or direct you to the University Catalog for more information. The University Catalog will also allow you to read descriptions for any required courses. Once you’re familiar with major requirements, log in to Roger Central and look at the requirements for your major under the Progress Tab. If you are undecided/exploring, look through the requirements for majors you might be interested in, or go to the department’s web page to better understand graduation requirements. Our deans and faculty have created videos to help you learn more about your academic program.
- If you have not decided on a major yet, we encourage you to watch the videos the academic deans have prepared as a way to explore different options. You can also make a list of potential majors or academic areas of interest. Think about what classes you have enjoyed in the past or classes you hope to take in the future!
- Make a course "wish list." Look through the offerings of courses for the upcoming semester and select some courses you might be interested in taking after looking at the requirements. Generally, you will want to look at classes in the 100 level. When talking with an advisor, you can ask about the courses required for your major if you have picked one.
- If you have taken AP or IB exams, or any college-level classes, let your advisor know. All transcript and placement scores should be submitted to the Admissions Department, but if they are not in the system at the time of your advising we can advise you to not take a course that you might end up receiving credit for. Please be sure you requested to have the AP or IB score reported to RWU. If you took a college course, please make sure we receive an official college transcript. Please click here to read more about AP / IB credits.
Questions and Discussion Items for Advisement During Orientation:
- What are the requirements for my major or the majors I am considering?
- Should I be taking certain courses in a sequence? Are there prerequisites for certain courses that I should keep in mind? Are there certain courses I need to take in the spring because they are not offered in the fall (or vice versa)?
- Make a list of the academic areas that interest you.
- Make a list or mental note of the courses that you excelled in during high school/secondary school.
- Make a list or mental note of the courses that were challenging for you in high school/secondary school.
- If I am undecided or still unsure about my major, what can I take? Do you have recommendations to help me explore my options?
- If I would like to study abroad in the future, is there anything I should keep in mind in planning what I take?
- Keep in mind your personal strengths and weaknesses to prepare a balanced schedule. Think about what times you would prefer for your classes, but know that you always need to have a backup plan should those classes be full. If you are a commuter, plan a schedule that takes your travel time into account. If you are an athlete, know when you are expected to be out of class for practice/games. If you will be working, allow time to get in the number of hours you required for your position.
Beyond Orientation:
Each student at RWU is assigned either a professional academic advisor or a faculty advisor whose job it is to help guide you in your academic planning; we strongly encourage you to get to know them. You will be required to meet with them at least once a semester during the advisement period to discuss your registration plans before you register. Your advisor is assigned according to your major and will be listed in Roger Central before the start of the semester.
If you have any questions about your course schedule or would like to make a change to it over the summer, please feel free to contact the Advising & Peer Mentorship office at advising@dos5.net.