Put your choices in order (1-7 or so) based on their importance to you and the demand for them.  High importance and high demand classes should go to the top of the list--1st and 2 places.  Review your choices in the schedule, remembering to look at the "Notes" column.  The notation "PRM" means that the course requires permission.  "PRQ" means that a course has a prerequisite. Footnotes using the numbers 1, 2, 3, or 4 designate which students (1 = First Year, 2 = Sophomore, 3 = Junior, 4 = Senior) may register for the class.

Notice which courses offer multiple sections.  WRI 101 courses also have different sections, generally with different topics -- but all with the same goals in regard to writing.  The computer program will not automatically give you a different section of a course if the one you put down is full. To get in a different section, you must have it on your list.

For each class that you want, you will need the department name and number and its section name (e.g., MAT 112 C), its five-digit Course Reference Number (CRN) and the times it meets.

Do not worry about PE credits.  PE registration is handled differently and later.

Your ideal schedule occupies slots 1, 1A, 1AA, and 4A. If your 1st choice has three different sections, use one section as Choice #1 on your worksheet (top of Tree 1).  Use another section as choice #2 on your worksheet (top of Tree 2) and yet another section as Choice #3 on your worksheet (top of Tree 3).  You will get #1 or #2 or #3 but not #1 and #2 and #3. If your first choice doesn't have multiple sections, your first choice becomes Choice #1 on your worksheet (Tree 1, top).  Your second choice becomes Choice #2 on your worksheet (Tree 2, top) and your third choice becomes Choice #3 on your worksheet (Tree 3, top).  You will get #1 or #2 or #3 but not #1 and #2 and #3. Whichever of those top choices you get determines most of the rest of your selection tree.

If you get choice #1 (top of tree1), the program stays with tree 1 and goes to 1A (or 1B, if 1A is full), then 1AA (or 1BA; the worksheet will show you how that works).  If you get choice #2 instead, the next step is 2A (or 2B), then 2AA. If your next priority (on your list of 1-7 or so) does not have multiple sections, list it as 1A and 2A and 3A so long as its time doesn't conflict with 1, 2, or 3 respectively. It doesn't matter whether you get #1, #2, or #3; you still get at least a shot at your next choice. If your next choice does have two sections (or more), list another of them as 1B, 2B, and 3B.  Again, check for time conflicts.  If your next-choice course doesn't have multiple sections, develop a specific alternative for it--another course in the same or a similar field, for instance. That course becomes 1B, 2B, and 3B. (If you've listed your second choice in number two and your third in number three--when courses didn't have multiple sections--promote everything: your 3rd choice will go in 2A, your 4th choice in 2B; your 4th choice will go in 3A, your 5th in 3B. Promote everything up a notch, in other words--here and later.) Next choice (on your original list) -- goes in 1AA and, if possible (no time conflicts with courses in the same path) in 1BA, 2AA, 2BA, 3AA, 3BA.

Note that horizontal time conflicts (on the worksheet) are OK; vertical ones aren't.  Select a specific alternative to your original 3rd choice and put it into 1AB, 1BB, 2AB, 2BB, 3AB, and 3BB --again, watch out for time conflicts with courses above it. Next choice (on your original list): into Tree 4 as 4A. Remaining choices you haven't used go into 4B, 4C, and 4D. Tree 4 is the bench: when the program hits a dead end anywhere else, it goes to Tree 4.

Big hint: it's easier to understand all this visually than it is in words. Click here.