As a student, you can have a minimum of 12 hours and a maximum of 16 hours (17 if you’re double-degree) each semester. Usually that breaks down into four or five classes.

As an academic ambassador, I used to urge new students to consider four courses during the first semester. If you’re considering a language course, I used to recommend that since they usually cap out at 5 hours and there is a consistant amount of daily work expected, to consider only two more additional courses beyond the language course (and perhaps an ExCo if you need more hours).

Then again, all this depends on you. Your advisor will be able to assist you in constructing an ideal schedule for your first year here better than I can, because they’ll be able to reference your academic transcript and more while helping you decide.

- Ma’ayan Plaut ‘10, Social Media Coordinator

If you’re logged into PRESTO and looking at the course catalog, you will have a series of columns filled with numbers. CAP indicates the class’s capacity, ACT indicates how many people are currently enrolled in the course, and REM indicates how many spots are left in the course.

Note:

• These numbers are not the end-all be-all of getting into a course. There is a great deal of switching about during add/drop, so don’t get discouraged if PRESTO states that a class is currently at full capacity.
• Courses that require consent may currently list as having many empty spots, but it is not a guarantee that you’ll be able to register for the course when you have your registration time.

- Ma’ayan Plaut ‘10, Social Media Coordinator

Easy might not be the right word here, but here’s what I can tell you about registration and scheduling:

- You probably received two classes over the summer. You can add/drop these courses during fall semester add/drop, but it is usually difficult to switch first-year seminars since they are capped at 14 students and most of the incoming class is enrolled in a FYS course.

- You’ll meet with both your academic advisor and your academic ambassador before registering for your remaining courses during orientation.

- Your registration time during orientation (and throughout your time at Oberlin) will be defined by how many credit hours you already have. That means that transfer credits, AP/IB credits, etc. will give you a time boost, but in no way does that mean that you will be at a disadvantage for getting into courses during your first year.

- I’m not sure what courses you’re trying to take during your first year, but there’s a decent chance that you will not have the perfect schedule when you walk out of your initial registration time, but this is rather standard (again, not just for first years, but for most students). You can email any professors whose courses you’re interested in to get on their waitlist and show up to their classes on the first (and second) day, and then you’ll start the fun that is add/drop.

- Add/drop is a crazy time for scheduling. You may keep your original schedule, or drop and add other things, and so will most of the rest of students on campus. This is normal. And it all works out. Keep in mind that many courses require consent of the instructor, which means you have to go the first class and later get consent to sign up on PRESTO, there are seniors who sign up for courses temporarily but switch out, and so many other possibilities. There’s a chance you may not get one course you’re interested in, but you’ll generally get in the following semester.

So, in short, you’ll probably end up with an ideal or one step off from ideal schedule your first year, but it may not look like it at first.

- Ma’ayan Plaut ‘10, Social Media Coordinator

It depends entirely on the professor and the course they’re teaching, and it is covered both in the syllabus for a given course and at the start of each semester. 

I do know that there is a policy if you are enrolled in an ExCo; it is a requirement of the ExCo department that if you miss more than three classes that you will not pass the course.

- Ma’ayan Plaut ‘10, Social Media Coordinator