sometimes there are classes that are open, and at the same time there are still people on the waitlist
A few possible reasons...
1.) During enrollment time, a certain number of seats in the class are reserved for people in the program. For example, the Kinesology Department reserved most of their seats for Kinsology people until (I think) the first week of class. As a result, the people on the waitlist can not enroll even though there are opening because they are not in the program.
2.) Everyone on the waitlist forgot to leave an opening in their schedule for the GoSFU system to automatically enroll them after a seat became available. As you may know, you can only enroll in only 18 credits of classes. However, people sometimes enroll in 15-16 credits of classes and didn't leave 3-4 credits open for automatic enrollment. Therefore, if your schedule can no longer enroll in any more courses(ex: 16 credits), GoSFU will bypass you and give the spot to the person after you.
For example, Sam is enrolled in 16 credits worth of classes and is waitlisting for CMPT-165. John is enrolled in only 12 credits worth of class and is also waitlisting on CMPT-165. Sam is first on the waitlist and John is second. A spot became available for CMPT-165. However, since Sam is enrolled in 16 credits worth of classes, he can't enroll in any more class unless he drop something. Therefore, the spot in CMPT-165 became John's.
As a result, if everyone didn't leave a 3-4 credits open, the system would turn the class status to open. This is exactly the reason why I was able to enroll into HUM-340 in the Spring 08 semester.
3.) Everyone on the waitlist forgot to check their class schedule and dealt with any scheduling conflict. Same result as above.
Comments
1.) During enrollment time, a certain number of seats in the class are reserved for people in the program. For example, the Kinesology Department reserved most of their seats for Kinsology people until (I think) the first week of class. As a result, the people on the waitlist can not enroll even though there are opening because they are not in the program.
2.) Everyone on the waitlist forgot to leave an opening in their schedule for the GoSFU system to automatically enroll them after a seat became available. As you may know, you can only enroll in only 18 credits of classes. However, people sometimes enroll in 15-16 credits of classes and didn't leave 3-4 credits open for automatic enrollment. Therefore, if your schedule can no longer enroll in any more courses(ex: 16 credits), GoSFU will bypass you and give the spot to the person after you.
For example, Sam is enrolled in 16 credits worth of classes and is waitlisting for CMPT-165. John is enrolled in only 12 credits worth of class and is also waitlisting on CMPT-165. Sam is first on the waitlist and John is second. A spot became available for CMPT-165. However, since Sam is enrolled in 16 credits worth of classes, he can't enroll in any more class unless he drop something. Therefore, the spot in CMPT-165 became John's.
As a result, if everyone didn't leave a 3-4 credits open, the system would turn the class status to open. This is exactly the reason why I was able to enroll into HUM-340 in the Spring 08 semester.
3.) Everyone on the waitlist forgot to check their class schedule and dealt with any scheduling conflict. Same result as above.