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Ugh, wait lists

Thanatos
edited July 2009 in General
Well for some reason it seems like this year everyone has their registration date before me :sad:
I've never been on wait lists before, does anyone know what the wait lists for the distance education courses are like? Do they usually just 'make more room' or do you actually have to wait for people to drop out? I'm thinking that for an online course they could just afford to make more room because it's not as if there are actually lecture halls to fill (except at exam time). What exactly are your chances of getting into the course if you're on the wait list?
I heard that if there are time conflicts with other courses you're enrolled in, the wait list system skips you. That seems stupid because if you're on a wait list and worried that you won't get into the course, you might want to pick other courses in the meantime to make up for it with the same time slot that you'd readily drop if you would just get enrolled in the first course.
The whole thing is so frustrating!

Comments

  • Justin Credible
    edited July 2009
    yeah i agree the whole system could be improved.
  • nessahhh
    edited July 2009
    how long does it take to actually get in a course? Cause I'm new at SFU and I really need to take FPA 160 but all the classes are full and they only offer it in the Fall, so it'd screw me over if i didn't get it...aka i'd have to wait a year...
  • rkn2
    edited July 2009
    ^talk to an advisor to see if they can get you in and go to the first class for FPA160. Then talk to the instructor and tell them you're on the waitlist. I've often had friends do this and the instructor put them in the class or much higher on the waitlist.
  • siuying
    edited July 2009
    ^ and this defeats the whole purpose of wait lists.. what's the point of waiting when you get talk to the advisor/prof and budge in front of others?

    then again.. wait lists are better than none.. =(
  • Jimmy
    edited July 2009
    usually after the first week of classes alot of people drop the course because they are "testing" it out.

    Also, the wait lists get purged after the first week of courses too
  • rkn2
    edited July 2009
    I know a lot of people who were on waitlists, showed up to the first lecture, then taked to the instructor and showed a lot of interest in the class and were let in the class. Or people in FPA who need a certain class for entrance to a program.

    It doesn't work all the time but its more proactive than just waiting for people to drop.
  • randomuser
    edited July 2009
    or you can wait for people to drop and then try the first week of class thing as a back up

    always worked for me
  • Thanatos
    edited July 2009
    It just kind of sucks waiting until the first week for people to drop, esp. if you're using other classes which you don't really want as your backup, which have conflicting time schedules or exam dates, and then you have to sit around hoping someone else drops the class you wanted so that you can in turn drop the backups you chose..
    organizational fail!
  • Thanatos
    edited July 2009
    Plus I'm not sure how it would work with the DE classes because you're supposed to pick up your learning materials before the first week of classes. What if you have an assignment due the first week (not very likely I suppose but possible with Kinesiology right?)
  • siuying
    edited July 2009
    in my experience with DE classes.. the first week of classes is usually an introductory week where you introduce yourself and kinda get used to the gist of things.. i've never been in a DE class where an assignment is due the first week..
  • randomuser
    edited July 2009
    ive picked up materials three weeks into classes, the TA will understand if you register late

    plus nothing is ever due in the first week
  • online predatoronline predator
    edited July 2009
    LOL How could any course be weightless? Nothing is ever weightless!
  • awesomeness
    edited July 2009
    the system is fucked.

    You'd think some of the comp-sci profs would be able to fix the bullshit they call gosfu. You'd think anyway...
  • nessahhh
    edited July 2009
    rkn2;57986 said:
    ^talk to an advisor to see if they can get you in and go to the first class for FPA160. Then talk to the instructor and tell them you're on the waitlist. I've often had friends do this and the instructor put them in the class or much higher on the waitlist.
    ohhh okay thanks so much for the info!

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