Deputy News Editor Emma Burris and Deputy Editor Sophie Conrad give you tips on course registration.

We all know how stressful shopping period is. We’re maxed out on waitlists but don’t even have enough credits to be considered a full-time student. After adding class after class to our schedule, they all seem to be full. However, there’s an easy solution that’ll allow you to not only fill your schedule, but find fascinating classes you never even knew existed. 

Step 1: Find the necessary department code. 

You’re going to have to search for classes using the department code of a field that interests you. Columbia lists their department codes here. 

Step 2: Navigate to the “Registration Class Search” tab of SSOL. 

Sign on to SSOL, click on the “Registration” tab, and select “Continue with Spring 2023 Registration.” Scroll down to the “Spring 2023 Wish List” section of the page. For any listed class (it doesn’t matter which), select the “Info” button in the “Call#” column. 

Scroll to the bottom of the page that follows and select the green button on the far right that says a department code and then “List.” In this case, the department I chose was COMS. The department you choose does not matter at this point. After selecting that button, you will be on the “Registration Class Search” tab. 

Step 3: Type in your department code on the “Registration Class Search” search bar. 

Self-explanatory! 

In this case, I plugged in the department code “CHEM.” Under the “Status” tab on the far right, it lists which classes are Open, Restricted, Waitlisted, or Cancelled. It will also list which classes have conflicts with other classes according to your schedule. 

Step 4: Adding a class to your schedule. 

Select the boxed number for the open class you want under the “Call#” tab. It should automatically add it to your schedule, where you can then register for it. 

There you have it! You can search any department code and find a myriad of classes to add to your schedule. This will also come in handy for all future course registration you may encounter. Hot tip: look for “GU” labeled courses. They’re not as scary as they seem and many are open!

Cover Image via Bwog Archives