<p>“If registration happens online, perhaps one can get into a closed slot if one searches online a couple of times per day a week before classes begin, and a few days into the new semester. Does anyone know?”</p>
<p>Yes, this is exactly what kids do if they find themselves closed out of 1st choice section. In addition, from our experience, professors and the registrar are very flexible and allow for over-rides—explain to the registrar why you need that particular time slot, go the professor of the class section that the student needs in order to fit into his/her schedule and ask him/her to sign an over-ride allowing the student to register for the class. Although a class may have 30 slots available, if a student needs it for their major and it’s the only section that the student can fit into his schedule, it’s very common for the professor to allow a few extra kids above the cut-off to join the class. Also, kids often times drop classes after the first couple of days thus opening up more spots. Another wise thing that kids do is register for 6 classes rather than the typical 5 and then later decide on which class they should drop. </p>
<p>I’ve never heard of upperclassmen holding classes for underclassmen. Registration is so random online, I don’t know if this would even be possible when you’re talking about thousands of kids registering at different times. In addition, you can place yourself on a waitlist. The online service will register the next available open slot to the next one on the waitlist. S has never had to do this.</p>
<p>If your kid is willing to give you his login information, a parent can actually enter the website. This is handy if your kid has class on the first day of his registration time slot. You can log in while the kid is at class. I’d rather have my S work it out on his own but it is an option.</p>
<p>S has never been had a problem not getting his classes. He might have had to register for his 2nd or 3rd choice of section time but never has he been prevented from getting into a course. In other words, he may not have been able to get into the 1:00 class of Intro to Law but he was able to get into the 3:30 class of Intro to Law.</p>