Reading Your First-Year Course Schedule

Sample Schedule:

Explanation of Terms:

INDEX: The index number is a randomly assigned five-digit number that identifies a specific section of a course. It is entered into the computer when you make changes to your registration, so it is critical to double-check for accuracy before you adjust your schedule.

COURSE: The course code has three parts. The first indicates which division of the University offers the course. Most will be "01", for the School of Arts and Sciences or "11" for the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. The middle set of numbers indicates the department offering the course. For example, "355" is used for courses offered through the writing program, "640" denotes a math course. The final three digits denote the specific class. In general courses at the 100-199 level are introductory, although some do have pre- or co-requisites (e.g., Expository Writing and a math placement of Pre-Calc or higher are pre-requisites for General Biology). The pre- and co-requisites are listed in the Schedule of Classes (to be distributed at Fall Welcome Week) and in the online Undergraduate Catalog.

SEC: This is the section number of a course. Many courses have multiple sections. In some cases, the sections are completely independent from one another, with different instructors, assignments, and exams. In other instances, there will be multiple sections of a course with a large lecture and smaller discussion groups called recitations. For example, the History class (Development of Europe) listed in the sample schedule above, has a lecture which normally meets Monday and Wednesdays, 3:20-4:40PM, in the Livingston Classroom Building, room 102. On some weeks, instead of the large lecture, students in this section will have a recitation instead of the Wednesday lecture; it will meet at the usual time but in Beck Hall Room 101. How will a student find out what the lecture/recitation schedule is? The information will be provided on a syllabus the first day of classes; go to the lecture section the first week. You may also want to find out if the class has a web page, which will often have information of this nature. It is essential to attend the correct recitation (or any small group session) for the section for which you are registered, since each section has a separate roster for grading.

CR: This reflects the number of credits assigned to a course, and is based on the number of hours the course meets during the semester. A course listed as "030" is equal to 3 credits towards graduation, unless prefixed. Courses with an "E" prefix (like the Precalc Workshop) do not count towards the 128 credits needed for graduation or calculate into your grade point average. However, they do count towards maintaining you as a full time student, because they determine the amount of work you'll devote to the course during the semester! A grade will also appear on your transcript.

Course Title: In most cases, this is self-explanatory. However, in some cases the title does not reflect an actual class, but a "credit holder". This is the situation with the "Precalc Workshop", the title merely provides a mechanism for registering the E prefixed credits that go with the non-prefixed component of the course. When this is the case, the HRS/LOCATION will be listed as "By Arrangement"; the actual meeting time(s) will be listed under the linked (non-prefixed) course.

HRS/LOCATION: The day(s) and times of the classes are listed, followed by the location of the classroom. The building codes (e.g., which campus a building is on) can be accessed from hhttp://scheduling.rutgers.edu/bldgcodes.htm. You will receive a scheduling grid when you arrive on campus to help you better visualize your schedule.

By Arrangement: This most frequently indicates a "credit holder". The class meeting times (if there are any) are listed under the linked section of the course. See "Course Title" for more information.

See Schedule of Classes: The time information for this class must be looked up in the online Schedule of Classes.

Credit Hours: This indicates the number of credits you are registered for this term. It includes "E-Prefixed" credits, because those count towards maintaining you as a full-time student even though they will not calculate into your grade point average or count towards graduation.

College/Curriculum Code: The first two digits (11) represent the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, your college of matriculation. The second set (11) stands for your anticipated year of graduation (2011). The final set (007 for all freshmen) indicates your major, which at this point is undeclared. When you declare a major in the spring of your freshman year, this number will change to the department code.

Loc Spec: This is a code that allows you to identify your advisor. All first year students have a first year advisor. All transfer students have a departmental/upper-class advisor.

DEG/CR: If you have already been granted credits for prior college work or AP scores, it will appear here. (Note: Not all transcripts have been processed yet.) The GPA (grade point average) will reflect only work done within Rutgers. Even though this student has 8 credits towards her degree, she does not yet have a Rutgers grade point average.

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