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Class Enrollment
Berkeley’s interactive enrollment and registration system is called Tele-BEARS (for Berkeley Enrollment And Registration System—remember that for your next trivia game).

Tele-BEARS is available via the Internet at telebears.berkeley.edu

How to enroll in classes
You enroll through Tele-BEARS in two different phases.

Phase I starts toward the end of the previous semester for continuing and readmitted students, and a bit later for new students. During Phase I, undergraduates can sign up for 10.5 units, and graduate students can enroll in up to 12.5 units. During this time you are free to adjust your schedule as long as you don’t exceed these unit restrictions. (The reason why you can’t sign up for all your classes at once is to increase the chances of everyone getting at least some of the classes they need.)

Phase II starts immediately after Phase I ends. You are allowed to enroll in up to the maximum number of units allowed by your college or school (e.g. 20.5 for Letters and Science undergraduates).

For both phases, each student is assigned a specific day/time for their enrollment appointment via Bear Facts (bearfacts.berkeley.edu), and is allowed ten minutes per session (you can log on again if you need more time). You cannot use Tele-BEARS before your appointment in either phase.
If your appointment has expired, or if you want to make any changes, you can still access Tele-BEARS during open hours, which are 7am to 8am and 7pm to midnight, Monday-Friday and noon to midnight on the weekends (all times are Pacific Standard Time). You’re allowed to access the system up to 40 times each phase. For security, each time you log on, you must enter your CalNet ID and passphrase. If you forget your passphrase, contact the Cal 1 Card offices (services.housing.berkeley.edu/c1c/static/index.htm; 180 Chavez Center; calnetid@berkeley.edu; 510/643-6839).
In addition, students who require advising (this includes all new undergraduates, see next section) will be assigned an Adviser Code (AC), which must be obtained at CalSO (new students) or from their adviser (continuing students).

The Adjustment Period begins one week before instruction. Tele-BEARS availability, however, will vary depending on your college/school affiliation; check the Registrar’s Office website for details (registrar.berkeley.edu).
Appointments are not needed for the adjustment period, but access to Tele-BEARS is by an alphabetical schedule (also at registrar.berkeley.edu). This alphabetical schedule does not apply to new students, who can use the system at any time it is open.
Make sure your schedule is accurate and complete before the Adjustment Period ends, because if you want to add or drop courses afterwards, you’ll need to get the approval of the dean of your college or school. Approvals are not likely to be granted. See your college or school website for more information.

New students
All new undergraduates will receive their appointment information and ACs (adviser codes) when attending a Cal Student Orientation (CalSO) program. Students unable to attend should contact CalSO online (calso.berkeley.edu).

If you’re a new graduate student, you will have to obtain your adviser code (if required) and appointment information from your department. You are not allowed to use Tele-BEARS to enroll in classes until the last week of Phase II (shortly before instruction begins). Contact your department for more information.

If you are visually impaired and need help with Tele-BEARS, contact the Disabled Students Program (TDD 510/642-6377).

How to choose classes
Before actually choosing your classes and creating a schedule, you need to arm yourself with three essential reference materials: The General Catalog, which lists all the classes offered at Berkeley; the Schedule of Classes (available only online at schedule.berkeley.edu), which lists logistical information about classes (like where they meet, who is teaching, how many units, and the examination groups of each); and your College or School Announcement, which describes the University and college breadth requirements for your college/school, as well as requirements for your major. (See Helpful publications, page 30, for online versions.)

New transfer students should attend a CalSO orientation (calso.berkeley.edu) in order to meet with their major adviser to find out about required courses, as well as when and how to declare. To help you figure out which classes from your previous institution may be transferable (thus letting you know what class to take next), go online to www.assist.org. After the twelfth week of your first semester you can also request a degree audit online using DARS (see page 44).

Then you should read the entire General Catalog, really! Write down upper division classes you’d like, even if you’re a first year student, because you can identify the lower division prerequisites you’ll need and see how the classes that interest you fit into specific majors. It makes choosing a major that much easier. When reading the Catalog, make a list of all the classes you think you’ll ever be interested in taking while at UC Berkeley.

Example
From your list, match the classes with requirements that are specified in your College Announcement and fill out your schedule accordingly. Try to keep a balanced schedule by taking a required class, a breadth requirement, and an elective. Think about mixing humanities requirements with math and science requirements so you have a schedule with variety.

Then check to see how many of these classes you could actually take, which ones are offered, and which ones you have taken the prerequisites for. Include in these lists the class meeting times and the exam groups, which you can get from the Schedule of Classes. If certain exam groups and class times conflict, you should prioritize classes and adjust your lists accordingly.

This process will help you make the most of your Tele-BEARS appointments. Instead of searching through the Schedule of Classes desperately trying to find an open class, you’ll have a list of your options right in front of you.

• First class choice:
Sociology 3, MWF, 11-12, Exam 3

Backups in case class is full:
1) Psychology 1, MWF, 11-12, Exam 11
2) Anthropology 1, MW, 10:30-12, Exam 5

• Second class choice:
Ethnic Studies 21, TuTh, 10-12, Exam 2
Backups in case class is full:
1) Music 27, TuTh, 9-11, Exam 3
2) English 15, TuTh, 10-12, Exam 10

Note: In the example, if you get Soc 3 but you don’t get Ethnic Studies 21, you’ll have to go for your second backup, English 15, so you won’t have an exam group conflict.

What’s a good class?
Cal.PickaProf.com is an ASUC-sponsored site that allows students to view course ratings and evaluations for Berkeley professors and their classes. Students can also look up the number of A-F’s each professor has given. Pick-a-Prof features a schedule planner, links to buy/sell/trade textbooks, and a link to Facebook accounts to see which courses or sections your friends are signing up for (cal.pickaprof.com).

RateMyProfessors.com is a non-University-sponsored website with student impressions of teachers on numerous campuses across the country (ratemyprofessor.com).

Recommended classes: Everyone wants to know, what’s a good class? We received responses to this question from over 3000 undergraduates, and their answers are listed on pages 83-103.

Note: Remember that course ratings can vary widely depending on the evaluator. Your opinion of a class or professor may be very different than someone else’s. Use tools like Pick-A-Prof and Rate My Professors with discretion.

Waiting lists
If you can’t add a course because it’s full, get on the waiting list right away. If space becomes available later (either through drops or an increase in seats), students on the waiting list get first crack at enrollment. Tele-BEARS keeps the waiting list in priority order; that is, the first student who gets on the waiting list is number one, the second student is number two, and so on.

Remember, the units for waiting list classes are included as part of your overall unit total, meaning that Tele-BEARS will not allow you to enroll in more than your college or school’s maximum number of units (including those you’re waitlisted for).

It’s important to know that there are two kinds of waiting lists: automatic and manual.

With automatic waiting lists, Tele-BEARS adds waitlisted students in priority order as space opens up during Phases I and II, and every night during the Adjustment Period.

With manual waiting lists, the departments—not Tele-BEARS—process the enrollment. Departments use their own set of criteria to determine which students get enrolled. It means that they can pick and choose from the list as they please, without regard to the order of the list. Manual waiting lists can be processed at any time; in other words, they are not restricted to the fixed times of automatic lists.

When you place yourself on a waiting list, Tele-BEARS will indicate whether it’s automatic or manual. Beware though: an automatic list can be changed to manual (or vice versa) at any time, and as many times as the departments want.

If you’re still on the waiting list by the time classes begin, it’s a good idea to go to the first class meeting to demonstrate your intent to enroll in the course. You’ll also be able to get a more realistic idea about your chances of getting in.

One more thing
Take it easy your first semester. Academic expectations at Berkeley are going to be different from what they were at your high school, community college, or previous institution. You can always buckle down next semester after you’ve made some new friends, found your way around campus, and learned how to do your own laundry.

Helpful publications and websites
College and School Announcements contain important information regarding school and college course requirements; online versions are listed below (go to your college or school for a print copy).

Business: haas.berkeley.edu/Undergrad
Chemistry:chemistry.berkeley.edu/ugrad_info/publications/index.html
Engineering: coe.berkeley.edu/students/college-of-engineering-announcement
Environmental Design: www.ced.berkeley.edu/college/academics/programs/undergraduate
Letters and Science: ls-advise.berkeley.edu/fp/EYD.pdf. Also go to ls-orientation.berkeley.edu and complete Academic Orienteeting if you’re a new freshman or TOOLS if you’re a new transfer student (ls-tools.berkeley.edu).
Natural Resources: cnr.berkeley.edu/site/forms/oisa/undergrad_handbook.pdf

The General Catalog lists descriptions of courses, school, college, and University academic regulations, and much, much more in tiny print ($10 plus tax; Cal Student Store Textbooks; MLK Jr. Student Union; 510/981-9618). To order a copy by mail, call 510/981-9618. Cost is $16 plus tax for first-class mail; for faster service, you can pay with a credit card. The General Catalog is also available online (catalog.berkeley.edu).

The Online Schedule of Classes (schedule.berkeley.edu) has the most updated information on classes, including days and times, examination groups, class limits, and enrollment information. It’s updated daily, and you can search for classes that meet certain criteria, such as all classes meeting at 10am, all two-unit courses still open, those which fulfill the American Cultures requirement, or all classes on a particular subject.

Scheduling utilities
If you want to arrange your classes to minimize schedule gaps, or check to make sure your classes, labs, and discussions don’t conflict, try one of these student-created online scheduling utilities:

Vassar? At Berkeley?
Professor Arnie Leiman, who worked tirelessly on behalf of undergraduates, once said, “There’s a Vassar buried in the Berkeley curriculum.” It really is possible for a Berkeley undergraduate to receive the kind of close intellectual interaction and faculty attention that students in small liberal arts colleges enjoy—you just need to know where to dig.

The first place to look is the Freshman and Sophomore Seminars (see page 64). This program has a reputation, largely earned, of being so popular that it’s difficult to secure a seat in one of the classes. If you are on the waiting list for a seminar, you should come to the first class. Even if you are number fifteen on a waiting list of fifteen, you still have a good chance of getting in because most wait-listed students never bother to show up.

Your next best bet is to take classes (or even major) in the smaller departments on campus, the departments that are named after disciplines you never heard of in high school. If you love literature, don’t fall into the English Department (as great as it is) by default; consider one of the smaller language and literature departments or Comparative Literature instead. Browse through The General Catalog as you would any other site (like Amazon or Facebook): it’s a wish book containing all kinds of rare treasures, only with this catalog every item is free with the cost of admission. It is in the breadth and richness of our curriculum that Berkeley surpasses the liberal arts colleges, which are too small to afford faculty to teach subjects as arcane as Serbo-Croatian or Celtic mythology or forest ecology.

Similarly, don t slip into default mode when choosing courses to satisfy your breadth requirements. If you are a student in L&S, for example, you can fulfill your Social and Behavioral Science requirement the way everyone else does in Psychology 1 with hundreds of other students, or you can choose the road less traveled. Literally hundreds of different courses count for breadth credit; instead of Psychology, you can take a course in African American Studies, American Studies, Chicano Studies, City and Regional Planning...and these are just samples from the beginning of the alphabet. If you are in one of those majors that require you to take several big lecture courses in your first two years, breadth will be even more important to you in your quest to find small courses to balance out your schedule.

If all else fails and you do not manage to wriggle into even one small class, take matters into your own hands. Think of provocative, open-ended questions in response to the assigned readings for your large lecture class, then go see the professor during her or his office hours and discuss them. Join a student-led study group or start a study group with some other students in one of your large lecture classes so that you don t miss out on the intellectual camaraderie of your peers. There are over twenty thousand undergraduates and fourteen hundred faculty members at Berkeley: you will do well here if you look upon them as thousands of opportunities for meaningful interactions.

—Alix Schwartz, Director of Academic Planning
The Undergraduate Division, Letters & Science