Registration Tips & Tricks

Classes have to be in your shopping cart before you can register for them. Add your desired classes to your Shopping Cart prior to your registration appointment. This does not reserve a seat, but as long as a seat is open at your appointment, having the course already in your cart will help you register quickly.

How shopping carts work: Add courses directly to your shopping cart using "Search for Classes" or the Schedule Planner. When you find your preferred schedule in Schedule Planner or you've selected a specific class to enroll in, click "Send to Shopping Cart" at the top. This puts the classes into your shopping cart in both Schedule Planner and WINGS so you have your preferred schedule ready for registration. Once your registration appointment has started, you can then go back into Schedule Planner or use WINGS to register.

Important: Shopping carts have to be activated each term. You'll be able to tell when your shopping cart is activated because an appointment for it will appear in your WINGS Student Center under the Enrollment Dates section.

Your shopping cart appointment will appear under the Enrollment Dates section in your WINGS.

Please note that the Shopping Cart Appointment is not the same as your Enrollment (Registration) Appointment, which will be listed underneath after it has been assigned. There will be a period of 2-4 weeks in which only the Shopping Cart Appointment will be visible. Once the Enrollment Appointments are assigned, you will see something like this:

The shopping cart appointment will appear above the enrollment appointment.

Remember to click on Details to see the Enrollment Appointment for other terms.

The link to Schedule Planner is on your WINGS homepage.

Use your Schedule Planner to help prepare the best schedule for you and then put the courses into your shopping cart to start the registration process. The app generates multiple schedules in a flash for easy review.

• Use the "locks" icons to pin a specific section of a class in your schedule to help narrow down your results. Unlock to generate more options.
• Click on "options" to see more information about the sections being offered. Select the sections you want to try in your schedule.
• Customize your schedule by adding "breaks" to narrow in on your 
• preferred schedule.
• View Possible Schedules
  • The Compare feature allows students to compare up to 4 schedules at one time, OR
  • Hover over the magnifying glass next to each schedule to see a schedule at a glance.
• When your schedule is ready and you've locked in the classes you want at the top,  "Send to Shopping Cart" to start importing classes into your WINGS shopping cart. You will finish registration in WINGS, once your appointment starts.
• During the final registration steps, you may be notified that the class has become closed or you don't meet prerequisites. The Schedule Planner can be used again to find another option.

The Planner refreshes every 5 minutes to keep you updated on which classes are no longer available (closed). If there are only a few seats left, register for that class first before adding more classes to make sure you get the seat. 

The link to Schedule Planner is on your WINGS homepage in the Academics section, but you can also get to it by clicking the Enroll link. There is another Schedule Planner link on the Add page under Enroll.

 If you prefer the paper/pencil method, download a printable class schedule worksheet to insert the classes in which you plan to enroll and ensure they will not overlap. Students should then have alternate courses and times selected in case their first choices are not available or cancelled.

Schedule Planner has four basic filters at the top of the screen that affect what courses will find. If you are not seeing the course results you expect, check the options at the top first to see if they are filtering out the course.

Schedule Planner offers several different filters to help you narrow down your courses. Check the filters if you are not finding the courses you expect.

Course Status: Would you like to see only the course sections that have open seats? Change it to "Open Classes Only."

Term: If you missed selecting the correct term when you first logged in, or if you are done with one term and ready to check out another, change this filter.

Sessions: Leaving the "All Sessions Selected" will give you the best results. However, if you are interested in courses that start only in the second session, you can change that here. In addition, for the Summer term, this filter is handy when trying to find courses that start on a specific session.

Instruction Modes: Leaving the "All Instruction Modes Selected" will give you the best results. However, if you are interested in only online classes or only in-person and hybrid classes, this is the filter to use to change that.

IMPORTANT: Your chosen filters stay after you leave Schedule Planner, so the next time you bring up the application, you will see the same choices. Be sure to check your filters every time you bring up Schedule Planner to ensure you are finding the courses you want.

Schedule Planner:Schedule Planner Open Courses

Search for Classes/Timetable:

Open classes - using Search for Classes

Change Sessions in Schedule Planner

Searchable Timetable Sessions

After clicking "finish enrolling" in the registration process, you will see either a green check mark or a red X on the last page. The green check mark means you were successfully enrolled. The red X means you were not enrolled, and a message will appear. Always read the error message so you know why the process failed. Below screenshot is an example error.

Permission required to enroll

Here are some of the most common errors:

• Class is full/closed.
  • A blue box indicates closed classes when you're looking in the schedule of classes. A green circle means open/available seats.
  • You can request an override from the instructor. However, the instructor may say no, based on room size or if the class itself is able to handle additional students.
• You do not meet one or more of the prerequisites.
  • You can request an override from the instructor. However, the instructor may say no, as prerequisites are intended to ensure students have the necessary background learning to succeed in the class.
• Time conflict
  • Remember that shorter classes, like 2nd half semester classes, don't show up in the weekly calendar view if an earlier week is displaying.
  • You will likely need to drop something else if you need this class.
  • Time conflicts require dean's office approval to override, and are only given on a very limited basis. 
• Holds
  • Go back to your WINGS homepage and find the "Holds" section on the right-hand side. Click on Details to find out more about the hold and who to contact.
  • The most common are advising holds and financial holds.
• Going over maximum number of credits
  • Undergrad can register up to 18 credits per semester, and grad students up to 15 credits. 
  • Contact your dean's office if you want to take additional credits. Please remember that additional credits means additional tuition/fees.
• Permission is required
  • Class has started, and it is after the last day to add without permission; OR class requires every student to get permission from the instructor to get in.
  • If it is on or before the last day to add with permission, your instructor can give you an electronic override, if they agree.

If you already have electronic permission to enroll from your instructor, please remember:

• Classes will still appear closed. You will be able to complete registration for it as long as the override was set up correctly.
• If you have tried to register and still get one of the above errors, the override may not be set up correctly. You can contact your instructor to check or come to the Records office to double-check.

Registering for a 2nd choice class as a placeholder? Use SWAP,  not ADD for your first choice!

1. Register for your 2nd choice class like normal
2. Choose the SWAP option to register for your 1st choice
3. Choose your 2nd choice class in the "Swap This Class" selection
4. Enter your 1st choice class in the "With This Class" selection and click Next

First, select classes to swap

5. Check "Wait list if class if full" on the next screen. Click Next.

Next, check the Wait List if Class is Full box

6. Click "Finish Swapping." If successful, you will be given a wait list number. If a seat opens up and you are first on the wait list, your 2nd choice class will be dropped and you'll be added to the wait listed class.

More help documents are on the WINGS Help page, under the Wait List section.

With only a few exceptions, course wait lists are set up to auto-enroll you into the class:

• when a seat opens up,
• if you meet the prerequisites,
• if there are no time conflicts,
• if there are no holds on your account,
• if it doesn't put you over 18 credits,
• and if you are first on the wait list to meet all these requirements.

The auto-enrollment happens once a day in the afternoon between 4:15-5pm. If a seat opens up after 5pm and you are first on the wait list, the system won't enroll you until the next afternoon.

Department-controlled wait lists are usually classes with lecture/lab components (i.e. CHM 103). They can also be classes where the department/instructor wants to approve students enrolling. Putting yourself on the wait list lets the department know you are interested, but they will still choose from the list who gets enrolled. If you aren't sure if the wait list is department-controlled, contact them to check.

How to add to a wait list:

Classes that have a yellow triangle in WINGS for their status are full but have a wait list.

A wait list yellow triangle

Classes in Schedule Planner with a Wait list will have a "Waitlist Open" number under the blue info button next to the section. (You must also have the open & closed option on for your filter in Schedule Planner.)

Schedule Planner's information button shows the wait list information.

When adding the course to your shopping cart, look for the "wait list if class is full" option in WINGS or the "Wait List?" option in Schedule Planner and check that box before clicking Next or Finish. In Schedule Planner, you can also add yourself to the Wait List after the course is already in your Shopping Cart by editing the Cart and clicking the Wait List box there.

If you get on the wait list, you'll see a green check mark and be given a wait list position number. In your schedule, the class will appear with a status of "Waiting" or "Wait Listed."

Full directions are on the WINGS Help page.

Do not swap from one wait list to another wait list. That can cause issues in the auto enroll process. Drop yourself off the one wait list and then add yourself to the other.

12 credit limit - You can only be on 12 credits of wait lists, so use them carefully. Putting yourself on additional sections of a wait list for the same course may be detrimental if you need to also put yourself on the wait list for several other classes. Which class is the most important to get in? Do you have any backups that can also work?

Errors - If the system tried to put you in but was not able to, you will receive an email in your UWL email from the Records & Registration office. That email will list what the error is. Until that error is solved, you won't be able to get into the class. You are only sent one email about this, so best practice is to check your email daily if you are on a wait list.

Overrides - If given an electronic override for a class you are on the wait list for:

• You must finish the process by registering for the class using WINGS or Schedule Planner, and you must do this before the permission expires.
• Register for the class like normal.
• Do NOT select the wait list check box.
• You do not need to drop off the wait list first.

More help documents are on the WINGS Help page, under the Wait List section.

Electronic overrides can be used through the first 10 days of the semester (deadline is shorter for shorter classes) and are given out by the instructor, the department, or the college dean's office, depending on the restriction being overridden.

Once you are given an electronic override, you must finish the process by registering for the class using WINGS or Schedule Planner.

• For closed classes, the course will still look closed with a blue box. You will be able to register anyway, so continue with the registration process like normal (i.e. add course to your shopping cart and then register).
• If you are on a wait list and given an electronic permission to get in, you should register like normal. You will still see the yellow triangle.
  • Do not select the wait list check box. You will be put on the wait list instead of enrolled.
  • You do not need to drop off the wait list first. 
• If you've tried to register and got an error, please ask your instructor to verify that the permission was placed correctly (on the right tab, on the right section, checking the right override permission). If you or the instructor need assistance, please contact the Records and Registration office.