Tele-Bears
Frequently Asked Questions
Advice on getting into courses and how the Political Science Department handles its course enrollments. Other departments may do things differently.
Q. Will declaring the Poli Sci major help me get into Poli Sci classes?
Yes!! During Phase I, all upper-division PoliSci courses are restricted
to declared majors. In Phase II, the restrictions are lifted and anyone
may enroll, as space permits.
Q. I'm number 20on the Waiting List. What are my chances of getting
in?
Many students are admitted from wait lists, so if you really want a class,
hang in there, but please have a back-up course just in case. If a class
is full, the only way to be moved in off the wait list is if other students
drop. A lot depends on the size of the course. Also, for classes with
discussion sections, your number on the section wait list is more important
that your number on the overall class wait list. When scanning for people
to enroll in the lecture, the computer will skip over the people wait
listed for full discussion sections. So, if you are # 20 on the lecture
waiting list and waitlisted for a discussion section that has an open
space, you will be the first person chosen if numbers 1-19 are waitlisted
for full discussion sections. After the third week of class, the computer
no longer automatically adds people from wait lists - the instructors
manually decide who gets in, if space is available. At that point, for
classes with discussion sections, getting in rests upon your being admitted
into a discussion section. Until then, the question is: Should you hold
out for the preferred discussion section (and risk not getting into the
class) or enroll in an undesirable section (which will get you in the
class) that you may be stuck with? Only you can decide. Once underway,
some classes post Switch Lists for people wanting to change sections,
if that helps.
Q. The On-line Schedule of Classes says there are seats available
in a course, but when I try, it tells me it's full. Why?
Once a class is full, it stays that way even if students drop out. The
vacated seats are held for people on the Waiting List. Wait Lists are
run every weekend starting with Phase I and then nightly during the Adjustment
Period, which begins the week before classes begin.
Q. Tele-Bears told me my department priority category was full. What does that mean? Some courses hold seats for different categories of students (sometimes by major or class level) for various reasons. These restrictions sometimes disappear after Phase I or Phase II. Until then, your best bet is to get on the waiting list and check the PoliSci course website or the online Schedule of Classes for updates..
Q. Did I get a late appointment date because I'm not declared?
No. Appointment dates are determined by class level, not major status.
Within a class level, dates are assigned randomly.
Q. What should I do if I'm not in a class by the time classes start?
Get on Waiting Lists and be sure to go to the first class meetings.
There are usually several no-shows in the first two weeks of class. Most
PoliSci undergraduate courses have automatic wait lists the first three
weeks of class, which means that students are enrolled sequentially off
the wait list as space becomes available. However, check the online Schedule
of Classes and/or ask your instructor (or GSI) on how your particular
course wait list is going to be processed.
Q. I'm way down on the Waiting List for a course I don't
want anyway. I don't need to drop it, do I?
Play it safe and drop classes you don't want, even if you're
only on the Waiting List. Go to
http://www-telebears.berkeley.edu:3400/dropline
to drop courses.
Q. If the instructor says I'm in the class, do I need to do
anything?
Yes! Sometimes they forget or are unable to manually add you. So check!
Be sure you are enrolled by the end of the fifth week, or you will not
be able to add it after that. If the deadline looms and you have not yet
been enrolled, remind your instructor about your impending deadline.
Q. If I don't go to the first day of class, I'll
automatically
be dropped, right?
Some instructors drop any student who misses a class the first two weeks,
and some don't. Play it safe - if you don't want the course, drop it yourself.
Check your schedule every so often but absolutely before the fifth week
drop deadline. Remember, you may NOT drop or add courses after the end
of the fifth week! If you're enrolled in a course you are not attending,
you'll get an F.
Q. I received an email about my schedule which I didn't
understand,
so I ignored it. What was that about?
The Registrar emails you when a change is made to your
schedule
that you yourself didn't initiate, such as being added from
the Waiting List or being dropped by the instructor. Be
sure it was a change you wanted and check your schedule!
By the way, if the university doesn't have your correct
email address, you won't get these important messages.
(Don't assume the university has your email address just
because you are getting the Poli Sci email. We have a
separate email
list.) Check Bear Facts at
http://bearfacts.berkeley.edu
to be sure.
Q. When's the last day I can use Tele-Bears to add, drop,
or change the grading option myself?
There are new deadlines for this. To add, drop, change the units (on variable
unit courses), or to change from a P/NP to a letter grade: the deadline
is the end of the fifth week of the semester. To change a grade from a
letter grade to P/NP (only in that direction) the deadline is the end
of the tenth week of the semester. Note: If you are enrolled in any Early
Drop Deadline Courses, your deadline to drop is the end of the second
week. There are no Political Science courses on the Early Drop Deadline
list, but you might be enrolled in one from another department, so check
the Registrar's website for an up-to-date list: http://registrar.berkeley.edu/Scheduling/edd.html
Q. When's the last day to add or drop a course without
paying a fee?
The end of the second week of the semester to drop, the end of the third
week to add. After those deadlines, dropping costs $10/course, adding
costs $5/course.
Q. What happens if I'm not enrolled in ANYTHING by the end of the
third week of the semester?
If you are a continuing student, you'll have to use a Petition for Late
Enrollment, get the instructor's signature for each course, and you will
be charged a $150 late enrollment fee. Ouch!
Q. I plan to graduate next semester but forgot to say 'yes' when Tele-Bears
asked me. What can I do now to get on the next Degree List?
Until classes begin, you can use #4 on the Tele-Bears Main Menu to add
yourself to the following Degree List. After that, you must do it by petition
at 113 Campbell (but after the 8th week it gets more complicated).
Q. How can I improve my karma, avoid fees, long lines, contribute to the smooth functioning of the system, and help my undergraduate advisers maintain their sanity? Easy! Do as much as you can yourself on Tele-Bears. Get your schedule straight by the end of the 3rd week. Make someone on the Waiting List happy! Drop courses you know you don't want. Do a good deed and make life easier for yourself at the same time. The Universe thanks you.