Frosh Orientation Fall 2020

Game Plan 

• One week before your Orientation

  • Login to Canvas 

    You will be added to a course called "College of Engineering Course Registration for New Students."

    Upon completion of specific modules (assignments) on Canvas, you will "unlock" the ability to make an appointment with your assigned orientation academic advisor. 

• Day 1

  • Sparta Camp and College of Engineering Welcome

    Presented by ESSC advisors, you will get an introduction to the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering and registration reminders for Day 2. 

• Between Day 1 and Day 2

  • Finalize Enrollment Shopping Cart 

    Make sure you have courses in your shopping cart ready to submit on Day 2. 

    Review tutorials on Canvas to prepare for potential registration challenges.

• Day 2

  • Virtual Registration Lab Time 

    1. You will be preassigned to a breakout room with about 24 other students. 
    2. An Orientation Leader (OL) will answer registration-related questions and provide demonstrations and resources for support. 
    3. During lab time, Academic Advisors will offer a personal meeting space for one-on-one academic advising according to FERPA regulations. 
• After Orientation

  • Add your math course. Work with your Advisor.

    If you attended orientation before your AP scores were released from Collegeboard, do not forget to register for math. FYIs related to this:

    • Unless your AP scores have been posted on your Transfer Credit report, the system will not recognize your eligibility because it will not "see" you have met the prerequisites.
    • Make an appointment with your orientation advisor so they can help you circumvent this pre-programmed rule in MySJSU.
    • To maintain your blocked schedule, the ability to drop courses are disabled. Only advisors can enable this function; thus, you need to plan ahead and make an appointment to work with your advisor. 

 FAQs                                 

• What is it like to register for classes online?

  • A simple metaphor might help:

    Imagine you are buying concert tickets. The ticketing office sets a specific time and day people can buy tickets online. For high-demand performances, ticket buyers count down to the second they can click the "purchase" button in order to get the best seat, preferred show date, and desired number of tickets. 

    Enrolling in courses during orientation is similar, except students have many options for alternative general education and major courses appilcable to your degree requirements. 

    The important thing is to be prepared before your enrollment appointment.

     

• When do I get to register?

  • All incoming Freshmen will be able to register on Day 2 of their orientation at exactly 9:30am PST. 

• What if I do not know which courses to choose?

  • That's great news!

    This means you are of the majority, so the time we've spent preparing for your arrival will not be in vain. In fact, all incoming students have been added to a Canvas course dedicated to teaching them how to register for classes on their own.

    For all Frosh, choosing courses and enrolling in them have been actions relegated to school counselors, leaving new college students inexperienced in the art of planning coursework. 

    In order to "college" correctly your first semester, you will need to understand common University terminology such as "course number," "waitlist," etc.

    All of these things will be explained in short, informative modules in Canvas. 

     

•  What's Canvas? 

  • Canvas is SJSU's premier online learning management system. Think of it as Google Classroom, but not as intuitive.

    More than likely, you have been added to a course called Spartan Ready, which aims to provide general, University-level information about student success.

    However, the College of Engineering Registration Canvas "course" will be specific to students in the College of Engineering and will be updated througout the year with timely modules meant to guide you in your first two semesters.  

     

• How do I access my Canvas page?

  • Login information and troubleshooting guides for first-timers can be found: https://ischool.sjsu.edu/canvas

    Having trouble accessing Canvas? Or, you do not see the course? Please contact success-engineering@sjsu.edu

• When can I start the Canvas course?

  • One week BEFORE your registration date, you will receive an invitation to the course. Please check your SJSU Gmail account for the invitation or check Canvas.

• Is there someone I could speak to before orientation?

  • Yes!

    Our advising philosophy is to teach students how to be independent and confident about navigating SJSU policies.

    The modules provide information to help you understand the language of advising and the university. Once you complete some of the modules, you will unlock access to your orientation academic advisor. 

    This advisor will also be available during Day 2 of orientation in case you have further questions. Take advantage of pre-orientation advising to avoid any delays in registering for classes.

• Can't you just give me a simple list of classes I can take? 

  • Nope. 

    Every student's path is unique to their cirumstance. A pathway for one student, may not work for others. Thus, teaching students how to use planning tools will allow them to take control over their pacing and--more importantly--ownership of their path towards getting their degree.

    However, if you want some information now, consider this basic formula:

    General Education Requirements (GE) + Major requirements = degree

    Planning tools are now available to familiarize yourself with these requirements. They can be found on the Course Planning Resources 2020-2021 page.