Steps for a Successful Enrollment Appointment:
1. Find your Enrollment Appointment Day/Time in PAWS.
2. Check for any advising/registration holds. Resolve these well in advance of your Enrollment Appointment. It is your responsibility to address holds in a timely manner.
3. Review your Academic Requirements (using your Academic Requirements Report or What-If Report in PAWS, alongside any departmental advising materials).
4. Plan for your next semester. Begin looking for courses, playing attention to any necessary prerequisite courses. Some majors are very sequential, meaning you need to complete courses in a specific order to progress through the curriculum. Use this Course Planning Form to help!
5. Build your Shopping Cart, and then Validate your Shopping Cart to ensure you’re eligible to enroll in your selected courses. Make sure you have plenty of back-up courses/sections, just in case your top choices are closed. Pro Tip: Meet with a PAC (Peer Academic Coach) if you need help!
6. Meet with your academic advisor. Be prepared for your meeting, with potential courses and questions. Do your research first, and then ask follow-up questions. This PAWS Scavenger Hunt/Registration Prep worksheet can help your prepare! If you wait to reach out to your advisor, their schedule may already be filled with advising meetings. It’s your responsibility to plan ahead!
7. Enroll in your courses during your Enrollment Appointment! Go back into your Shopping Cart, and select the courses you wish to enroll in for your next semester.
8. Utilize the Course Waitlists as needed. Given that there will be limitations for the course waitlists, you may need to be in direct communication with schools/departments for course inquiries. For example, if you are interested in changing your major to Accounting, you’ll need to contact the Accounting Department Chair to see if you can be added to ACC 201 because this course is reserved for business majors only. You won’t be able to add yourself to the course waitlist in PAWS. (Remember to SWAP not drop courses when using the PAWS waitlists!)
Change of Major Advising → How to know what courses to register for:
- Review a What-If Report in PAWS for your prospective major.
- Change of Major Advising: For Undeclared students and anyone interested in changing their major, this webpage helps students better understand each major’s application process, relevant clubs/organizations, and major requirements that satisfy College Core, etc.
- Academic Bulletin: TCNJ’s comprehensive source for academic information and program requirements. TCNJ’s course offerings and descriptions can be accessed in the PAWS system.
- Be sure to check your prospective major’s website for additional information! Many departments list major requirements and planners on their websites.
Course Subject Codes
School of the Arts and Communication: AAE, AAH, AAV, COM, DES, IMM, JPW, MUS, VPA
School of Business: ACC, BUS, ECO, FIN, INB, IST, MGT, MKT
School of Education: ASL, DHH, ECE, EDU, EFN, ELE, RAL, SED, SLP
School of Engineering: BME, CIV, ELC, ENG, ETE, MEC, TED, TST
School of Health and Exercise Sciences: KHS, NUR, PBH
School of Humanities and Social Sciences: AAS, ANT, CHI, CLS, CMP, CRI, CRW, EED, ENV, FRE, GER, HED, HIS, INT, ITL, JPN, LIT, LNG, PHL, POL, PSY, REL, SOC, SPA, WGS, WLC
School of Science: BIO, CHE, CSC, MAT, MST, MTT, PHY, STA
School/Department Outreach (if needed)
- Department Chairs
- Directory (to find Department Chair emails)
- Draft email sample:
Dear Dr. —,
I’m reaching out to inquire about CLASS (for example: COM 103). I’m really interested in taking this class in the spring semester. Would it be possible for me to be added?
Thank you,
NAME (PAWS ID)
-
- Allow at least 2 – 3 business days for a response; it may take longer to hear back during the registration window.
- Make sure you are continuously checking your email and PAWS schedule during this time!!!
Additional Resources
- College Core Check Sheet: Keep in mind that some of your major/prospective major courses may satisfy College Core Requirements.
- Language Placement: You may or may not have completed the Language Placement Exam over the summer. If your prospective major requires a language (and you haven’t started it yet), you’ll wan to complete the language placement exam (if you have yet to do so), and begin this requirement sooner rather than later.
- Math Placement: If your major requires Calculus – or if your major requires a course that has a prerequisite of MAT 95, MAT 119, MAT 120, MAT 125, or MAT 127 – your math placement must be determined. Please review the Math Placement website for more information if this applies to you. If your math placement has already been determined (or if you’re currently completing one of the above courses), you’re all set.