Asper Essentials Checklist
Welcome to the Asper Declassified School Survival Guide!
Here, you’ll find tips, tricks, and important notes to consider going into your First Year at Asper.
Tip #1
Utilize the Asper Essentials Checklist for a quick and easy look at your first week, month, and semester in Asper! While these items are organized in a rough order, don’t worry about following it exactly. Go at your own pace – you do you!
Asper Essentials Checklist
Plan and Register for your classes
Tip #2: keep reading for tips and tricks on course registration!
Prep your School Supplies
Tip #3: most, if not all, professors allow students to take notes on laptops/tablets during class, with some even holding quizzes and tests over UMLearn. If you don’t have access to a laptop during the semester and would like to use one, check out the CSA Laptop Loaner Program.
Follow @AsperCSA and @AsperSchool on social media
First Day of Classes!
Tip #4: honestly, everyone else is probably just as nervous/excited/stressed as you are! Try to take it all in – you’ll look back at it fondly (eventually).
Buy your Textbooks
Tip #5: the UM Bookstore is a great resource for buying textbooks, but there are also plenty of viable alternatives. Many faculties host used book sales throughout the first week or two of school – Asper’s very own Shinerama will have books for sale in the Drake Centre, with proceeds going to charity. On top of this, Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace are littered with books during the first few weeks of school.
Tip #6: don’t be afraid to wait until after the first day of class to buy your books – oftentimes, professors will clarify whether the textbook is truly required and if there is an access code/online version that can be used as an alternative. That being said, it also doesn’t hurt to buy your textbooks ahead of time – you do you!
Complete your First Day with The Commerce Week
Tip #7: follow @AsperTCW on Instagram for updates on all things Orientation Week! TCW hosts many fun events throughout the first week of classes, including a first day dedicated to New-To-Asper students. You won’t want to miss out!
Visit the CSA Office (Room 144 of Drake)
Apply for the CSA Mentorship Program
Take a Self-Led Tour of the U of M Tunnels
Tip #8: the tunnels can take you between almost every building on campus! Although they get a little bit stuffy in September, we’d recommend checking them out sooner rather than later – they’ll definitely save you from some frostbite in the winter.
Survive your First Midterm and Final Exam Period
How To: Register and Plan Your Courses
If you’re seeing this before your course registration, you’re already one step ahead – congrats! Your Asper journey is about to begin and we’re here for it!
The first step in choosing your courses is to check your registration time in Aurora: this is when you’re eligible to sign up for courses. Follow these steps to view your registration status:
- Log into your Aurora account
- Click “Enrolment & Academic Records”
- Select “Registration and Exams”
- Click “Registration Time and Status”
- Use the drop-down menu to select the upcoming term
- View your starting registration date and time
Once you know when you’ll be registering, you’ll want to get a good idea of what courses you want to take, as well as when you want to take them. To see a list of required courses for your degree, check out the Asper Program Guide.
It’s important to look into the available sections and times available for the classes you are wanting to take for both the Fall and Winter semesters (which you can register for at the same time!). Take note of the time of days that will work best and be mindful of any conflicts that may arise. Be sure to note if a lab section is required for a course, as often that can shift your timetable.
Another thing to be mindful of is classroom location and the professor teaching the course, as this may affect which section you want to take. For all first-year courses, there will be multiple sections to choose from so you can pick-and-choose based on preference, as well as how many spots are available. As well, try to plan for the worst-case scenario – that way, you’ll have options if the sections you want to take fill up quickly.
A few quick pointers while planning your courses:
- A 3-credit hour course will span one semester, where a 6-credit hour course will span both Fall and Winter.
- Be aware of prerequisites, which are specific courses that other courses require you to have taken beforehand. Classes like ECON 1010, GMGT 1010, and STAT 1000 are common prerequisites that you’ll see required in 2nd-year courses and beyond.
- You can take between 3-5 courses per semester to be considered a “full-time” student. The amount of courses you take is totally up to you: we’d recommend you consider your other time commitments (employment, extracurriculars, etc.) when planning your courseload. There is no wrong answer here – do what you feel is best for yourself!
As a general rule of thumb, have each courses CRN (Course Registration Number) on hand so you can type them in as soon as your registration time hits! Check out this video for a step-by-step tutorial on all things registration-related.
Some general pointers to keep in mind during registration:
- Try to register right when your registration time hits! Generally, first-year courses fill up quickly so you’ll want to register as soon as possible.
- If you end up on the waitlist, don’t worry! Course availability constantly fluctuates as students add and drop classes, so you still have a chance to get in.
- Stay vigilant on Aurora if you don’t get the courses you’re hoping for! Some courses, particularly Asper courses, don’t have a waitlist so you can snatch up a spot as soon as one opens – you’ll just have to get there before your classmates.
- Registration is not necessarily your final timetable, you can still add and drop courses until the add/drop deadline for a full refund. If you need to drop after the add/drop deadline has passed, you still have the option to VW (voluntarily withdraw) before the VW deadline – you just won’t get refunded. If you end up having to VW, don’t worry too much: it’s more common than you think!