Preparing for the Fall Semester

As we approach the start of the fall semester, we want to share some information about how to handle schedule changes (if necessary) and remind you of some important resources.

First of all, if you’re currently enrolled in courses for the fall semester (as most of you are), then you will remain enrolled in those courses unless or until you make changes. You do not have to re-register from scratch. Instead, once the revised schedule is published on August 1, you will need to review your courses and make sure they still work for you. Things to consider:

  • Is a course now online that was originally listed as face-to-face (hereinafter to be referred to as f2f)? If so, do you still want to take it?
  • If you’re hoping to do all your coursework online, do you have some f2f courses that you need to drop?
  • Are the courses you don’t want to take this fall (because of the format or for any other reason) courses you particularly need? What will the repercussions be if you don’t take them this fall?
  • If you have f2f courses that have a changed location or meeting time, do they now pose time conflicts or are they too far apart on campus?
  • Given the life/work challenges the fall is likely to bring, would it be wise to reduce your hours (if you can afford to do it) or change the ratio of “easier” to “harder” courses (keeping in mind that this is a rather subjective distinction and has a lot to do with your own strengths and study habits)? Remember that to be a full-time student you need at least 12 hours.

As always, these are your choices to make, but we are here to help. Please review your schedule first and try to figure out how changes might affect you and what questions you need to answer and then let us know if you need assistance. To connect with us, please choose one of the following:

-either–

Email englishadvising@illinois.edu (or the advisor of your choice) with your questions. This is a good option if you are asking a factual question or just want to confirm a detail or get a quick bit of feedback. Note that we do not schedule appointments via email.

–or–

Call the office at 217-333-4346 and ask to schedule an appointment (phone or zoom). This is a good option if you’re trying to sort out a more complicated problem, have a lot of questions, or just feel stressed and want to have a real-time conversation.

You will not be able to make changes immediately once the revised schedule is published on August 1. Instead, you have a new time-ticket assigned between August 3 and 15.

You can see the schedule for time tickets (and some information about registration changes) here: https://registrar.illinois.edu/registration/registration-process/revised-reg-fall-20/

If there are any other pressing concerns you have regarding housing and financial aid, please note that these offices are open and ready to field your questions.

Housing: https://housing.illinois.edu/housing/contact-us.aspx

Financial Aid Office: https://osfa.illinois.edu/contact-us/

Also, a comprehensive FAQ (including but not limited to on-campus testing locations, events, and activities on campus) from the University concerning fall semester can be found here: https://covid19.illinois.edu/fall-2020-instruction-faq/

Take the time before the registration system opens up again to consider what you most need from the fall semester. Keep those long-term academic and professional goals in sight, but try to balance them with more immediate concerns, such as your health, mobility, and access to resources.

Like you, we’ve been struggling to adapt to an ever-changing set of conditions and trying to figure out what to expect from the fall semester and how we can best prepare. We’re happy to share our thoughts, and to hear yours.

Best wishes from all of us in the English advising office!

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