Freshman Academic Planning Guide
Step 10) Video Guides & How to Register
You will register online from home (or wherever you have an internet connection) using Banner, the University's web-based records system, on December 14 & 15. However, you should be preparing now so that you have time to plan and help your registration process run more smoothly.
First you will need to look up your Net ID and Password. For a 2 minute tutorial on how to find these click: How to Login to the Eaglelink Portal.
Once you have your Net ID and Password it is time to login to the Eaglelink Portal. For a brief (just over 3 minute) tour of the Portal click: Tour the Eaglelink Portal. Afterwards please continue to check the Eaglelink Portal for dates and deadlines (located in the "Dates to Remember" box in the lower left-hand corner of the Welcome screen), and important announcements (located in the "Personal Announcements" box in the upper right-hand corner of the Welcome screen).
In regards to registration the most important tab within the Eaglelink Portal is Academics. For a 8 minute tour of the Academics tab as well as step-by-step instructions for doing a What-If Analysis Degree Evaluation click: Tour the Academics Tab and view the guide to Degree Evaluations.
Knowing how to select courses at UMW during your first semester is a concern for all new students. UMW has provided you with the tools necessary to make selection easy. For a 9 minute guide to selecting courses for your first semester click: How to Select Classes.
Before registration, you should prepare a New Student Course Registration Request form (discussed in Step 9) by following Steps 1 - 9 of the Freshman Academic Planning Guide. This form will make your online registration process run more smoothly.
If you have not already done so, you must read through the Freshman Academic Planning Guide in its entirety. If it seems overwhelming to do all at once, you might want to try reading one step per day over 10 days. Near the end of the Guide, in Step 9, you will be asked to fill out a New Student Course Registration Request form using the list of courses link on that web page. The New Student Course Registration Request form is for your own records, but will be a valuable resource as you register online. Please remember that there is no one set path of courses to graduation. Be sure to write down alternate choices (not just other sections of the same course) so that you have a variety of options.
We recommend that freshmen take a First-Year Seminar course in their first semester to acclimate themselves to college and fulfill the General Education Requirement, however this is based on availability and personal choice. Keep in mind that if you are unable to register for a First-Year Seminar course during your first semester then you must take one during your second. Please note that Step 8 of the Guide has some helpful tips for the majors offered at UMW, but you are not committing to a major at this time. Please jot down what purpose you have in mind (general education requirement, major, or elective) when choosing a course so that you can search for alternate courses that meet those objectives if your first choice(s) are full. You will also have ample opportunities to adjust your schedule during the online Schedule Adjustment period and again during the first week of classes.
ACADEMIC ADVISING: If - after reading the Freshman Academic Planning Guide - you have questions or concerns and feel you need academic advising, please take advantage of the services offered by the Office of Academic Services. There are opportunities for phone and e-mail advising, and our staff is happy to offer assistance. Please plan ahead and take advantage of these avenues early rather than waiting until the week of registration, as it may be very busy that week and wait-times may exceed your needs.