What TEAM Students Need to Know About Registration

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This is a lot of information. Please read and heed!

If you haven’t yet registered for Blinn spring classes, keep in mind that courses offered at the RELLIS campus fill quickly. If you need to meet with a Transition Academic Programs (TAP) advisor to plan your spring courses, now is the time. The TAP advisors are currently assisting students on a walk-in basis, both face-to-face in Hotard Hall, and remotely via Zoom, whichever you prefer. Check our website at http://tap.tamu.edu for advising hours and the Zoom link.

 Think of Co-enrollment as One Schedule, Not Two

Other than at your freshman new student conference, registration at Blinn and A&M always occurs at different times—Blinn goes first, followed by A&M a short time later.  Because of this, it is important for TEAM students to think of their two registrations as a single, holistic process.  There is no need to consult an advisor at both schools to produce separate schedules.  Instead, meet with one advisor to plan appropriate course options for your combined schedule. Your primary advisors are in Transition Academic Programs (TAP) in Hotard Hall on the A&M campus.

 Identify Needed Courses for Your Intended Major

You have the ability to identify appropriate courses for your intended major without the help of an advisor. There are at least four easy ways to do this:

  1. Produce a “What-If” Degree Evaluation in Howdy. (See Attachment 2 for instructions)
  2. Use the Undergraduate Catalog to find the requirements for your intended major.
    – Go to http://catalog.tamu.edu
    – Select “Undergraduate Catalog.”
    – In the column on the right, select the academic college that administers your intended major.
    – A new page for the college will appear. Select “Majors.”
    – Find and select the major you are interested in pursuing.
    – Select “Program Requirements.” You will see a four-year degree plan showing a recommended order to take required courses. (Note: The plan shown is not mandatory, but is one that will work in terms of the order and pairing of course requirements.)
  3. Find a one-page curriculum handout (sometimes called a “major pager”) on the website of your intended major. (Check the catalog number/year, as some of these may be outdated.)
  4. Refer to your Degree Planner in Howdy if you have already completed it.

 Determine Course Sequencing and Restrictions

After identifying the required courses for your intended major, check course descriptions in the Blinn or A&M catalog for the freshman/sophomore courses you have not yet completed.  Each course description will indicate if there are any prerequisites or restrictions.  Postpone courses for which you have not yet satisfied the prerequisites or restrictions. For A&M, In the Online Schedule of Courses in Howdy, you may click on the course title to see a pop-up menu. Click on “restrictions” to check for limitations.  Students who do not check for restrictions are often frustrated when their attempt to register for a course is unsuccessful. This is usually due to not checking for restrictions.  Check all sections of a course, sometimes there will be sections of a course that are reserved for students who are currently in the major, whereas other sections might be open to any student.

Make a List of All Courses that Make Sense to Take Next Semester (i.e., not junior or senior courses)

Include some back-up options in case you encounter time conflicts or unavailability issues with your preferred choices. Check your transcript to avoid repeating courses you might have previously completed, such as through AP or dual enrollment in high school. Finally, strive for a balance of subjects—avoid listing too many “reading” or “numbers” courses for a single semester.

Decide Which Courses to Take at Each School

Identify your A&M courses first, and plan to take the remainder at Blinn.  Consider the following strategies when deciding how to pick the campus for courses on your list:

– Take your “best” subjects at A&M based on your previous high school and college success. All courses and grades are important, but after you transition to full enrollment at – A&M only your A&M grades will affect your A&M GPA.
– If you’ve already completed your strongest subjects, identify one that is particularly interesting to you as an A&M course.
– Consider a course in your future major at A&M that might not be available at Blinn.
– Consider classroom size. A Blinn math course might hold 32 students, whereas the same course at A&M might include 150 to 300. (In front of which audience would you like to ask your questions?)
– Consider the format/mode of instruction for the courses (face-to-face, live online (Zoom), flex online (asynchronous), blended, etc.)
– Often advisors can recommend a course option that fulfills a needed core curriculum requirement, while also having historically good grades.

Check the Schedule of Courses at Both Schools

Determine when courses will meet. Most students prefer to have “Blinn class days” and “A&M class days,” with no campus changes during the day.

Consult an Academic Advisor
Students aren’t required to meet with an academic advisor, but capitalize on their knowledge because they “exist to assist.” Take your “wish list” of courses to be reviewed by an advisor. Check availability of Transition Academic Programs (TAP) advisors at https://tap.tamu.edu/, or via the Navigate App on your smartphone.

Check for Registration Holds

Few things are as frustrating as being prevented from registering at the appointed time due to a hold you could have resolved in advance. Check for registration holds at both schools now, and resolve them.

Avoid Registration Mistakes

See Attachment 3.

Register

Once you have determined appropriate courses and checked the restrictions, times, and availability, register for your classes.  Then consider making an appointment to meet with an advisor to review your schedule.  Afterward, it would be a good idea to complete your Degree Planner in Howdy so you will have your future semesters planned well in advance.  All students must submit their degree plan when their total of completed credit hours reaches or exceeds 30. This task must be re-accomplished each year by 9/30 to avoid a hold that will take effect on 10/1. Freshmen who arrive in TEAM with 30 or more completed credit hours must submit a degree plan during their first semester to avoid a registration hold.

Attachment 1: TEAM Registration Tips from Blinn College

http://www.blinn.edu/team/registration-tips.html

  • When searching for classes you will occasionally come across sections that may not yet have a time or day of the week listed. It is not advised that you sign up for this section as once the information is posted it may conflict with your current schedule, and there may not be alternatives at that time.
  • When signing up for classes, many students will try to build their schedule around a specific professor. Professors can and will change, without notice, from what is posted when you first sign up for a class. We cannot change or switch courses due to a student’s preferred professor changing.
  • If you plan to attend courses at both the RELLIS and Texas A&M campuses on the same day, you will want to allow at least one hour between classes to give you enough time to leave one campus and arrive at the other. Make sure to also factor in time to get lunch or review study materials if needed.
  • Blinn’s RELLIS Campus has relatively limited course offerings, therefore classes will fill up quickly once registration begins. Students need to ensure that they are able to register for classes as soon as registration opens.
  • Blinn registration will always occur prior to Texas A&M’s registration. Students will want to set their Blinn schedules first and then add their Texas A&M classes when registration opens at Texas A&M. Students are encouraged to think of registration as a single process: First, identify a list of appropriate courses for the next semester. Next, decide which courses you will take at Texas A&M. Finally, register for your Blinn courses, leaving room for your A&M courses. Preparation for registration includes seeking advising early and checking for holds on your account.
  • Prior to registration, be sure to check your file for any holds (several times) that could prevent you from registering for classes. Holds could be placed for several reasons ranging from missing transcripts to a parking ticket. You want to be sure that your file is clear prior to attempting to register for your classes.
  • Although a “D” is considered a passing grade, you may be required to earn a “C” or better in some prerequisite courses. Students will need to remember this when grades are posted because if the required grade is not earned in the prerequisite course, then the subsequent class will be dropped from their schedules automatically.
  • When planning classes, you must be mindful that prerequisites can and will be different between Texas A&M and Blinn. You will need to make sure that you meet the requirements at the school you are taking the class.
  • You must check both your Texas A&M and Blinn email accounts. These accounts are the official method of communication between the colleges and the student. Students are responsible for all email communication they receive. As most students have smart phones, it is best to set up your phone, so you will know when you receive an email. If you do not have a smart phone, you should get in the habit of checking your account on a weekly basis (even between semesters).
  • Once you register for classes, do not assume your schedule will remain the same. Your course location or instructor may change without notice. It is advisable to check your schedule during the semester break and before the first day of class to make sure you are aware of any changes.

Be mindful of what classes you are registering for and how they transfer to Texas A&M and your degree plan. You can check how courses will transfer via Texas A&M’s Transfer Course Equivalency website (https://howdy.tamu.edu/uPortal/p/tce-ui.ctf1/max/render.uP). Taking classes that do not transfer or work in Texas A&M degree plans could lead to issues, therefore it is always suggested to have an advisor review your schedule.

Attachment 2:  How to Produce a What-If Degree Evaluation to Determine Appropriate Courses for Any Major:

  1. Log into https://howdy.tamu.edu.
  • Click the “MyRecord” Tab.
  • Scroll down to the window titled “Degree Evaluation.”
  • Click “View Degree Evaluation.”
  • You will be prompted to select a term (semester). Click “submit” to indicate the current semester.”
  • You will now be at a screen titled “Degree Evaluation Record.” Scroll down to the bottom of this page and click “What-if Analysis.”
  • You will move to a screen that asks for an entry term (semester). Select your first semester in college, then click “Continue.”
  • You will be prompted to select the major you are considering (this is the “what if” major).     Click the arrow at right and scroll down to make the selection. 
  • Now you will move to another page that verifies the major you selected. In the “First Major” block, click the arrow on the right and select your major again. To add minors, (if needed) you will need to click on the “Add more” button. Use the drop-down boxes to select the minor(s) you wish to add. To move on to the next step, click on the “submit” button.
  1. On the next screen click “Generate Request.” There will be a 5 to 10 second delay while the evaluation is prepared.
  1. Now click “Detailed Requirements,” followed by “Submit.”

You will see a degree evaluation for the major you selected. Print this document for use in identifying appropriate courses for this major. Be sure to pay attention to the “Met” column on the far left. “Yes” in this column indicates you have satisfied that particular course requirement. “No” in this column indicates you still need to take the course or courses listed to the right.

You may produce degree evaluations for multiple majors if you are considering more than one. By comparing two or more evaluations it will be possible to identify courses that would count toward either/all majors, thus allowing more time to decide without making a commitment.

Remember that Howdy doesn’t know which courses you are currently taking at Blinn, so you will have to mark those on your degree evaluation manually. The courses you have not yet completed will be obvious.  Your next task is to decide which order you should take these courses.  The best way to do this is to look up the degree plan for your intended major in the Undergraduate Catalog (http://catalog.tamu.edu).

Attachment 3:  Top 20 Registration Mistakes to Avoid

1. Delaying Blinn registration and trying to do it when registering for A&M courses (one month later). If you don’t register for Blinn courses quickly, you will either not get the best possible schedule, or may not even get the courses you need.  Plan ahead and meet with your academic advisor BEFORE Blinn registration begins.

2.  Failure to seek advising until shortly before A&M registration begins. If TAP is advising by appointment, it could be that all appointments have been reserved.  If TAP is advising on a walk-in basis, the wait to meet with an advisor can exceed two hours just prior to the start of registration. Students are often turned away because the students signed in ahead of them will monopolize the advisors until the end of the workday.  Walk-in, or schedule an appointment with a TAP academic advisor far in advance.  The advice you receive early in the semester is exactly the same advice you would receive just before registration, but without the wait!

3.  Meeting with a Blinn advisor to plan Blinn courses, then meeting with a TAP advisor to plan A&M courses. This is inefficient–you only need to meet with one advisor. Planning your combined schedule should be a holistic process. Determine the courses you still need for your major* without regard for where you will take them.  Next, assemble a “wish list” of the most appropriate courses, including some back-up choices in case your top choices are unavailable. Take the list with you when you meet with an advisor. Then decide which course(s) you should take at A&M (your “best” subjects).  Take the other courses at Blinn.  Your best grades need to be at A&M because entry to your intended major will be based on your A&M GPA.

4.  Forgetting to check for registration holds in advance, only to discover a hold when attempting [unsuccessfully] to register. To check for A&M registration holds, logon to Howdy / My Record / Grades and Transcripts / holds.  To check for Blinn registration holds, logon to MyBLINN and scroll to the My Holds window.   Note: Avoid a registration hold at A&M by submitting the new, signed TEAM contract to TAP (if you have not previously done so).

5.  Not checking in advance to determine when registration will occur.

6. Ignoring advice to complete a math or science series at the same school. Plan to take all courses in a series at the same school to ensure preparedness and continuity. For example, if you start with Chemistry I at Blinn, take Chemistry II at Blinn. Another issue can occur if you attempt to change campuses mid-sequence.  If you are taking Chemistry I at Blinn you will be unable to register for Chemistry II at A&M unless you sent a Blinn transcript to A&M that lists Chemistry I as “in progress.”  Otherwise, Howdy does not sense that you are satisfying the prerequisite for Chemistry II and your attempt to register for it will fail.  Conversely, if you are taking Chemistry I at A&M and decide to take Chemistry II at Blinn, MyBLINN will not sense that you are satisfying the prerequisite for Chemistry II, and you will be unable to register for Chemistry II until your A&M transcript showing your final course grade in Chemistry I is received by Blinn.

7. Selecting A&M online courses inappropriately. The purpose of the TEAM program is to provide the four-year A&M experience for as many freshmen as possible.  During this period in which most A&M course(s) are online, you aren’t getting the traditional A&M experience.  Be aware that if students register for an online course with a 700 series section number, that course is considered “distance education.” In other words, that course is intended for students who are not in the College Station area. These students pay a large convenience fee for taking this course from a distance, but are not charged campus service fees because they are supposedly away. Such fees include use of the Student Recreation Center, campus bus service, etc.  Previous TEAM students who exclusively registered for the 700 section of online courses have been denied campus services (to include use of the Student Recreation Center and participation in intramural sports) because they have not paid campus services fees.  If you must take an online course, ensure it is a 599-section number. 

8. Registering for KINE 120 more than once. This course may only be completed for credit one time. Howdy will not prevent you from registering for KINE 120 for a second time.  Students who retake it will not receive a credit hour for the course, and the grade you earn will not be included in your GPA. Repeating this course could cause you to fall short of the TEAM A&M credit hour requirement. Repeats of this course have caused a few TEAM students to fail to qualify outright for Mays Business School.

9. Believing it is likely that a friend can “hold a course for you” by registering for it. This is usually attempted for courses that fill quickly.  Such attempts to reserve a space in a course usually fail.  There is no way for the students who registered for the course to guarantee you will be the one to get it when they drop it.  If advisors have forced any students into the course over the normal course limit, and the available seat balance is a negative number, it will not be possible for you (or anyone else) to get the course when your friend drops it. The number of available seats must be zero or a positive number, or no space will become available when one student drops it.

10. Panicking if the needed courses are not available, and feeling compelled to “just register for some courses” solely for the purpose of being enrolled. Registering for courses you do not need produces only negative consequences.  For example, if you receive financial aid and register for courses that do not apply toward your intended major, your financial aid eligibility will initially be denied and your eventual approval delayed. Do not register for courses you do not need.

11. Forgetting to update your location, agree with the “terms of use,” and complete the Lab Safety Acknowledgement (LSA) in Howdy before registration. Without having completed these recurring requirements, students are prevented from registering. This causes frustration and delays, sometimes resulting in courses filling before students realize what is preventing their registration.

12. Attempting to register for a science course and its accompanying lab “one at a time.” Some science courses require that the lecture course and accompanying lab course be added to your schedule simultaneously.

13. Failure to check the “restrictions” link to determine if a particular course, or section of a course, is limited to a specific group of students. Failure to check restrictions causes delays and frustration.  Always check the restrictions link before attempting to register for each course.  Be aware that some sections might not be available to you, whereas other sections of the same course might be open to you.  Be thorough in checking or you might miss the chance to get into a course you need.

14. Registering for graduate courses. Graduate courses don’t always restrictions in Howdy because no one thinks undergraduate students would be so foolish to register for them! An excuse that never works is: “The computer let me register for it.” The prerequisites for such courses include having earned a particular bachelor degree, and also having been admitted into a Master or Doctorate program. Graduate course numbers usually begin with “6” instead of “1,” “2,” “3,” or “4.”  Some of these past inappropriate registrations were not discovered until the semester was well underway. The students were dropped by the professors, but it was too late for students to receive refunds or replace the dropped courses with appropriate ones.

15. Forgetting to limit searches for Blinn courses to the RELLIS campus. A basic MyBLINN course search produces a list of offerings at all of the Blinn College campuses. TEAM students should do an advanced search for courses taught at the RELLIS campus. TEAM students may also take online courses. Don’t forget to look at courses that may be offered during the full 16-week term, as well as the first 8-week and second 8-week terms.  Be careful not to overload yourself with too many eight week courses, which cover material twice as fast as those taught in the regular term.  Students should carefully check the start and end dates of their Blinn courses to ensure they are enrolled in a balanced number of 8-week and 16-week courses. Students should aim to enroll in an equal number of 8-week courses per 8-week session. If you plan to take an odd number of courses at Blinn, we recommend trying to find a full-term course or enrolling in the extra course during the first part of term so that the difficulty of the course load decreases as the semester goes on.

16. Accidently registering for an A&M minimester course instead of a regular semester course (or vice versa). It is easier to identify minimester courses at Blinn than at A&M.  At Blinn, it is very easy to do an advance search to sort out minimester courses.  This is possible at A&M, but not as straightforward.  If you search for Spring or Summer courses, the Winter or May minimester courses will be listed along with courses offered during the regular sections.  Unless you look at the start and stop date for the term, you could easily register for the wrong section. 

17. Registering for ROTC courses first (for Corps of Cadets members), and then being unable to register for an academic course due to an insufficient credit hour limit. This frequent problem represents a confluence of three mistakes:  (1) Failure to read TEAM email, (2) Failure to submit a request for an increase in the credit hour limit, and (3) registering for a low-demand ROTC course while the high-demand academic courses fill quickly.  Always register for ROTC courses last—not many students are competing for space in ROTC courses.

18. Registering for an inappropriate TEAM schedule. TEAM policy specifies that students must be enrolled in a minimum of three credit hours, consisting of a “solid academic course.”  A solid academic course is defined as a three or four credit hour course that satisfies a degree requirement.  Examples of inappropriate TEAM schedules include:  enrollment in only an ROTC course, enrollment in a two-credit hour course (such as STLC 101) and a one credit hour course (such as KINE 199), etc.  Students with inappropriate TEAM schedules violate their TEAM contract and receive a registration hold that will prevent registration at their assigned time.

19. Registering for a non-transferable Blinn course. Blinn College offers many vocational/technical training courses that are not usable at A&M.  Examples include courses in the Emergency Medical Technician program, or courses used toward a real estate license. Always check with an advisor, or refer to the TAMU Transfer Course Equivalency System in Howdy, if you do not know if a Blinn course is transferable to A&M.

20. Registering for a course that you previously completed! An alarming number of students accidently retake courses for which they earned AP or dual credit. Even worse, some retake courses completed during a previous semester at A&M or Blinn!  The most common scenarios for repeated courses are:  (1) failure to realize a Blinn course is equivalent to a particular A&M course (or vice versa), and   (2) failure to report previously earned AP/dual credits to A&M.  The courses that are most likely to be erroneously repeated include: ECON 202 and 203 (these courses are numbered in the opposite sequence at A&M and Blinn), and POLS 206 and 207 (the content of these courses is similar).

Attachment 4:  Frequently Asked Questions

Q1:  Since I register for Blinn and A&M at different times, what happens if the classes don’t fit together?

A:  Check Howdy to see if the A&M schedule has been published before registering at Blinn. This usually occurs just as Blinn registration begins. If not, you could look at a previous year’s class schedule in Howdy to see which days and times certain courses were offered. Classes are often planned on the same days and times as the previous year.                 

Q2:  When will freshmen be able to change majors?

A:  TEAM students may change majors when they have:

  • Completed two or more semesters, and
  • Maintained a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 at both A&M and Blinn, and
  • Satisfied all entry requirements for the major. 

Entry requirements often include: Completion of specific courses, a GPA higher than 2.5, and submission of a Change of Major Request in Howdy.  

Pay close attention to the Change of Major request dates, which are listed in the Academic Calendar.             

Q3:  I applied for a change of major for spring.  Can I skip Blinn registration? Can I register for all of my courses at A&M?

A:  Skipping Blinn registration carries some risk.  Meeting the minimum change of major requirements doesn’t guarantee acceptance.  If you skip Blinn registration and are not approved for a change of major, you will have poor course selection when you eventually register at Blinn.  A more prudent approach is to register at Blinn as usual. Once your major has been changed you may add more A&M courses.  Only drop your Blinn courses once you have secured a complete schedule at A&M.  (Students are allowed to continue to take courses at Blinn after they have left TEAM.) If you receive financial aid be aware that you must enroll in at least 12 credit hours at A&M to qualify for A&M financial aid. In other words, once you leave TEAM the financial aid rules change.  Students may register for a full-time A&M schedule only after their majors have been changed.

Q4:  How do I register?

A:  Registration will be online via the MyBLINN portal for Blinn College, and via the Howdy portal for Texas A&M.  This will be the same as you experienced during your New Student Conference. Registration tutorials are available in Howdy for A&M. A video demonstrating Blinn registration procedures is available at:  https://www.blinn.edu/admissions/registration.html

Q5:  What courses should I register for if I haven’t decided on an intended major?

A:  There are two categories of “undecided” students: 

  • Students who have no idea what their major will be (i.e., “clueless”), and
  • Students who have not chosen between two or more possible majors of interest (i.e., “deciding.”)  

If you are clueless about your intended major, take core curriculum courses.  The core curriculum is approximately three semesters of basic/general courses which all TAMU students must complete.   These subjects include:  Math, Science, History, Political Science, Creative Arts, Social & Behavioral Science, Language/Philosophy/Culture, and Communication.  You may view the courses that satisfy these requirements at http://core.tamu.edu.  Be aware that some majors require specific courses in some of these subject areas.  If you have narrowed your options and are considering several possible majors, produce “What-If” Degree Evaluations for each major (see Attachment 2) and take courses needed by all of the majors you are considering.