Advising FAQs
What classes should I take?
What's my advising code?
When can I register?
How do I run a degree progress audit?
How do I register for a waitlisted class?
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about advising at CSU, including registering for classes, planning your weekly schedule, navigating college resources, and what to expect from your advising appointments.
If you can't find your question or need more help, contact the CLA Advising Office at (970) 491-3117 or visit us in Hartshorn 129.
Advising Appointments
From RamWeb, navigate to your Profile in the upper left-hand corner, and click on your advisor’s name. Then click on “Make an appointment.” You may also receive appointment requests from your advisor or find their appointment availability link in their email signature.
You can also call the main office at 970-491-3117, swing by the main office (Hartshorn 129) or email us at cla_advising@colostate.edu
Run your Degree Progress Audit (DARS):
- From the RamWeb home page, click the PLAN button
- Look for red X's. These are categories you haven't yet fulfilled. These are the courses you want to pick from for your next semester.
Keep in mind:
- You need to get to 120 total credits to graduate (the NEEDS number is how many more credits you need to get to 120, but you may need more credits to complete your major and minor)
- You need to get to 42 upper division credits (300-400) to graduate
- You may need a minor/second major/second field, depending on your major
Registration and Class Schedules
You will need to identify the date that registration opens for you by doing the following:
RamWeb --> Menu --> Registration --> Registration Access Date/Time
You can plan out a potential schedule using the "Plan Ahead" in Ram Web. Please remember the Plan Ahead tool is not always accurate and to check in the class search to make sure all classes and times are accurate and represented.
It's not your date & time yet OR you’re not Registration Ready...
To get Registration Ready, clear all the red Xs in Ramweb.
Students must complete every task on their registration window on RAMweb each semester. After every red X is accounted for, the Registration box will say "Registration Ready is Complete," and a link that says "Go to Registration" will appear.
Some majors will require you to have an advising code to register depending on your class standing (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior). If you are on Academic Watch or Warning, you will have an advising code.
If you’re unsure if you need an advising code, please contact your advisor.
Check on your major Checksheet, run your DARS: Degree Progress Audit, or look at your Graduation Plan.
Your advisor may tell you to add an All University Core Curriculum (AUCC) class from a specific category. You can look those up using the advanced search function on RAMweb or on the CSU Catalog.
RamWeb --> PLAN --> Degree Progress Audit (DARS).
You can review your weekly class schedule in RamWeb. The schedule grid in the RAMweb registration page is small. As you register, we would suggest opening the View Weekly Class Schedule in a separate tab on your browser so you can easily recall your availability.
First, click Add next to the section you want. This will add the class to your Summary.
Next, use the drop-down menu in the Action column to select “Waitlist.” Then click Submit. This will change the status to Waitlisted.
Reasons you may get an error while trying to waitlist a class:
- If I hit the Add button, it'll be added to the student Summary and the default action is to Register on Web. However, since this class is FULL, if I Submit it this way, I'm going to get an error message saying, “This Section is Full.”
- Another challenge when waitlisting classes is if you’re trying to waitlist a class that has both a lecture and a lab or a lecture and a recitation component. If I try to add the lecture for a class even though it's full, you'll see I don't get a waitlist option. This is because only the lab or recitation option of a class with multiple components has the option to waitlist the class.
- Log into RamWeb, navigate to Menu, Registration, and Class Schedule Search
- Select the appropriate semester. From the “Find Classes” tab, search for your chosen Subject and Course Number and click the “Search” button.
- Navigate to the section you would like (with the appropriate days, times, and instructor), and click the “Add” button. This will add the class to your student Summary in the lower righthand corner with a status of “Pending.”
- Click the “Submit” button to register. Once the class says “Registered,” you have completed adding the class to your semester schedule.
For more information, visit the Registrar's Office tutorial.
Search your minor on DARS or on the Course Catalog for a list of class options. Get in touch with your minor advisor or minor department if you have questions.
Some CSU classes have multiple components, also known as linked classes. You'll need to register for the lecture AND lab or recitation to successfully add the course.
Click on "Course Description"
- Is the section restricted to certain student groups, such as Honors, Key, or majors-only?
- Are you required to pair the class with a specific section of lab or recitation? If so, the course is "Linked" and you need to click on "View Linked" next to the lecture portion, find an appropriate lab or recitation, and then click "Add All" before Submitting the course to your schedule.
- Have you met the prerequisites? If not, you may be able to seek an override with the instructor or department which offers the course. Advisors cannot provide overrides.
Hover over the hold, and there will be a number to call to get it cleared.
- If you have a Math or Comp hold, it is because you’re approaching 60 credits and haven’t taken Math or Comp yet. You need to call the Registrar’s Office to have them lift the hold so you can register for Math or Comp.
- If you have a Financial Hold, it can be a Registration Hold, which means you have to pay off your bill before you can register or it can be a Transcript Hold. If it is a Transcript Hold, you can still register before you pay off your bill.
- If you have a Sexual Assault Prevention Hold, you can complete this course on RamWeb, under Menu, Health Network, and Classes.
• Incomplete Sanctions Hold
- From RamWeb, navigate to Menu, Registration, and Class Schedule Search.
- Select the current semester. From the Summary in the lower righthand corner of your screen, find the class you’d like to drop.
- Navigate to the Action column, and using the arrow from the dropdown menu, select “Drop on web.” Click the “Submit” button.
Remember, some sections may look open but are not. They are being filled from the waitlist. Please use the conditional add/drop box to be safe if you want to drop one class and then add another.
Speak to your advisor before withdrawing from a course.
Academic Standing
Start on RamWeb. Once you have logged into your account, go to Menu.
Next, go to Registration.
Next, click on Repeat/Repair.
Here, you will be able to click the “+ Request Repeat/Repair” button.
Once you have done this, please select the term in which you are repeating the course. Follow the instructions on your page to complete your Repeat/Repair Request.
Consider what the effects of failing this class will be. You can use Predict GPA on RamWeb (under Menu>Academic Planning and Progress) to predict your cumulative/overall GPA. Will failing this class put you on Academic Watch or Academic Warning? Is this class required for your major or minor?
If you need to recover your GPA after failing the class or you are required to take the class for your major or minor, consider doing a Repeat/Repair. This policy allows you to take the class again and replace your old grade with your new grade.
To use this policy, you must submit an electronic Repeat/Repair form through RamWeb
Menu --> Registration --> Repeat/Repair
If you’d like to continue at CSU, we recommend completing a Dismissal Appeal. Please review the Dismissal Appeal Guidelines here. Consider working with your Academic Success Coordinator or a Collegiate Success Coach to write a successful appeal.
If you are going to be dismissed after your Dismissal Appeal has been approved and you’ve completed a third semester on Academic Watch/Warning, you have a couple of options:
- You can take up to 6 credits at CSU as a non-degree seeking GUEST student. This might be a good option if you can get to a 2.0 or higher with only 6 more credits.
- You can apply for an Academic Fresh Start, which requires you to take one year away from CSU and return to CSU with a fresh start GPA, where your cumulative/overall GPA is recalculated to count only courses you received a C- or higher in. If you received a D in any courses, these courses will no longer count for credit toward your degree. If you would like to continue making progress toward your degree while you take your year away from CSU, you can take courses elsewhere, such as at a community college.
You can complete a Semester Withdrawal through the last day of the classes in each semester (before Finals Week). A Semester Withdrawal will remove you from all classes from that semester.
You can do this on RamWeb under Menu --> Registration --> Semester Withdrawal
It does not mean you will get a refund. If you have experienced extenuating circumstances that did not allow you to drop or withdraw from individual course by the due dates, please speak with the Academic Success Coordinator about doing a Tuition Assessment Appeal in addition to the Semester Withdrawal.
Navigating College
Take one or more of the following actions:
- Meet with your advisor
- Meet with your professor during office hours
- Utilize academic resources:
- Utilize well being resources:
- Student Disability Center (learning differences or physical differences)
- Counseling Services (1:1, group, or online)
- Student Case Management (support during/after unexpected trauma)
- SilverCloud (resources for: depression, anxiety, resilience, body image, social anxiety, sleep)
- Nod (resources for: loneliness, building social connections)
- Drop or withdraw from the class (please talk with your advisor first) | Click here for withdrawal deadlines
You can most often find professors’ office hours in their syllabus, in your Canvas course page, or posted outside their physical office door. If you cannot meet with a professor during office hours due to a time conflict with another class or your work schedule, reach out to your professor via email to inquire about making an appointment instead.
Take one or more of the following actions:
- Meet with your advisor
- Meet with your Resident Advisor
- Utilize campus resources:
- Counseling Services Drop Ins
- Skill-Building Workshops (support for: stress, anger management, cannabis, gender socialization, alcohol, relationships after trauma, creating change, substance abuse, self-exploration, strengths)
- SilverCloud (resources for: depression, anxiety, resilience, body image, social anxiety, sleep)
- Nod (resources for: loneliness, building social connections)
- SLICE (Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement)
- Connect with cultural centers in LSC
From RamWeb, click on Menu, Student Employment, “Full-time, internship and part-time (campus and business jobs)” to navigate to Handshake; visit your department’s website; or visit the Career Center. Some majors have internship coordinators for their specific field of study. Not all majors require internships; check with your advisor about requirements and connecting with internship coordinators.
You may also see announcements for internships posted in your department Canvas shell.
Utilize the following resources:
- Create a "Semester Overview" using a paper calendar, a whiteboard calendar, iCal, GoogleCal, etc. (include class assignments from Canvas/syllabi, work hours, extracurriculars, etc.)
- Use this Weekly Time Log to block out your weekly schedule (classes, work, bedtime, homework, meals, extracurriculars, etc.)
- Schedule a "Weekly Check In" with your calendar for 30 minutes on Saturday or Sunday to review upcoming assignments and activities
- Schedule a "Daily Check In" with your calendar for 5 minutes each morning to create and review your daily to do list
- Click here for strategies and tips
- Click here for more strategies
- Click here for a presentation on time management
Make sure to complete the CSUSA (Colorado State University Scholarship Application) each year between October and March.
Scholarship opportunities are available based on both merit and need; you will need to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to be eligible for need based scholarships
You will need to complete all three sections on the CSUSA – University, College and Department level responses so that you can be eligible for as many funding opportunities as possible.
Use the CSU Search Engine!
Or make an appointment with your advisor.
Graduation
In your final semester, run your Degree Audit (DARS). Aside from the following items, your DARS should be green and blue. The following should be the only red X’s you see. If you see any other red X’s, please contact your advisor:
- University Graduation Contract Requirement
- AUCC Graduation Contract Requirement
- Major Graduation Contract Requirement
- Minor Graduation Contract Requirement
- Degree Analyst Contract Requirement
Keep in mind:
- You need to get to at least 120 total credits to graduate
- You need to get to at least 42 upper division credits (300-400) to graduate
- You need an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher to graduate
In your final semester, your Degree Audit (DARS) will turn into your graduation contract. This is why you may have seen the following new red X's show up on your DARS:
- University Graduation Contract Requirement
- AUCC Graduation Contract Requirement
- Major Graduation Contract Requirement
- Minor Graduation Contract Requirement
- Degree Analyst Contract Requirement
This is normal. When you open these, they should say something like "clear to grad" or "clear with IP."
To learn about University Commencement, including how to order your cap and gown, visit commencement.colostate.edu.
More questions?
Call 970-491-3117 or stop by Hartshorn 129
The main office is open Monday - Friday from 7:45 am - 4:45 pm during the fall and spring semesters and Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 3:30 pm during the summer semester.