Welcome to SCS at Illinois!
Welcome to the School of Chemical Sciences (SCS) at the University of Illinois! Your Academic Advisors in SCS are excited to meet you this summer and help you prepare for a successful academic career in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Chemistry, or CS+Chemistry.
To get the most out of your new student registration experience, please be sure to complete all of the tasks below at least TWO WEEKS (14 days) before your registration appointment:
- Set up your Illinois NetID and password
- Complete the ALEKS Math, Chemistry, and Physics placement exams
- Non-native English speakers, complete the English Placement Test
- Complete the LAS registration homework through MyIllini - be sure to list your AP exams and your known or estimated scores!
- Tell your SCS advisor more about yourself by filling out the SCS Questionnaire
- Meeting with us virtually? Be sure to install and test out the Zoom video conferencing software - we'll be using this for our virtual meetings
We also highly recommend that you spend 30-45 minutes watching the videos and reading through the handouts below to learn a bit more about your degree, campus General Education requirements, and the registration system. We've even provided a guide to picking General Education courses and planning out your schedule before your new student registration appointment!
STEP 1: Learn more about your major
Please watch the videos below to learn more about the classes required to complete your major and for guidance on what to expect to take in your first semester. We also recommend that you download and look over the curriculum guides for your major.
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
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Chemistry
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- Specialized Chemistry degree requirements
- Chemistry - Sciences & Letters degree requirements
- Key differences between Specialized Chemistry and Sciences & Letters (PDF)
- Suggested degree / 4-year plans for Specialized Chemistry and Sciences & Letters (PDF)
CS+Chemistry
STEP 2: Understand General Education requirements for SCS majors
General Education Requirements for SCS Majors
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How to Look Up Gen Eds in Course Explorer
How to Use Search Course Explorer to Find Gen Eds
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
STEP 3: Learn about potential credits from AP & other exams
Learn more about the credits you may have earned for completing AP and IB exams or dual enrollment courses. If you earned less than the score needed to earn credit for a particular class, talk with your advisor about the possibility of taking a proficiency exam.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Credits & placement for AP exams
- Credits & placement for IB courses
- Credits & placement for A-levels
- Departmental proficiency exam options
- Language other than English proficiency exam options
- Transferology - site to look up transfer course equivalencies
STEP 4: Learn how to use the registration system
Watch this series of videos to learn how you can start planning your fall schedule before your new student registration appointment.
How to Select Favorites in Course Explorer
How to Create a Plan in Enhanced Registration
How to Register From a Saved Plan
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
STEP 5: Apply what you've learned - favorite Gen Eds & create a plan!
Once you’ve looked through the materials above, take about 30 minutes to look up and save some Gen Ed courses or plan your schedule in advance. Do this about 2-3 days before your new student registration appointment. This can help you prepare for what to expect during your appointment and should make registration proceed smoothly. For both options, be sure to review the videos and links in step 2 and step 4.
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OPTION 1: USE CLASS SCHEDULE TO FAVORITE 4-5 GEN EDS
**The goal of this assignment is to become familiar with the different General Education courses available. You may need to find additional Gen Ed options on your actual registration day if classes are full or conflict with your schedule.**
Step 1: Log in to Course Explorer using your NetID and password.
Step 2: Open the General Education (Gen Ed) course list in Course Explorer.
Step 3: Look up classes in the Cultural Studies, Humanities & the Arts, and Social & Behavioral Science categories. If you find a class available in the fall (has a blue circle with a check next to it), click on the title. Read more about the course: what it’s about, what Gen Ed categories it satisfies, the days and times that it meets. If you find the course interesting, click the STAR next to the course status. This will add the course to your favorites in my.Courses in Course Explorer. We recommend picking classes that are listed as open (have a green circle).
Step 4: Complete step 3 above for a total of 4-5 courses. That way you have multiple options for classes when you actually start to register; this is beneficial in case some classes become full or conflict with your other classes. Feel free to pick classes from different General Education categories, but NOT from Natural Sciences & Technology, Quantitative Reasoning, or Advanced Composition. You do not need to worry about those categories at this point.
OPTION 2: USE PLAN AHEAD TO CREATE A DRAFT SCHEDULE
**The goal of this assignment is for you to get a sense of what your schedule may look like and to start identifying possible schedules for fall 2022. You may need to change your plan based on advisor recommendations and course availability.**
Step 1: Create a DRAFT list of courses you may want to take in your first semester on campus, using the following chart as a guide. We recommend that you pick classes in this order (left-to-right). Pick classes, especially ORIENTATION classes, based on your current major
*There are specific sections of Calculus II, MATH 231 for different majors. If you’re in Chemistry or CS+Chemistry, pick one of the A lecture sections (AL1, AL2, or AL3); if you’re in Chemical Engineering, pick one of the E lecture sections (EL1 or EL2).
**If your university ID number (UIN) ends with an even number, you’ll take your Composition I requirement in the fall semester. If your UIN ends with an odd number, then you’ll take your Composition I course in spring 2023. Pick a Gen Ed instead.
Step 2: Open up both the Class Schedule and the Plan Ahead feature in Enhanced Registration. Create a plan for fall 2022 based on the draft that you’ve created. Be sure to check the Class Schedule to confirm course restrictions. Make sure to pick linked sections that start with the same letter (e.g., for CHEM 102 lecture AL1, pick a quiz that starts with A, like AQ2).
Step 3: Save your plan.
(OPTIONAL) Step 4: Complete option 1 above and favorite 4-5 General Education courses in Course Explorer. This can be beneficial in case the Gen Eds you initially picked are full by the time you register.