New students are often eager to register for their first semester at Grinnell. We understand the excitement! These steps will help prepare you for placement and registration, which take place during New Student Orientation (NSO). The full NSO schedule and app will be available to you prior to your arrival on campus.
Now, let’s get you registration-ready!
Who and what will guide me in my academic planning?
- Your faculty adviser is your primary resource as you make decisions about your academic plan. You will first meet with them during NSO. During this initial meeting, you will work with your adviser to select a set of possible courses to choose during new student registration. Reviewing the resources below and identifying some initial courses of interest will help you prepare for your initial advising meeting.
- Guidelines for registration during the first year have been established by the College and outlined in the “Education in the Liberal Arts” section of the . An entering student should regard the first year as a time for gaining breadth in the arts and sciences, confidence in exploring a variety of disciplines, and a more mature understanding of the place of each of these in liberal education as a whole. The following guidelines are helpful in realizing these objectives during the first year:
- The student should develop their command of written English, not only in the Tutorial, but also in at least one other suitable course as well.
- The student should develop their knowledge of mathematics, languages, or both.
- The student should take courses in each of the three main divisions of the curriculum – humanities, science, and social studies – and should take no more than two full courses in any one division in any semester.
- Departmental Advising and Registration Suggestions describes each academic subject in alphabetical order by department. It gives suggestions for courses to take and in which order, with an eye towards the possibility of majoring in that discipline.
Where can I learn about all the programs and courses offered at Fulao2?
The contains the official list of all courses offered at Fulao2 and also lists the departments, majors, and concentrations. The catalog does not indicate which courses are offered in which semesters; for that information, check the Online Schedule of Courses (above).
Where do I find the schedule of courses for the current semester?
- Log into .
- Go to the live, searchable . The Schedule of Courses displays the courses — with descriptions and prerequisites — offered in a specific semester. It is searchable by subject, level, time of day, and instructor’s name.
- Enter these parameters for your search in the “Advanced Search” fields:
- Results View: Catalog Listing shows course descriptions and prerequisites, while Section Listing offers a more compact view (and you can still see those details by clicking on a particular class); you can use whichever you prefer.
- Term: select the current term (e.g., “Fall 2026”)
- Course Type: select “Open to First Years”
- Click “Submit.”
This will display a long list of classes to choose from. To narrow the parameters of your search, use the “Filter Results” options on the left side. Under “Subjects,” you will find each of the majors and concentrations offered at Grinnell. It is important to plan for the possibility of several different majors in your first year as you explore coursework.
How many credits should I take in my first semester?
All students must be enrolled full-time, which is a 12–18 credit load. Most students take four 4-credit courses per semester, totaling 16 credits. Keep in mind that your Tutorial is 4 of those credits.
Do I take all 100-level courses in my first semester?
Introductory courses are generally the essential starting point for all areas of study in the liberal arts. In some cases, you may have prior coursework and/or experience that will allow you to enroll in a more advanced level course. In the Course Placement section of this website learn how exam scores and pre-matriculation transfer courses may count for credit, equate to specific Grinnell courses, and allow you to take more advanced courses.
What else can I do to be fully prepared for registration during New Student Orientation?
All students register for courses in our electronic system, Colleague Self-Service. Sometime in mid-summer, new students are provided instructions for how to do this. Some of the guidance includes being advised to add 8 to 12 courses; to consider a range of course types, both in terms of discipline (e.g., sciences, humanities, social sciences) and pedagogy (e.g., lab, lecture, studio); and to keep in mind that you can add courses to your plan that conflict in time, but when you register you will not be able to register for courses with conflicting times.