I'm an incoming first-year and didn't get into anything through the first round of the course lottery. The courses I was interested in weren't available in the second round, so I didn't end up entering. What now? Do I have any chance of getting into a FYS I'd like to take, or an FYS at all?
Where there is a will, there is a way, my friend. My advice for getting into any class that is "full" prior to shopping period:
Before classes start, I would try emailing the professor just saying who you are and that although you are know the class is full, you are still very interested in the class. More often than not, they will tell you to come to their class on the first day and sit in, and if someone drops you can have their spot. Show up to the class on the first day, and sit through the whole thing. Even try to speak up during the class if you can. Then at the end of class, go up and introduce yourself as the person they corresponded with via email.
Worst case scenario, you still don't get in to the class which will suck, but you did all you could. However, there's a good chance at least one person will drop, and if you've shown interest early on the teacher might give that spot to you. By talking to them early on, you've essentially put your name at the top of the wait list. Many teachers also expand the cap size in order to accommodate more students.
I used this method to get into a FYS my first semester, as well as two other classes the next semester. It works!
