First-Year Students

Here are some tips and tools designed to help you during your first year in CMCI.

Reflecting on the Fall Semester

Would you benefit from strategies for more effective learning, time and task management and staying motivated?
We’re here to support you in developing the skills you need to succeed. Submit this form to inquire about CMCI Academic Coaching.
Did you get a C- or lower in a course?
Students may repeat up to 10 credits to improve their overall GPA. See more information about the Grade Replacement Policy and contact your advisor to discuss whether this is a good option for you.
If you did not pass a prerequisite course, you may need to adjust your spring schedule!
Please contact your advisor before making any changes.

Preparing for the Spring Semester

CU Boulder is taking a science-based approach to operating the campus and curbing the spread of COVID-19. Together, we resolve to protect ourselves, our community and our herd.

CU Boulder leaders provide a weekly virtual meeting in a question-and-answer format for the campus community, addressing campus COVID-19 impacts and responses. They provide the latest information on the university’s ongoing response to the pandemic and take questions. Learn more »

View the Latest Operational Updates

Double-check that you are registered in the number of credits you want to take for spring. 12 is the minimum to be considered full-time. Taking 15-16 credits is recommended.

If you are waitlisted for a required course, check to see if there are alternate sections of the class that are still open. Contact your advisor if you cannot register for an open section.
If you are waitlisted for a general education or elective course, you can look for an alternate class that is open to take instead.
You can find information on waitlists on the registrar’s website.

First year students wishing to live off-campus this spring need to petition for a release from housing. Academic advisors cannot assist students with housing except to point you in the right direction: Visit the CU Boulder Housing website for information and help
Make sure you are registered for remote classes! Not all classes are offered in a remote format. You may need to adjust your classes in order to accommodate going remote. You can check the modalities and instruction modes of your registered courses in Buff Portal.
Contact your academic advisor to verify that none of your classes have required in-person components, or if you need help understanding how changes to your planned schedule will impact your progress towards your degree.

Students planning to take the spring semester off need to officially notify the university by submitting the semester withdrawal form. You can find information about this process, as well as the impacts of taking a semester off, on the registrar’s academic withdrawal website.

Undergraduate Advising

The CMCI advising team remains committed to helping you during this semester. Although we will not have face-to-face appointments, you will be able to meet with your advisor through a variety of different formats, including Zoom, which can be booked through Buff Portal Advising.

Your advisor will be increasing appointment offerings and holding drop-in hours for the semester.

Connect with Advisors

Advisors serve as partners in your college experience. We'll help you establish your academic goals, and understand what your academic options are as you progress through any majors and secondary areas of study. Your role as a student is to engage with us. Come prepared to discuss your experiences and academic goals. We'd love for you to partner with us so we can help you reach your full potential.

Meet With Your Advisor

First-Year Advisors

Kira Hachtel

First Year Advisor

CMCI Advising • First Year Advising

Advises: First-year students, last names M-Z | Transfer students

kira.hachtel@colorado.edu

Anna Hemming

First Year Advisor

CMCI Advising • First Year Advising

Advises: First-year students, last names A-L | Dean's Scholars

anna.hemming@colorado.edu

Types of Advising Support

Get quick questions answered without an appointment! Typical time spent: 5 to 10 minutes
Campus-Wide Drop-ins: Mondays, 1 to 3 p.m. Meet with your CMCI advisor or an advisor from a different college.
First-Year advisors also offer drop-in hours on Thursdays! Check specific times on BuffPortalAdvising.
LiveChat is also available (click on the icon in the lower right-hand corner of this page to access)

Plan to meet with your advisor before registering for classes in fall (November) and spring (March).
Prepare questions and check your degree audit on Buff Portal Advising before your appointment!

You can email your advisor directly with questions! Email first-year advisors Kira Hachtel or Anna Hemming.
Make sure to include your student ID number in all correspondence. This is how we look up your student record.
Generally, advisors answer email during normal business hours: Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please allow one to two business days for advisors to respond.

Continuing Student Registration Guide

Follow these steps to prepare for class registration.

Review Degree Audit in Buff Portal (Feb. 1 to 15)

How to navigate the official student portal:

Click on the hamburger menu icon () next to Buff Portal and type 'Degree Audit' in search field or click on Registration Checklist.

Click on the arrow next to 'Run a Degree Audit' to expand the menu and run your report. Do not simply click 'Run a Degree Audit', all that does is check a box!

Click on Transfer Evaluation, if applicable, to review AP/IB/Transfer credit.

Request an audit type:

For declared programs, click Run Declared Programs.
To view alternative programs of interest, click Select Different Program. Select criteria from the drop-down menus. Click Run Different Program.

After the degree audit is finished processing, click View Audit (look for the link on the right).

From the degree audit, make a list of classes for major(s), minor(s), certificate(s) and/or core (general education) classes to take in the upcoming term.
New first-year students are encouraged to register for a minimum of 13 credits from the class options below.

View Sample Schedules

CMCI 1010 Concepts and Creativity 1: Media, Communication, Information—4 credits (required class for Fall 2020)
Select from CMCI Core Class(es)—3 to 7 credits:
- Quantitative Reasoning or Computing or Natural World
- Lower Division Composition
  - WRTG 1160: CMCI First-Year Writing and Rhetoric (recommended)—3
- People and Society
- Humanities and the Arts
- Historical Views
- Diversity and Global Cultures
A 1000-level and/or 2000-level class(es) listed for your major(s), such as—3 to 6 credits:
- Communication:
  - COMM 1210: Perspectives on Human Communication—3
  - COMM 1300: Public Speaking—3
  - COMM 1600: Group Interaction—3
- Information Science:
  - INFO 1111 (Fall): Introduction to Information Science: Understanding the World Through Data—4
  - INFO 1121 (Spring): Introduction to Information Science: Designing Interactions—4
- Media Production:
  - CMDP 1400: Introduction to Contemporary Media Cultures—4
- Media Studies:
  - MDST 1001: Foundations of Media Studies—3
  - MDST 1002: Introduction to Social Media—3
  - MDST 2002: Media and Communication History—3
- Journalism:
  - JRNL 1000: Principles of Journalism and Networked Communication—3
- Strategic Communication:
  - APRD 1003: Principles of Communication—3
Class(es) for secondary area of study (second major/minor/certificate)—2 to 4 credits
Elective class—1 to 3 credits

Make an Appointment with an Advisor (Feb. 1 to March 15)

Click on the advisor's photo under 'Student Success Team' to view their calendar.

Click on an available meeting to reserve an appointment.

Confirm or cancel appointments by clicking 'Show History' under My Meetings in the upper-right corner of the Buff Portal Advising Site.

View the Buff Portal Advising Student User Guide for more details.

Check Your Enrollment Date (March 4)

The Office of the Registrar notifies students via email when enrollment dates are posted.

To check individual enrollment dates:

Click on Registration Checklist and select the term from the drop-down menu.

Note: The enrollment appointment is listed in mountain (MST) time. Complete the following steps as close to the enrollment start date and time as possible!

Check for Any Holds or To-Do Items (March 4 to March 25)

Holds and To-Do items are listed in Buff Portal.

View any Holds and To-Dos.

Expand the menu for more information.

Holds: Prevent you from taking some kind of action (i.e. registering for classes). CU Boulder departments and offices may place a hold on a student's record for a number of reasons. Resolve holds as quickly as possible by following the instructions associated with each hold listed.

To-Do items: Recommended actions necessary to complete specific outcomes. Some to-do items become holds if not completed by a specific date. Monitor to-do items closely and follow the instructions to resolve it.

Learn more about Holds and To-Do items »

Search for Classes/Add to Cart (March 4 to Enrollment Date)

Click on Registration Checklist.

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Search for classes: CU Class Search

Simple 'Search Classes' tips

Use the following search criteria:

Title, Subject, Instructor or Keyword: enter class code (e.g. CMCI 1010 or 1020)
Term: (e.g. fall, spring, summer)
Any Campus: select Main Campus (Continuing Education classes cost extra)

'Advanced Search' tips

Select the following:

Open, Waitlisted or Closed: use Open Only

Use A&S general education attributes to search by category

Search classes by A&S general education categories to complete CMCI Core requirements.

A&S General Education		CMCI Core:
Foreign Language	=	Foreign Language
Written Communication	=	Composition and Expression
Quantitative Reasoning	=	Quantitative Reasoning
Natural Science Lab	=	The Natural World Lab
Natural Science	=	The Natural World Non-Lab
Social Sciences	=	People and Society
Distribution - Arts and Humanities	=	Humanities and the Arts
Diversity - Global or Diversity - U.S. Perspective	=	Diversity and Global Cultures

Search classes by A&S core attributes to complete CMCI core requirements.

A&S Core Attributes		CMCI Core
Classes listed in your degree audit or any HIST class	=	Historical Views

Click on the class options generated from the search. Review class registration restrictions, description, time and location and section information.

Registration Restrictions:

Prerequisite: a specific class that must be completed before taking another class at the next level.
Co-requisite: a specific class that, if it has not been completed already, must be taken at the same time as another class.
Recitation: some classes require enrollment in a Lecture (LEC) and a Recitation (REC); a recitation is a smaller class that meets in addition to the lecture.

Click on the desired section(s). Note: Classes may require a LAB or REC (Recitation) along with the LEC (Lecture). Select both to register for the class.

Click Add to Cart.

Hints:

To view instructor and/or class ratings, click on the hyperlink with the instructor's name or on Course Evaluations. The scale is 1 (lowest rating) to 6 (highest rating).
You can view most syllabi from past semesters. (Not all are currently available.)

Register for Classes (Enrollment Date)

At the date and time of your enrollment, log in to Buff Portal.

Click on Classes and Registration, Registration Checklist and select Enroll in Classes

Select Continue.

Scroll down to CU Boulder Shopping Cart to select desired classes.

Click Add Selected Classes.

Click Finish Enrolling.

Review schedule in the Buff Portal to confirm enrollment.

See the Office of the Registrar's website to learn how to waitlist for a closed class, swap a class or drop a class.

Important notes about registration:

Saving classes in the shopping cart does not save a spot in the class. Students are not enrolled until they complete their enrollment through Buff Portal.
Students are encouraged to avoid waitlists and confirm enrollment. Waitlisted classes do not count towards enrollment.
RAP Coordinators need to make any changes to RAP classes. First-Year Academic Advisors are not authorized to add, drop or swap RAP classes.
Students may make changes to their schedule (with the exception of any RAP classes) during the first full week of classes.

Review Academic Calendar Dates (Enrollment Date)

Deadlines: Add, Drop and Withdraw

View all academic dates »

Prioritize Your Mental Health

Student Counseling Services

Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) offers confidential, on-campus mental health and psychiatric services for a variety of concerns such as academics, anxiety, body image, depression, relationships, substance use and more. All services are remote this semester.

Screening appointments can be scheduled through the patient portal. This is the first step for all clinical services.

SilverCloud Health: CU’s online program to support emotional health and well-being at your own pace.
Peer Wellness Coaching: Free service available to all CU Boulder students. Attend one-on-one virtual meetings with peer coaches to help set and achieve wellness goals. Schedule a session online.

CAPS hosts workshops on a variety of topics. View upcoming dates for workshops on managing anxiety, practicing mindfulness, determining ways to coping with emotions, and methods to manage stress.
Health and Wellness Services also hosts workshops. Visit their site for workshops on managing anxiety, practicing healthy sleeping habits, and managing stress.
Feel Good Fridays is a drop-in group that lead you through a powerful guided meditation to help you reduce stress, relax and feel better.

First-Year Students

Reflecting on the Fall Semester

Preparing for the Spring Semester