Important dates and information related to academic life at Wellesley.

Taking classes at MIT

Course schedule
The on-line version of the MIT Fall 97 Course Schedule is located here. It contains the days and times for all Fall 97 classes. Keep in mind that recitations for MIT classes are often scheduled the first time the class meets.
The Academic Calendar
The on-line version of the 97-98 MIT Academic Calendar is located here. Warning! The MIT Academic Calendar is not the same as the Wellesley Academic Calendar! The MIT semester tends to end later than the Wellesley semester, and MIT exams are not self-scheduled.
Q: What's the procedure for taking an MIT class?
A: First, you do not need to attend Reg Day at MIT! Just follow these steps: 1) Attend first meeting of MIT class. Have MIT prof sign your Add-Drop card. 2) Go to the MIT-Wellesley Exchange Office in the Infinite Corridor at MIT (Bldg 7, near the 77 Mass Ave lobby). Say that you're a Wellesley student who is cross-registering. They will give you two forms to fill out. One of them is a personal information form, and the other is a triplicate form with sheets of three different colors. Fill out the personal info form and give it back. 3) Take the triplicate form to Wellesley and have it signed by someone in the Registrar's office. 4) Return to MIT-Wellesley Exchange office. Give them the triplicate form. They will keep one sheet, and give you back the other two. The pink sheet is for you. 5) Return to Registrar's Office at Wellesley, and give them the remaining sheet of the triplicate form.
Q: How do I get an MIT email account?
A: MIT's computing system is called Athena. If you are cross-registered, you can get an Athena account by going to the Athena Accounts Office, which used to be located off the Infinite Corridor behind the Athena Cluster known as the Fishbowl, but might be someplace else now. The hours for the Accounts Office are very limited, so make sure you check ahead of time to make sure they will be open.

For a tutorial on using Athena, look here.

Q: What if I have to be at MIT at lunch or dinner time?
A: You can get vouchers to use in the MIT dining halls and Student Center. This is referred to as "Meal Exchange". Go to the Food Services office in Alumnae Hall, and say that you need to eat at MIT. Eventually you'll find someone who knows what you're talking about. The vouchers are good for certain dollar amounts, depending on whether you specify lunch or dinner. You will need to fill out a voucher for each time you intend to eat a meal there. (Beware! This information is two years old, and I haven't checked to make sure this is still the process!)

Wellesley information

Course schedule
The on-line version of the Fall 97 Course Schedule is located here. It contains the days and times for all Fall 97 classes.
The Academic Calendar
The on-line version of the 97-98 Wellesley Academic Calendar is located here. It contains all the dates necessary to make your travel plans, etc for the entire year.
Add-Drop
Add-Drop is the period at the start of each semester when you finalize your schedule. To add a class, you must show up at the first meeting. If there are spaces available, the professor will sign your Add-Drop card. To drop a class, just write it on your card. To increase your chances of adding a class, email the professor and express your interest. Dates for Fall '97: Add-Drop begins Thursday, September 4th. Add-Drop ends Friday, September 12th.
Credit/Non
Credit/Non refers to taking a class for credit or no credit, rather than a grade. You get credit for a class if your final grade would have been a C or higher, and you do not get credit if it would have been lower than a C. In the middle of each semester, Credit/Non cards are issued, and if you are choosing to take a class Credit/Non, you must have a card signed by your professor. Making the decision to take a class for credit rather than a grade is a tough one - it's recommended that you talk to your advisor or dean if you need guidance. Dates for Fall '97: Credit/Non-Credit cards available Wednesday, October 15th. Credit/Non-Credit cards due Friday, October 24th.
WDR
If you drop a class after approximately the first month of a semester, the letters WDR (indicating WITHDRAWL) will appear on your transcript next to the name of the class. If you drop a class before this time, it will not show up on your transcript at all. In general, you don't want to have WDRs on your transcript; while it's probably much better than a failing grade, you may still have to explain at a potential employer or grad school why you dropped a class mid-semester. There are, however, cases where dropping a class and accepting the WDR is the most sensible thing to do. Discuss this with your professor, advisor, or dean. Dates for Fall '97: Classes dropped after Friday, September 26th will result in WDR appearing on your transcript.


Laura Wollstadt
Last modified: Mon Aug 11 10:37:29 EDT