Winter Advising & Registration

Winter Advising & Registration 2025

Winter Advising & Registration (A&R) session dates are posted below for incoming Winter Quarter 2025 students. Reservations will open Monday October 14th at 9:00am.

The Winter A&R 2025 Sessions are for new, incoming students whose first quarter attending Western is Winter Quarter 2025.

For more information about advising resources for current Western students, visit the Academic Advising & Student Achievement Center's website.

Your A&R Session will be a virtual experience. Students will complete an online reservation to attend a one-day advising and academic planning session in Zoom. This session will include individual and small group advising with faculty, staff and student advisors in Zoom.

In addition to developing core academic planning skills, students will also gain a better understanding of Western's academic expectations and resources, meet with helpful faculty, staff and student advisors, and begin connecting with fellow new and current WWU students.

Continuing students (students whose first quarter attending Western was not Winter 2025) should refer to the Registrar’s Office website for information about web registration and the Registration Schedule for information on how to register for classes for your second quarter and beyond. Continuing students may also connect with the Academic Advising & Student Achievement Center and academic departments (major/minor advising) for options to receive academic advising and course registration support.

First-Year Students

Incoming First-Year and Running Start students are required to attend an Advising & Registration session. Advising & Registration sessions provide new students with group and one-on-one academic advising and registration support. New First-Year students must attend an Advising & Registration session in order to register for classes, and will register as a part of the program on the date of their session. 

Winter A&R 2025 Sessions

  • December 13 
  • January 6 

Transfer Students

Incoming Transfer students are strongly encouraged to attend an Advising & Registration session. Advising & Registration sessions provide new students with group and one-on-one advising and registration support. New Transfer students are assigned a time and date for class registration based on the number of credits earned. You can view the Registration Schedule on the Registrar's Office website for more information.

Winter A&R 2025 Sessions

  • November 8 
  • November 15 
  • December 13 
  • January 6 

Post-Baccalaureate Students

Post-Baccalaureate students are encouraged to schedule an individual advising appointment with an academic advisor prior to registration. New Post-Baccalaureate students are assigned a time and date for class registration based on the number of credits earned. You can view the Registration Schedule on the Registrar's Office website for more information.

Make A Reservation

Reservations will open on Monday October 14, 2024 at 9:00am for incoming Winter Quarter 2025 students.

Students must make a reservation via their Student Portal in order to attend Winter A&R. Reservations for each session will close approximately one week prior to each session date at 11:00pm Pacific Time.

Please note that your commitment to attending on the date of your reservation is important. Students who don't show up on their session date may have difficulty finding space to reschedule for a later session. Please stay attentive to your session reservation date to help ensure you fulfill your commitment and support keeping space availability across sessions for all students.

Reservation Changes

Do you need to make changes to your A&R Session date or cancel your reservation? You may make changes to your A&R reservation by following the “Cancel Reservation” link in the confirmation email you received. You must first cancel your current reservation before you can make a new reservation.

Winter A&R Session Schedule

Students will participate in a one day Advising & Registration (A&R) session held in Zoom. While students must be available from 9:10am – 4:30pm, they will not be spending the entire day on Zoom. We recommend you participate in Zoom with a computer or tablet to maximize your experience and suggest Chrome as the browser.

Any use of external platforms to record or transcribe the sessions is not allowed due to account security and privacy issues. Please review the schedule below for more information about what to expect on the date of your session.

Prior to your session

Review the Virtual Advisor Canvas Course

In advance of participating in your day-of session, you are required to spend time reviewing the modules and watching the videos in the Virtual Advisor. You can access the Virtual Advisor by logging into Canvas from myWestern. The Virtual Advisor will be accessible 3-4 weeks before the first A&R session.

Complete the Proctored ALEKS Math Placement Assessment

If you haven’t done so already, complete the ALEKS MPA which includes three steps: 1. ALEKS MPA #1 (Practice), 2. ALEKS Preparation & Learning, 3. ALEKS MPA #2 (Proctored Official). Repeat steps 2 & 3, if needed, to increase your score.

Update Your Academic Interest

Update your academic interest to ensure you receive information about the major(s) you are considering. Updating your academic interest does not declare you into a major. To review and update your Academic Interests: 1. Log in to Web4U, 2. Scroll down and click Update Academic Interest (under Student Records).

Connect with Academic Departments

If you have a major or minor in mind, plan to connect with the academic department. You can use the Department Directory to look up contact information for your specific major department.

On the date of your session

9:10am - 12:00pm Advising Session: Presentation and Academic Planning (REQUIRED)

Zoom link sent 24 hours prior to scheduled A&R session. Required for class registration. 

  • 9:10am - 9:25am: Check-in
  • 9:25am – 12:00pm: Group Welcome, Advising Presentation, and Academic Planning 

Attend group advising session where you will learn about advising at Western, graduation requirements, declaring a major/minor, understand your transfer credit and important advising and registration tools. You will also begin planning possible winter quarter schedules and have a chance to talk with advisors.

12:00pm - 4:00pm Academic Department Connections (Prior to your afternoon registration appointment)

You may want to connect with an academic department today to ask questions about major declaration, course recommendations and more. You can use the Department Directory to look up contact information for your specific major department.

1:00pm - 4:30pm Individual 30-Minute Registration Appointments (REQUIRED)

Students access their Registration Appointment by using the same Zoom link used to access the morning Advising Session.

Students will be assigned to a 30-minute individual advising time where they will meet with an advisor from their morning group and register for winter quarter courses. Students will receive their 30-minute advising time in the morning Advising Session.

Transfer Students: Please note that you are assigned a time and date for class registration for winter quarter based on the number of credits earned; view the Registration Schedule on the Registrar's Office website for more information on when you are eligible to register. You are encouraged to register for classes when you are eligible, based on the Registration schedule. An advisor can review your schedule and answer any questions you may have when you attend your Winter A&R afternoon registration appointment.

Old Main lawn covered in snow

Frequently Asked Questions

Attendance at the Winter Advising & Registration program is required for new First-Year and Running Start students. The program is the opportunity for students to receive academic advising, assistance in preparing for course registration, and register for winter quarter classes. All First-Year and Running Start students must attend a session in order to register for classes. 

Attendance at the Winter Advising & Registration program is strongly recommended for new Transfer students. Students attending Winter Advising & Registration will receive academic advising and registration support during the program. 

Please note that new Transfer students for Winter Quarter are assigned a time and date for class registration based on the number of credits earned. Transfer students do not need to attend Winter Advising & Registration in order to register for classes. View the Registration Schedule on the Registrar's Office website for more information. 

New Transfer and Post-Baccalaureate students for Winter Quarter are assigned a time and date for class registration based on the number of credits earned. Please view the Registration Schedule on the Registrar's Office website for more information. 

Transfer students do not need to attend Winter Advising & Registration in order to register for classes. Students will receive advising and registration support as a part of the program. 

Rather than a formal advising session, new Post-Baccalaureate students for Winter Quarter are invited and encouraged to schedule an individual advising appointment prior to registration. 

New First-Year and Running Start students for Winter Quarter will register as a part of the Winter Advising & Registration program on the date of their session. First-Year and Running Start students are required to attend an Advising & Registration session in order to register.

Advising & Registration sessions will be held in Zoom. Students will be provided instructions via email regarding how to join their Zoom meeting 24 hours prior to the session check-in time. We recommend that students participate in Zoom with a laptop or tablet to maximize their experience. 

Please make sure you are familiar with the Zoom platform. Check out this Zoom 101 video for more information. Students will need internet access for course registration. Check out Western's Stay Connected website for more information. 

Any use of external platforms to record or transcribe the sessions is not allowed due to account security and privacy issues. To request disability accommodations for an A&R session, please see the drop-down menu below. 

If you are concerned about your ability to participate in an advising and registration session in Zoom please contact New Student Services/Family Outreach office at 360-650-3846 or at nssfo@wwu.edu.   

There are several required actions that all new students must take prior to their first quarter at Western, some of which need to be completed prior to your Advising & Registration session. Please review the New Student Orientation Checklist for a list of required and recommended actions for new students. 

Students can also log into the Admitted Student Portal to keep track of the status of measles clearance, the receipt of final transcripts, and Advising & Registration reservations. If you need assistance logging into the Portal, please contact the Office of Admissions

WWU is an equal opportunity institution. For disability accommodations, please contact the New Student Services/Family Outreach office, 360-650-3846, or NSSFO@wwu.edu. Five days advanced notice is appreciated.