Registration FAQs

Remote courses continue to be associated with a campus; don’t restrict your searches to the online campus.

We've compiled a list of FAQs to help you through the registration process. If you have any further questions, reach out to your academic advisor or Service Laurier. Be sure to also check out our Registration Tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I start?

We understand that course registration can be a difficult and confusing process, and we're here to help. We recommend you visit our Program Requirements and Choose Electives sections of this guide, which help you decide which courses your should register for before you start to build your timetable. We also outline information on language prerequisites, calculus preparation evaluation and transfer credits.

How do I find more information on Remote Learning?

Please refer to our Remote Learning: Student Suppot Hub, as well as our Golden Guide to Success in Online and Remote Learning. 

How do I drop a course with a hold?

Students are typically required to complete registration changes via LORIS.  If you are currently unable to complete this drop due to a hold on your account, please complete this form:

• Drop Course Request Form - Hold on Account (Waterloo)
• Drop Course Request Form - Hold on Account - FHSS, FLA, BSW and BTM (Brantford)

Please monitor your LORIS account and allow up to 5 business days for your request to be processed. Courses will be dropped effective the date that the form is completed as long as it is completed prior to the last day to drop for that term.

What do I do if courses are full?

You may have noticed that some courses are full. Throughout the summer, Laurier may increase class sizes or add new course sections to accommodate the increase in demand this year for course registration. We encourage you to visit LORIS regularly to see if new course sections become available.

Why am I unable to register in my French course?

If you are attempting to register in any French or language course, you will need an override in order to register. This is done by completing the override request form. Attempting to register in any language course that requires a high school prerequisite will result in an error message on LORIS. Contact the Department of Languages and Literature at langandlit@wlu.ca to verify that you have the required prerequisite so you can register in the course. 

I have math requirements, but LORIS won’t let me register for my required math course.

All students are required to complete a Calculus Preparation Evaluation (CPE) in order to register in math courses. This test is mandatory and consists of 50 multiple choice questions, but don’t worry – it only covers material in your high school math curriculum. If you’re still nervous check out the practice tests sample problems.

How do I use the Visual Schedule Builder?

The Visual Schedule Builder does not outline restrictions for each section. If you are trying to register, and come across any errors, check out the LORIS error page, or try using our Browse Classes feature on LORIS (formerly the Dynamic Schedule). More information on building your timetable can be found in Step 3 of this guide.

I created a schedule with the visual schedule builder, but when I put the CRN in LORIS I get registration errors.

If you are receiving errors when building your schedule check out the Browse Classes feature for specific section restrictions. Sections may require prerequisites you have not completed, or are restricted to a specific program. You can also review our outline of common error messages and our LORIS glossary page that lists terminology.

I’m trying to add a required course, but receiving an error that I’m in the wrong program.

Courses that are required for a specific program may restrict sections for students in the program, as well as sections for students not in the program. This ensures that we have space for those that require the course and for students who may be taking the course out of interest working towards a minor or option. Often popular courses will have sections restricted to those in the program, and to those that are not in the program.

To see what restrictions are on a course, search the course in our Browse Classes feature on LORIS.

What is the different between a lecture, lab, and tutorial? How do I know the difference?

• A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach about a particular subject. The lecture is normally the main component of a course.
• A lab is a class in which students engage in learning activities by practice.  
• A tutorial is a period of instruction given by a teaching assistant to a small group of students. 

You can tell the difference when you are searching sections. Often a lab or tutorial will end with a letter plus a number. A lecture often ends with a letter. Our LORIS glossary page includes terminology you need to plan your timetable and successfully navigate LORIS. You can also check out our glossary of general academic terms.

Why isn't the course I selected showing on my timetable?

If you have registered in a course that has the section listed as OC, and the campus is listed as Online Learning, the course is an online course. Online courses are not scheduled for a specific time or location and will not appear in your timetable, however it will appear in your "Student Detail Schedule." This schedule is found in LORIS under "Student Services" > "Registration" > "Student Detail Schedule."

How do I change my lab or tutorial without dropping my course?

If you want to change your lab or tutorial without having to drop the course and add it again, refer to our video on how to switch tutorials: