Once you have obtained your GW email account, signed up for the date that you'll register for classes (selected during CI registration), and familiarized yourself with the GW Bulletin and Schedule of Classes, you are ready for GW First Class - GW's online course selection tutorial!

GW First Class Overview

GW First Class will be available beginning June 1. You are required to complete GW First Class before coming to Colonial Inauguration. 

GW First Class is our online registration tutorial which will prepare you to register for your first semester of classes. GW First Class includes information on general curriculum requirements, placement exams in mathematics and languages, worksheets for you to take notes, and contact information for advisors.

Once you have have familiarized yourself with the specific requirements of your GW college by completing GW First Class online via Blackboard, you should be able to prepare a reasonable schedule of classes.  Work at developing a schedule that seems appropriate for you and that you can discuss in-person with your advisor at CI.  After you have completed GW First Class and have attended CI, you will have selected a preliminary list of courses for your first semester as a GW student.  With this information, you are now ready to register for classes.  On your assigned registration date, follow the instructions provided to you in GW First Class.

GW First Class Format  
GW First Class is found on the University’s Blackboard Learning System. You will become quite familiar with Blackboard as a GW student because it is through this system that professors post course syllabi and course assignments and communicate with their students.

GW First Class Logistics
• Before starting GW First Class, familiarize yourself with the GW Bulletin. The Bulletin provides information about requirements for all schools and majors as well as course descriptions. You should review the requirements for the school to which you have been admitted as well as specific major requirements if you have one in mind.

• The course will take two hours to complete and may take longer depending on whether you need to take placement exams or on how easily you can make decisions about your course selection.

• You may enter the GW First Class site as many times as you like and complete the tutorial over time. Remember-- you must complete GW First Class before coming to CI.

• GW First Class contains a tutorial on how to register for classes using GWeb, GW's course registration system.  Feel free to review the tutorial as many times as you'd like, and drop in for a practice session at CI, so you understand the process to register for classes in July.

• If you are a student in the University Honors Program (UHP) or the Elizabeth Somers Women's Leadership Program (WLP), please complete your UHP or WLP module before completing your school module. 

GW First Class Support
• The GW First Class Call Center is open June 1-8 (Monday-Friday) from 4:00pm to 7:00pm (EST), and July 5-16 (Monday-Friday) from 10:00am to 6:00pm (EST) along with on all class registrations periods on July 12, 13 and 14. GW First Class can be reached by phone (202-994-1200), e-mail (gwfc@gwu.edu), or GChat at screen name GWFirstClass. Colonial Inauguration staff who are trained as peer advisors are available at the Call Center to answer questions you might have or to direct you to the appropriate person or department.

• Contact your college or school’s academic advising office.  Advising offices are open from 9:00am until 5:00pm (EST) Monday through Friday. Contact information for your college or school can be found on the Colonial Inauguration web site’s Contact Information page.

• Continue to visit your school's module on Blackboard, and check the main page for scheduled chatrooms and other support opportunities. In addition, be sure to check your GW email account frequently as all updates will be sent to you there.

Once you have completed GW First Class, you should be able to develop a schedule that seems appropriate for you.  After you have attended CI, you will have selected a preliminary list of courses for your first semester as a GW student. With this information, you will be ready to register for classes. On your assigned registration date, follow the course registration instructions provided to you in GW First Class.

Please note, international students must complete GW First Class and register for classes prior to attending Fall CI in August.  If you have questions about course selection prior to registration and would like to speak with an advisor in your school, please visit the CI website and view “Class Registration” under the academics page.