Course Planning & Registration – Pre-Nursing Manual Section 3

STAR System Overview

STAR = campuswide online ecosystem
- STAR GPS Registration: where you build schedules, shop for classes, and officially enroll.
- STAR Balance: book advising or faculty appointments.
- Help menu (top-right “?”) → “How can we help?” → tutorial video “How to register with STAR”.
Access requires UH Username; advisers are not allowed to register you; every course in your schedule was placed there by you.

“In-Plan” vs “Not-In-Plan” & Financial Aid Implications

“In-Plan” (IP)
- Counts toward declared major/pre-major.
- Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) & Veterans (VA) benefits only pay for IP credits.
- Recommended whether or not you use aid because it focuses progress.
“Not-In-Plan” (NIP)
- ≈ 99 % of courses not listed in your personal STAR pathway.
- Government will not subsidise them → you pay out-of-pocket.
- Few sanctioned exceptions: e.g. $\text{CHEM 131}$ may be manually flagged as IP when it precedes $\text{CHEM 161}$ .
Scholarships & student housing usually mirror the 12-credit IP requirement.

Health Clearances & Course Modalities

Immunisation/health forms (reviewed in Section 1) must be cleared before you can register for any face-to-face or hybrid class.
Online course types
- Synchronous → fixed virtual meeting times (e.g. Mon/Wed 10:00-11:20 on Zoom).
- Asynchronous → no recurring meetings; deadlines & occasional check-ins still apply.

Step-by-Step STAR Registration Process

Log in → pick desired semester (red text shows your exact opening time).
Click “Register/ Add Drop Classes”.
For each row click “Select a Course” → choose lecture/lab section.
- Health hold appears if you try to add on-campus class without clearance.
Selected sections sit in a “Shopping Cart”.
Hit “Submit Add Drop” — only now are you enrolled.
Bonus utilities
- “Sync to Google Calendar” → adds map navigation on smartphone.
- “View/Pay Tuition & Fees” → wait until aid posts or set up a payment plan before term begins.

Add/Drop, Withdrawal & Maintaining Full-Time Status

Add/drop window ≈ first week of term; after that:
- Drops yield only partial—or zero—refund depending on calendar.
- Past a point only “Withdrawal” (W) allowed until ~2⁄3 of term.
Full-time definition: $\ge 12\text{ credits}$ per semester, not number of courses.
- Typical course weight: $3\text{ cr}$ → $3\times 4 = 12$ .
Falling below 12 cr after aid disbursement can revoke aid, housing, or VA funds—consult an adviser first.

Course Selection: Prerequisites, Categories & Non-Prerequisites

12 required prerequisite courses (see Section 2) include a mix of specific titles & categories:
- Written Communication (FW)
- Quantitative Reasoning (FQ)
- Global/Multicultural Perspectives (FG)
- Public Speech (OC)
- Physical Science w/ lab (DP/DY)
- Psych 100, HDFS 230, etc.
Non-Prerequisite but programmed in STAR
- Second FG course
- Humanities-Literature (DL)
- NURS 210 (Intro to Health Care)
- NURS 212 (Pathophysiology) – may be prerequisite at other schools.
Writing Intensive (WI) designation will be needed for graduation; WI NURS electives can be taken early.

Placement Testing (Math & Chemistry)

Math (FQ)
- $\text{MATH 100}$ (no placement test) satisfies requirement and is most popular.
- Higher-level choices (e.g. $\text{MATH 241}$ Calculus I) demand online math placement.
- Course level scheme: 100 = 1st-yr, 200 = 2nd-yr, etc.; higher number ⇒ greater rigor.
Chemistry 161 (general chem w/ lab)
- Mandatory chemistry placement test.
- Outcomes:
- Place into $\text{CHEM 161}$ → enroll directly.
- Place into $\text{CHEM 131}$ → take 131, then 161 (131 can be re-coded to IP once adviser notified).
- Place below 131 → may need CC preparatory chem.
- Placement portal link: provided in slides.

Science Prerequisites: Difficulty, Seat Availability & Sequencing

Four heavy-duty BIOL/PHYL courses: $\text{PHYL 141 + 141L}$ & $\text{PHYL 142 + 142L}$ plus MICR 130.
Require extensive memorisation; labs capped by physical space; multiple health majors compete for seats.
Continuing students get registration priority → easier to secure seats in your 2nd year.
Advising tip: if following a 2-year (Option B) or 1½-year (Option C) plan, keep PHYL sequences for Year 2 to reduce first-year stress.

Common Registration Barriers & Overrides

Prerequisite restriction errors → finish required feeder course first.
Placement test not on record → upload scores.
Reserved by Major → e.g. NURS courses inaccessible until admitted.
Full class → choose wait-list (check UH email multiple times daily; you have 24 h to accept) or locate CC equivalent (watch aid rules).
Repeating anatomy, micro, chemistry
- STAR blocks 2nd attempt → email instructor for override.
- College policy: max 6 repeat credits across all prerequisites; exceeding ⇒ ineligible for traditional & West O‘ahu BSN paths.

Strategies to Maximise Performance & Mitigate Risk

FREE resources:
- Academic Resource Center tutoring (bookmark link).
- Course TA office hours.
- Peer study groups, flashcards, mnemonic devices.
Talk to instructor about extra credit or study tips.
Considering withdrawal (W):
- Pros: shields GPA.
- Cons: refund rarely full; may dip below 12 IP or 12 UH-Mānoa credits → jeopardise aid/housing.
- Always verify calendar cut-off dates & meet with adviser first.

Long-Range Course-Planning Templates

Option A – “Hare” (1 year / 2 terms)

16 IP credits each semester; finish all 32 prereqs in Year 1; eligible to apply next January.
Very intense → historically high attrition.
STAR tips: leave non-prereqs out; use drag-&-drop; keep CR value 16.

Option B – “Tortoise” (2 years / 4 terms)

12-13 IP credits each term; anatomy/micro in Year 2; sprinkle non-prereqs to maintain full-time status.
Benefits: lower stress, more time for TEAS prep & résumé building.
Trade-off: cannot apply in Year 1 → earliest BSN graduation ≈ 5 years (2 + 3 professional phase).

Option C – Spring Entrants (1½ years / 3 terms)

Sequence mirrors Option B but compressed; finish by following summer → apply for next fall cohort.

Option D – Custom (Transfer or Individual Needs)

Blank canvas; student arranges any lawful sequence, still honouring prereq dependencies & full-time rules.

Adviser Recommendations & Decision Matrix

Fall admits
- Highest historical success = Option B.
- Option A only for academically exceptional students comfortable with heavy load & faster TEAS timeline.
Spring admits
- Default to Option C (essentially a shortened Option B).
All admits may self-design Option D if transferring many credits or possessing unique circumstances.

Non-STAR Courses, Changing Majors & Summer Session Advice

Running out of listed courses is normal—pre-nursing is temporary.
- Simply change major (permanently or temporarily) and continue meeting prereqs; you are still eligible to apply to any UH BSN.
Taking non-STAR or CC courses while on UH-Mānoa scholarships/aid generally not recommended.
Summer courses: three cautions
1. Aid & most scholarships exclude summer.
2. 6-week sessions compress a 17-week workload → ≈ 3× faster pace.
3. “Borrow” credits from future terms, leaving you under-enrolled later.

Key Takeaways

Register via STAR yourself; advisers cannot do it.
Stick to In-Plan Mānoa courses; maintain $\ge 12$ IP credits.
Secure health clearance early; understand synchronous vs asynchronous.
Follow 5-step STAR process; always hit “Submit Add Drop”.
Use academic calendar for refund & withdrawal deadlines; wait-list email expires in 24 h.
Prereq science courses are capacity-limited & difficult—plan timing wisely.
Placement testing: usually chem only; Math 100 satisfies FQ without test.
Repeats limited; seek override permission.
Choose course-planning Option A, B, C, or D based on risk tolerance, timeline, and personal bandwidth—Option B yields highest success statistics.
Summer enrollment seldom worth cost or stress.
Continually leverage tutoring, TAs, and adviser guidance to preserve GPA and funding.