cMore » (To visit, click the link to the left) See more. On cMore, you can access just about everything you ever need to know about your status as a U of C student, and painlessly update much of that information, too. Use cMore to check your grades (usually posted the week after the quarter ends), declare majors and minors, and add or change an address. cMore also provides a link to the course preregistration page, where students can bid for classes during eighth week of each quarter.
Chalk » Many professors use Chalk to post syllabi, assignments, readings, and grades throughout the quarter. Some classes require regular posts on Chalk’s message board section—listen for your classmates’ groans whenever a professor announces that such online “discussion” is mandatory. You can also schedule appointments with your current and former professors via a link on Chalk’s main page.
myUChicago » Purportedly the mother of all U of C websites, myUChicago aggregates information from University news, cMore, and the Bursar, and provides links to many other University websites. Modifiable like a Google or Yahoo homepage, myUChicago is an interesting mix of what you want and need to know on a daily basis. It even displays the weather.
Time Schedules » On the time schedules website, you can browse all current course offerings, plus an archive of classes offered as far back as 1995. The next quarter’s options are always posted at the start of seventh week (the week before bidding starts). Course listings usually include each class’s meeting time, the instructor’s name, how many students are currently registered and how many are allowed to register, and any prerequisites. Recently, the time schedules website began linking to lists of books needed for each class—a handy feature that makes it easier to buy early and save money.
Bursar » Via the Bursar’s website, you can look up billing policies, check billing dates, sign up for online payment, and pay your tuition. You can also find information about student loans and check your account balance.
Lists » Yes, the semantically amusing List of Lists. Go here to join listhosts promoting everything from free food to free markets. Listhosts are a helpful way to keep updated on RSO activities, department events, and job opportunities.
Course Catalog » The online college catalog lets you peruse descriptions of the courses offered regularly by each department, as well as the requirements for the Core and for different majors. Although departments are currently displayed in awkward PDF files, rumor has it that a user-friendlier version of this website is in the works.
CAPS (Career Advising and Planning Services) » The CAPS website offers (among other features) Chicago Career Connection (CCC), a database listing hundreds of job and internship opportunities, and the Alumni Careers Network, a page where students can connect with alumni mentors based on career interests. Visit the CAPS office in Ida Noyes prior to starting your summer job hunt; they’ll review your résumé and then activate your CCC account. The CAPS website also provides access to consortia that advertise job openings across several major universities. Last but not least, for a dose of friendly advice, check out the CAPS blog, which gives tips about résumés, cover letters, and interviewing, as well as descriptions of what different careers really entail.
Library » You may choose to forego a subterranean life in the A-level of the Reg and reaching Zen enlightenment in the silent halls of Crerar—but that’s no reason to avoid the library’s website. At the Reg, you can check out a 17th-century edition of a book by your favorite French Enlightenment thinker; through the library’s website, you can just as easily find the very same edition in PDF or text format. You can access innumerable databases, archives, and journals in a dizzying multitude of academic disciplines. A chat (via instant messenger, if you prefer) with one of the reference librarians is indispensable for getting the most out of the library’s range of electronic resources. Next time Wikipedia leaves you wanting more, remember the library!
