How to register with the new Registration tool

To access Registration 

  1. Log in to Polaris at https://polaris.bowdoin.edu.
  2. Click the menu icon to display the drop-down menu.
  3. Click Registration.

To add a class

  1. From the Registration home page, click Register for Classes.
  2. Select the term from the drop-down list and click Continue.
  3. Click Panels in the bottom left-hand corner to expose a calendar view and a summary of the classes you have chosen.  The summary is similar to a "shopping cart."
  4. Search for the classes you want based on Subject, Course Number, or Title.
    • Note: Use Advanced search to browse by other course characteristics, e.g., instructor or department.
    • Note: Click "Enter CRNs" tab above the top panel to the right of "Find Classes" if you wish to search by a specific CRN.
    • Note: To get more detailed information about each class including a full description, click the Go To Classfinder button at the top left.
    • Note: Depending on which search criteria you use, you may be required to enter the term criteria exactly as it appears in the catalogue.
  5. Click the Add button in the search results for each course you would like to add. The course appears in your Summary ("shopping cart") panel. Its Status is Pending until you click the Submit button.  The Submit button is similar to "check out" or "place order" if you think of the Summary panel as a "shopping cart."
    • Note: The Schedule panel will show your classes laid out on a calendar so you can see any potential time conflicts.
    • Note: Clicking "Add" is not final.  You must do step 6 below and click "Submit" to finalize your course requests.
  6. Click Submit when you are finished selecting your classes. If you prefer, you can submit after adding each class to be sure there are no restrictions on the class.
    • Note: If you see an error message in the upper-right hand corner after you submit, it means at least one class was not successfully requested and its status will be pending. Please refer to the Registration Guide published by the Office of the Registrar for help troubleshooting registration errors.

When the status on each of your classes shows Requested in the Summary panel, you should go back to "My Courses" in Polaris to verify your requests went through successfully. You can continue to add and drop courses, whether they are Pending or Requested until the Registration period is closed. See important dates and deadlines in the Registrar's Calendar.

To drop a class

  1. From the Registration home page, click Register for Classes.
  2. Select the term from the drop-down list and click Continue.
  3. Click Panels in the bottom left-hand corner to expose a calendar view and a summary of the classes you have chosen.
  4. Find the class you want to drop in the Summary panel.
  5. In the Action column, choose Remove from the drop-down menu for that class.
  6. Click Submit.