In addition to the challenges of adjusting to new classes, professors and textbooks, the first year of college presents new students with the complications of course registration, which they never had to worry about before. A course reference number is not the same as a course code, such as ENG 100. A course reference number usually refers to a specific section of a course, rather than the whole course itself. Often, large classes with several hundred students are divided into smaller classes of 20 or 30; these smaller sections are indicated by course reference numbers, usually five digits long. Different colleges display course reference numbers in different places.
Log in to your college's online learning platform, such as WebCT, Banner or Blackboard. Find one of your course titles, such as "ENG 100: Introduction to English." Depending on which learning platform your educational institution uses and how they have set it up, you can usually find the course reference number by clicking on the course title, if it's not already listed beside or below it. Look for a five digit number such as "23104."
Read your class timetable. You can find your class timetable in an online learning platform, such as WebCT, Banner or Blackboard, if your college has not provided you with a printout of it. Each block in your timetable lists the title of the class, the time of the class, and the particular section you are in, indicated by the course reference number.
Consult the administrative office for your department. They can print out an official list of the courses you are registered in. This list will include the name of your classes, their times and the specific sections you have registered for, indicated by the course reference number.
Tip
Usually the college's course calendar won't list course reference numbers, as they change every semester due to enrollment.
Tip
You can only find your course reference numbers after you have registered in a course. Then, you will be placed in a particular course section.