Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
Meet with your advisor: Most first-year students are required to see their advisor before registration. However, either way, it's always a good idea to schedule a meeting so that you know you are on track.
Add required courses/courses of interest in your shopping cart: It's a smart idea to add courses to your shopping cart prior to your pick time. This can make the registration process run smoother when your pick time arrives.
Use Dynamic Class Search to find courses without reserved seats: Some sections of classes have seats that are reserved for students in a particular major or program. These classes will appear as "open" in students admin, but you can use the Dynamic Class Search to identify which sections have reserved seats and which ones don't. Click here for a tutorial on how to access and use the Dynamic Class Search.
Always have extra courses ready in your shopping cart: Courses in your shopping cart are not being held for you. This is why it's a good idea to have some backups on hand just in case your top choices fill up.
Registering for Courses
Enroll at your appointed time: NEVER put off registration past your pick time. You should enroll in classes as soon as you're allowed. The earlier you register, the better your choices.
Check that you are enrolling for the desired term: The system often defaults to the next upcoming term, such as Summer or Winter. If the term is incorrect, click the green “Change Term” button to select the correct term.
Know how to add, drop and swap: Here are tutorials on how to add, drop, and swap courses.
Be flexible: If you really want a class, be flexible about the section and the time. If a course you want is closed, add something in its place but keep checking the system to see if a seat eventually opens.
After Registration/Before the Start of the Semester
Swap, don’t drop if you need to alter your schedule. This will ensure that you will not lose your current course if the one you want doesn’t pan out.
Check your course schedule the day before classes: It is possible that the classroom location for one or more of your courses could be changed. Be sure to check your schedule the day before classes to make sure you know where you're going!