Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Peter Lucia and why should I trust him?

Peter Lucia is a WPI student. He is one of the developers of the WPI Scheduler and the maintainer of this website. For more information about Peter, you can visit his website.

The Java Platform asks you if you want to trust Peter because he has digitally signed the WPI Scheduler program. Java requires that almost all applications must be digitally signed, and when you use a Java-based program, Java makes sure that you trust that program to be run on your computer. This is a safety precaution that Java provides to prevent viruses and worms from attacking your computer.

Why do I get security warnings?

WPI Scheduler is based on the Java Platform, which provides a secure way to download and install programs. The warning messages you see when first installing WPI Scheduler are a result of security precautions that Java takes when installing new software, to protect your computer from viruses and worms.

You should read each warning dialog carefully, and press "Yes" for each one to install WPI Scheduler.

Why does the scheduler get really slow or crash when I try to schedule a [calculus / physics / intro CS / etc...] class?

Some courses at WPI are offered in a great number of sections (generally freshmen). This is great because it keeps class sizes small and gives you plenty of choices for when to take a course, however with so many possible sections the number of possible schedules grows very large. For example, there are more than 100,000 possible combinations of Calculus 1-4 that can be scheduled! Calculating all these possible schedules is possible, but very taxing on most completers. Depending on your computer, it may crash before it finishes.

What to do if the scheduler crashes when you've chosen a course that is offered in many sections:

• Make sure the scheduler is completely closed after it crashed, and then restart the scheduler.
• Select the courses you would like to schedule that are not offered in as many sections (e.g. all your courses except calculus) and pick a schedule as usual. Note: If you know there is a particular section of the frequently offered course that you want to take, feel free to grey out the times that section meets on the second Scheduler screen (so no other courses are scheduled during that time).
• You can now just manually choose a non-conflicting section of the frequently offered course you didn't schedule either by using banner, or restarting the scheduler and choosing just the one course to see all sections of that course.

Why can't I choose two half term Bio classes that meet at the same time of day?

The WPI Scheduler does not recognize classes that are shorter than a single term. Bio classes that meet for half a term occupy that time period for the entire term in the Scheduler. If you wish to choose two half term classes that occupy the same time slot, simply note the CRN from the blocked class's "Times..." window on the first screen and register for that class in addition to selected class (obviously, check that they both do not meet in the same half of the term!).

I think I found an error in the schedule data, what should I do?

Please check BannerWeb for the most accurate schedule information. The data in the scheduler is only updated several times a day and may not reflect the newest changes to the schedule. If you still see the problem after about 6 hours, please e-mail: peter@wpischeduler.org with the course name, section number, and CRN if possible as well as what the program says and what the correct information is.

I think I found a bug in the scheduler, what should I do? or
I can't do ___ with the scheduler, what should I do?

Please e-mail peter@wpischeduler.org with as much information about the problem as possible. What are the exact steps that you took to encounter the problem? What time is it? (so we can use the same schedule info you are using) Have you been able to do this before? What operating system are you using? What version of Java are you using? The more information the better!

Does the scheduler know about linked courses?

Unfortunately at this time the scheduler does not know about linked courses. This is something you will have to check when registering for courses in banner. We are working on a solution for this within the scheduler, however at this time it is not available.

Can I use the WPI Scheduler with a Firewall?

If you use third party Firewall (Norton, ZoneAlarm, etc..) and you can't get the Scheduler to run, you should try disabling the firewall, and try running the Scheduler again.

What courses should I take?

The most recent WPI Course handbook is a great place to start. Look for your major and start with the advice found there. Otherwise, the Academic Advising Office is a great resource. The WPI Scheduler does not know what courses you should take, it only helps schedule when you take a particular course.

Who made the WPI Scheduler?

The WPI Scheduler is a continuation of an open source project known as the University Scheduler. The University Scheduler was simply the RPI Scheduler without the RPI branding.

Keith Lea, a senior at RPI, has developed RPI Scheduler in his free time since 2001 (back when it was Satyanash Scheduler). Before this, development was done by Anish Shah, an RPI student at the time. For more information about Keith, you can visit his website.

During the summer of 2007 work began on the WPI Scheduler by a group of three WPI Students: Peter Lucia (CS/ECE '09), Cyle Hawkins (Aerospace '10), and Graciela Rubio (ECE/HU '09). Starting from the existing University Scheduler code, Peter and Cyle worked on extending it to support schedules that spanned multiple terms. Grace compiled notes about this work and meetings held with members of the WPI administration and compiled this into an IQP report in fulfillment of the three's Interactive Qualifying Project requirement.

Who should I talk to if I have more questions or suggestions?

Please e-mail peter@wpischeduler.org. Please remember that this software is not supported by the WPI registrar, academic advising or the CCC.