Part 1

So you will ask, “What the hell is BOSS anyway?” Well, it is time you know before you settle to getting bossed around by this whole complex system.

No 1. The definition of BOSS

As students, we have to complete a certain number of courses (CUs) before we graduate. Some are compulsory but we do get to choose the rest from a whole range of available courses.

As easy as that sounds, one thing you will learn in Economics is the idea of demand and supply. This results in the birth of BOSS (Bidding Online SyStem) for students to register courses. Students bid according to the demand and supply of their desired course. The currency used in bidding is known as e-dollars (e$).

No. 2 You might be able to get away with it in your freshmen year

Freshmen are usually pre-assigned 2 to 5 CUs. SMU students typically take up 4 to 5 CUs each term and hence, if you want to do more courses than you were pre-assigned with, you have to bid for them through BOSS.

No. 3 BOSS bidding rounds

You basically have 5 chances to bid and get your courses each Term for Term 1 & 2, and 4 chances for Term 3. If you missed the first 3 windows or failed to get your courses by then, you have to wait for the next two windows to bid for your courses. BOSS windows would be open for bids at specific dates.

No. 4 Be aware of your privileges

Priority given if you are from the school the course is under

If you are a Business student, you are able to bid for Business courses (Business Core and Business Majors such as Marketing and Finance) in all windows (BOSS 1 to BOSS 2A) and this rule applies to all other schools. However, if you are an Economics student, you would not be able to bid for Business courses or courses from other schools in the first 2 windows. You can only bid for other schools’ courses in BOSS 1B, BOSS 2 and BOSS 2A.

Priority given if you are from the major the course is under

If you have declared your majors, you would be able to bid for courses that fulfill the major requirements in the windows BOSS 1A to BOSS 2A. Hence, once you are sure of what you want to major in, declare it before the BOSS windows open. You would not be able declare your majors while BOSS is still running.

For example, if you are a Social Science student majoring in Marketing (declared), you are able to bid for Marketing courses (which are under the Business school) along with the Business students from BOSS 1A onwards. If you did not declare, you can only bid for them in BOSS 1B, BOSS 2 and BOSS 2A.

You might think that there is no big deal because it is only right that you bid for courses under the school/major you are in. However, many popular courses to fulfill other-major related requirements are under the Business and Accountancy schools. It is rather nerve racking to wait for your turn as you watch the vacancies get quickly filled up. Plan carefully and always remember to bid for back-up courses just in case you failed to get what you wanted. Having many alternatives and back up courses provides you with a safety net. You can always drop them later if you do not want to take them.

No. 5 How much will I get?

Unlike Restaurant City on Facebook, you would not be able to purchase extra e$ using real money. You will only get a fixed amount of e$ with the start of every new term. Unused e$ from the previous terms are accumulated in your account. Before the e$ are deposited into your account each new term, you will have to first complete a course feedback form. No worries on that one. At the end of each term, you will receive an email prompting you to complete it. To learn more about how much you will get each term, visit here.