Skip to main content

​
What this step actually does

Joining a cohort is not just account setup. It is how LearnTerms decides which classes, modules, documents, badges, and admin tools belong to you. If you join the wrong cohort, the rest of the app will feel wrong because LearnTerms scopes nearly everything to that cohort.

​
When you need this

You need the join flow when:
  • you just created your account
  • you were invited into a new cohort
  • you signed in and were sent straight to /join-class
If you already see your classes in /classes, you are past this step.

​
What you need before you start

You need one thing: the cohort join code. That code usually comes from your class organizer, admin, or contributor team. LearnTerms calls it a class code in the UI, but it is really a code for the cohort you are joining.

​
How to join

  1. Open the join flow at /join-class.
  2. Enter your code in Enter your class code….
  3. Select Join Class.
  4. Review the confirmation screen carefully.
  5. Select Confirm & Join.
The confirmation screen shows the cohort name, school, academic year, and sometimes a description. Treat that screen as your last check before you attach your account to the cohort.

​
What to verify on the confirmation screen

Before you confirm, check:
  • the cohort name matches your class year or group
  • the school name is correct
  • the academic year range looks right
  • the description matches what you expected, if one is shown
If any of that looks off, stop there and ask for a new code. It is much easier to fix a wrong code before you join than after you start using the wrong study space.

​
What happens after you confirm

When you confirm, LearnTerms saves the cohort on your user record and sends you to /classes. From that point on:
  • your dashboard is filtered to the cohort you joined
  • your available classes come from that cohort
  • your custom tests only use that cohort’s class content
  • your badges and cohort board activity are tied to that group
  • admin and contributor tools, if your role allows them, operate inside that cohort
This is why onboarding matters more in LearnTerms than in a generic study app. The platform is built around a shared academic structure, not a personal folder system.

​
If you are sent to the join flow automatically

LearnTerms does this on purpose in two common cases:
  1. Your account exists in Clerk, but you do not have a LearnTerms user record yet.
  2. Your LearnTerms user record exists, but it does not have a cohortId.
In both cases, the app blocks the normal class dashboard until the cohort is set.

​
Common errors and what they usually mean

​
”Please enter a class code”

You tried to submit an empty field. Paste or type the full code and try again.

​
”Invalid class code. Please check and try again.”

The code does not match a live cohort record. Usually that means:
  • the code was typed incorrectly
  • the wrong code was shared
  • the cohort has not been configured yet

​
”Failed to join class. Please try again.”

The code was valid, but LearnTerms could not attach your account to the cohort. This is usually a temporary issue or a sign that your user setup needs attention.

​
Best practices

  • Keep the code exactly as it was shared.
  • Read the confirmation screen instead of clicking through it.
  • Join first, then worry about classes and modules.
  • If your classmate sees different classes than you do, confirm you both joined the same cohort.

​
What to do next

After you join successfully, your next pages are usually: