The most stressful time of year (besides midterms and finals, of course) is registration. If the email from the registrar’s office says that your time slot opens at 8:30am, you had better be awake by 7:30 with your laptop plugged in and your CRNs ready to go. The few weeks leading up to course selection can be pretty high-pressure, especially if you’re a freshman or sophomore with an undeclared major and no idea what to take. With some preparation and tips, you can become a scheduling expert.
Check out your intended major’s required classes (Two and a half weeks before registration)
I don’t know about you, but I’m always on my major’s homepage looking at the classes I’m going to have to take. If you have any idea as to what you’ll end up majoring in, it’s super important that you’re aware of its core requirements so you can get them out of the way as early as possible, and so that you can plan the rest of your schedule/electives accordingly.
Talk to your friends (Two and a half weeks before registration)
Doing this is especially important, but more so if you and your friends share a major. Find out what they’re taking, and ask around to see if anyone has taken any interesting courses that you think may peak your interest.
Meet with your adviser (Two weeks before registration)
I cannot stress how important it is to meet with someone in your discipline of interest. They literally know everything and anything about your major. If you’re a freshman or sophomore, it’s required that you see your pre-major adviser (even though half of the time they don’t know any classes outside of their field) before registration, but make extra time to go to adviser walk-in hours in Dewey or Lattimore. Check out this link for major and pre-major advising.
Use the cluster engine (A week and a half before registration)
I’ve spent multiple hours on the cluster engine website (partly because it’s fun to use, and partly because I couldn’t plan my schedule without it). Before registration, you should know if you’re going to start your cluster (either humanities, natural sciences or social sciences) and what classes you’re going to end up taking within it. If you’re a freshman, you probably don’t have to worry about it.
CDCS (A week before registration)
I am in love with this website, and use it even when it’s not registration time. After you’ve met with your adviser and checked out the cluster engine, you can use CDCS to map out what your intended schedule is going to look like. You can easily add/remove classes and it gives you a visual representation of how your classes are spaced out throughout the week. I also recommend using this tool to plan back-up courses (which are also very important in case you get locked out of anything).
Get your CRNs (The night before registration)
This is so important, and you can’t get into your classes without it. All I’m going to say is that you make sure you have your class name and CRN on a post-it by your desk on the morning of, or else.
Wake up early (The day of)
At this point, your schedules should be planned to the tee, with backups in mind. Wake up early, turn on your computer, and don’t stress because you have it all taken care of.
Good luck!