Let me start by saying that I do not have OCD. And I’m not some crazy person who likes to micromanage every aspect of my life.
BUT I do love to plan. I like to plan because it makes things more predictable. I know when I will wake up, when I will reach a certain place and what goals I will accomplish for the day. It gives me an end goal — something that I would finish.
So when I got to college, I was so excited to plan out my whole life. But imagine my surprise when I found out all the little caveats of college scheduling. You would think there was a master schedule for each major or a way to get the right classes at the right times, but boy oh boy would you be wrong.
1. Some classes are not offered every semester.
This was honestly the harshest reality that I was faced with coming to college. Not every class is offered every semester, so if you are trying to plan the “perfect” schedule, you are in for a mess. You have to talk to undergraduate advising at each college, figure out what requirements are offered when, and it’s honestly just a mess that ruins my day all the time.
Not only that, but you have to remember that there are literally prerequisites for even the requirement classes so there’s a chronology in how you take the classes. That means that not only do you have to make sure your class is offered for that semester, but plan accordingly for your next semester and the semester after that… it’s painful.
2. Registration times are the most frustrating things ever.
If you are an underclassman, I’m truly sorry for you. It’s so hard getting classes when you want to because, by the time you register, half of the classes are filled! So now, you don’t get the class you want, no prerequisite, which means your schedule for the next semester is ruined, and you’re just a lil’ potato walking aimlessly down Commonwealth Avenue.
In case you don’t know, registration times are determined at the beginning of every year by your graduation year and through the last digit of your BUID number, if you want to check your time for this year click here! But also be sure to check it and keep an alarm to be on time for registration because you never want to miss a second of it. A second could be a last spot in the class being filled.
3. Fitting all the classes you want with no time conflicts is almost impossible.
I can say this after three semesters of organizing my schedule that I truly, from the bottom of my heart, believe that it is impossible to make a schedule that has times that are to your liking and on days that you prefer. That is virtually impossible. Planning a schedule is like piecing together an ugly puzzle. You have all the right intentions and are ready to go but you literally don’t know how to make it right.
It’s fine.
You’re fine.
We’re all fine.
Regardless, just remember this is a big week with registration right around the corner. Be sure to consider that your “perfect” schedule might not be a reality. You might have to adjust and that’s okay. There is no “perfect” hack to college, there is just college, and all these little hiccups apparently make it worthwhile (stay tuned to find out).
Just get ready for the messiness that’s registration. I’m praying for you all. You’re going to do great, and hopefully, you struggle a little less knowing that you aren’t alone.
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, and read our latest Tweets!