Welcome, welcome. It’s that time of year again: time for first years to run around with a mixture of desperation, anxiety and fear as we prep to sign up for our spring classes.
The wealthy are at an advantage
By wealthy, I mean those rich in college experience. Upperclassmen had to scramble to sign up like the rest of us, but at a much lower risk. An earlier date without first years in the way gave them a slightly better chance at getting into the classes everyone wants. They didn’t need to enter their names as many times into the reaping. They had less of a chance of being the unlucky few selected to battle it out on the class waitlist. Emphasis on less. It’s not like they’re completely safe.
You can make alliances
Yes, you and your friends can decide to take a class all together. You can share advice, tips, and info!
But, it’s every person for themselves
You don’t want your friend to have bad luck. You’d like to be safely in your desired classes together. But, when it comes down to it, you really want that last spot…
Pray you have a good mentor
A good mentor, *ehem* I mean advisor, is everything. They can suggest where the best classes for you, what kind of strategy you should have when tackling this semester, how many classes you should take on at once…. An advisor who knows what they’re talking about is a blessing.
The best-equipped are the biggest threat
The weapon of choice: a 7:00am sign up time. Whether or not you can get that, however, is all luck. Maybe you were placed next to the backpack with knives in it. Maybe you were placed next to the backpack with bug spray. You can’t help what you get stuck with.
Preparation is everything
You need to prepare. There’s no way around it. If your shopping cart is not already filled with your desired classes that morning, you may as well kiss getting all your first choices goodbye.
When it comes down to it, first year class registration is a game of chance. May the odds be ever in your favor.