Registration can be stressful, but it is very important to be prepared because if you don’t play your cards right, you could mess up your schedule or even not graduate on time. Here are some tips that can help you be ready for the big day!
Declare your major:
It’s smart to declare your major and your minor as soon as possible because you can get set up with an advisor who understands/possibly even teaches the classes that are in your major, and it just feels good to get that ordeal out of the way early. Plus, the earlier you declare, the more time you will have to choose classes that count for your major so you aren’t rushing to get them all done in your last few years. Also, some courses have a certain number of seats reserved for declared majors, so there are plenty of reasons why you should declare your major as soon as you can. To declare your major, just fill out the form with your name, your ID number, the date, your email and your phone number. Then write in what major you are declaring, the bulletin year and the year you’re expected to graduate. ring it to your advisor to be signed, have the department chair sign it and drop it off at Student Administrative services! It’s that easy. Here is the link to the major declaration form: Declaration of Major/Minor/Certificate and Change of Advisor
Pick an advisor that’s right for you:
Picking the right advisor can be an important part of registering for classes. You have to pick one that’s in your major, but picking one that you get along well with or that has a background in the particular facet of your major that interests you can make the process so much easier. You usually wouldn’t want an advisor who specializes in creative writing if you’re going for professional writing/rhetoric. Doing research about possible advisors by googling professors bios on the Hamline website is a must for all majors. You can also sign up for office hours and get to know them face-to-face .
Plan the classes you want to take in advance:
A lot of advisors require that you come in to their office with at least a rudimentary plan, but for your own sake, you should take the time to review the Hamline plan and your major requirements before it’s your time to register. It’ll make registration day a lot less stressful because you’ll be able to just type in the CRN’s and go back to sleep instead of searching around for classes.
Have a backup plan:
Having a backup plan is always smart, especially if you think the classes you want are going to fill up super fast. The worst thing is when a class you wanted to take is full and you have to start the process all over again early in the morning. If you really need a class to graduate and you aren’t able to get in, email the professor! It’s likely that they’ll be able to squeeze you in, and they’ll appreciate the initiative.
Wake up on time:
This one seems obvious, but it’s so easy to just keeping hitting snooze on your alarms and totally sleep through registration. You can add/drop classes until the beginning of the semester, but it’s nice to get it out of the way early. If the classes you need are filling up fast, it’s essential to do this as soon as possible. You should also make sure to know the exact date and time that you’re scheduled to register based on how many credits you have. Another thing you can do to make the process quicker is to type up all of the CRN numbers into a google doc the night before so you can easily copy and paste them the morning of.
Now you have some helpful tips to make your registration process so much easier, and I hope that you are able to register for all of the classes you need and want to take this upcoming semester.