You would think as a junior, I would be a pro when it comes to course registration. But the truth is, I still get a little stressed and confused when it comes to making sure I am taking the right classes and actually getting into all of those classes. With registration right around the corner, I thought I would share with you some tips and tricks I have found helpful over the years. Most of them I had to learn the hard way so I’m here to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes I did. Without futher adieu, here are the 7 do’s and don’ts to a successful course registration!
1. DO have a plan B…or even a plan C
The last thing you want to deal with at 7:00 in the morning is frantically scrambling to find a fourth class after you only get into three. What usually happens in these situations is that fourth class gets filled by some irrelevant (and, more often than not, deathly boring) class that has nothing to do with your major, minor, or even general interests. But, at this point, you’re lucky to even have found a class that fits with your schedule and still has available spots. An even worse scenario that happens is not even being able to find a fourth class, finishing the semester having only registered for three, and leaving the fourth class up to chance during add/drop week next semester. First-years and sophomores, this applies especially to you because by the time your registration date comes around, half of the classes are already full! Go into registration with an alternative schedule planned out so if something goes wrong, you have a backup plan. Grab a piece of paper and draw out your first schedule like it appears on Peoplesoft. This will show you what time slots you still have availible and if any classes overlap. Fill in the blanks with your second choices. You don’t want your backups to conflict with each other or the classes you do happen to get into!
2. DO try to coordinate schedules with friends
I have found that having a friend or two in a class with you can be the difference between life and death during a semester. Having a trusty companion (emphasis on “trusty” because we all know we have friends that would distract us and destroy our grades if we shared a class with him/her) with you during the semester makes for easy, convienient and fun study groups, supplies a great source of information if you are ever confused on an assignment or need to catch up on missed work, and motivatation for you to actually show up to class. Having a friend in your class can also help you stay awake, alert, and entertained on those painfully boring lecture days when your eye lids start to feel like anchors. Just be careful with this and make sure you’re not enrolling in pointless classes that do not help you fulfil major/minor requirements, academic goals, or that you don’t have any interest in. Only caring about having your friends in your classes could come back to bite you!
3. DON’T try to beat the system
I know there are rumors floating around that you can submit your classes at 6:57 (before registration “technically” starts) and get first pick of courses within your class. However, I would not advise to play registration roulette. I have heard awful horror stories of people trying to use this glitch to their advantage, but when they try to register early, their entire page refreshes and by the time everything is loaded and ready to go again, it’s 30 seconds past 7:00 (which we all know is the equivalent of no-man’s land) and they end up not getting into any of the classes they wanted. Play it safe with something as important as course selection because even getting into one or two classes is way better than none.
4. DO use an Ethernet cable
We’ve all experienced our fair share of faulty Wi-Fi connections on campus. And, ironically, the internet connection seems to be the worst when you need it the most! Don’t be left in the dust on the morning of registration simply because your internet connection was weak! Using an Ethernet cable can be the difference between getting one class because it took an extra few seconds for your page to load and getting all four of the classes you wanted. Ethernet cables, in simple terms, are just plain faster than Wi-Fi. You can buy one at Walmart for anywhere between $5 to $20 depending on the length and quality of the cable. Also, every dorm room has an Ethernet jack so you can enjoy registration from the comfort of your own bed instead of getting up EXTRA early to drive to Dunkin Donuts in search of a better internet connection.
5. DON’T Give up if you don’t get one of your classes
My mom always says to me, “the squeaky wheel gets the deal” and I have found this to be incredibly true when it comes to registration. For all of you who don’t know, every professor has an override code that they can give to students. Students can use that code to enroll into classes that have already been closed off. Professors usually cap off their classes below their absolute maximum in anticipation of students who request an override code and enroll post-registration. So, if you don’t get into a class that you really need for a major/minor requirement, an academic goal, etc., email that professor IMMEDIATELY! And don’t stop there! Walk into his/her office THAT DAY and have a face-to-face conversation about why you want to be in that class and how it can benefit you academically. Show the professor that you want to be in that class and you’re willing to do whatever it takes to have it on your schedule. Be assertive! This doesn’t always work, of course, depending on the professor and how many other students also request the override code, but it’s better to try everything you can to get into that class than to just give up right away.
6. DO talk to your advisor beforehand
I’ll be the first to admit that making sure you are on the right track to fulfilling all the academic requirements for graduation can sometimes be tricky and confusing. There are so many options when it comes to course selections. Depending on your major/minor and whether it is interdisciplinary or disciplinary some classes will help you while others may not. Don’t try to figure all of this out on your own! This is why we have academic advisors, so use them to your advantage. They know what classes are going to best fit your schedule and they are going help you get on track to graduating on time with the least amount of stress. When it comes to planning out your schedule, meet with them a few days (or even a few weeks) before registration and talk out different options. This is the best way to make sure that you don’t take “wasteful” credits that don’t help you academically or even accidentally take a course specifically for fulfilling a goal that you actually already have completed (I have made this mistake before and it’s not fun). This will make the entire process significantly less challenging than trying to plan out everything on your own because the course catalog can be extremely overwhelming.
7. DON’T freak out
I think I can speak for everyone when I say that added stress is the last thing I need in my life right now. With midterms, final paper proposals, and trying to maintain a decent social life, freaking out about class registration is something I would rather not deal with. So when the day comes that you have to register for your spring classes remember to stay calm. Looking at the bigger picture, not getting all the classes you want or need is not a total deal breaker and doesn’t mean you wont be able graduate on time. Maymester and summer classes are always an option for those of you who need a class or two extra to fulfil academic requirements or need to catch up on credits. Taking a fifth class is also a great option because it doesn’t cost any extra money at HWS which is always awesome. Basically, the point I’m trying to get across is that registration is not something you should be stressing out about. And if you are stressed, talk to your advisor or dean because they are always willing to help you get on the right track! Lastly, remember that registration is nothing more than a game of luck. Some people simply get lucky and get all four classes because they clicked the button .36 seconds before you did. Just remember to stay calm, don’t over think, and may the odds be ever in your favor.