Course registration is coming up, and although it can be a stressful time, here are a few tips that might help!
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Make sure you have a plan
In my first semester at Lafayette, I had no idea where I was going to pick my classes: I had heard about a session in one of the administration buildings, but by the time I had woken up at 6:45 on registration morning I thought I wouldn’t make it in time! I finally decided to try my luck with the extremely old computer I had in my room (my computer was broken). Everything luckily worked out but running around like this just caused unnecessary stress. Oh, right… first tip: don’t forget to set multiple alarms for the big day!! Second: know where you’ll be registering, know what laptop you’ll be using, and keep your eye on the clock to be ready to immediately submit your pin at 7am.
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Try out a scheduling software!
If you don’t feel like handwriting the thousands of versions you’ve made of your future schedule, a website like Coursicle will do it for you! All you need to do is put Lafayette’s name in, search the classes you want, and Coursicle does the rest! P.S.- You can even see what classes your friends are taking with you if you link to Facebook, it’s super fun!
3. Don’t stress out if you don’t get every class you want
It’s hard to have the “perfect schedule” planned out only to find that all of the spots for Religion 101 have been filled, but don’t stress out if there is no room in every class you wanted. We have four years to take classes at Lafayette, and you will fulfill that requirement you’re stressing about eventually. Having to sign up for a class you thought you would never take can be an exciting and informative experience. For example, I didn’t know that I wanted to add a Government and Law major until I signed up for a Government elective to replace a different class I couldn’t get in to! Worst comes to worst, the registrar’s office is incredibly helpful with getting people on the waitlist and working with you to fulfill mandatory classes. And get excited- it’s no longer high school and you get the chance to plan out an entire semester’s worth of classes that you are actually interested in!
4) Remember that you are picking your schedule, not someone else’s
A parent, teacher, or even advisor might push you into taking a class that you do not want to, but make sure to listen to yourself as well. It can help you narrow down options if you ask for professor recommendations, but don’t let RateMyProfessor or another person’s word be your end-all-be-all. Pick the classes that you want to take (and that you need for your major) instead of choosing classes that align with someone else’s opinion or interests.
Bonus tip: Know your CRN numbers! You can get it from your advisor or dean. (I forgot to write mine down second semester… it didn’t work out too well for me).
Happy “registration season” first-years and good luck!!