Now that the calendar has turned to April, the end of the spring semester is fast approaching with final exams beginning in just five weeks. Although we’re in one of the busiest periods of the academic term, it’s time to start thinking about classes for the Fall 2019 semester. Class registration morning is always hectic, with students running all over campus to find a reliable WiFi connection, sending hasty emails to professors for classes they were waitlisted in, or going right back to sleep at 7:02 a.m. And of course, there are always the unlucky few who sleep through their alarms, and rush to the registrar’s office to sign up for all of their last choice classes. Keep reading below for five tips to help make your class registration go as smooth as possible.
1. Make sure you have the correct date and time. Intuitive, I know, but it happens every year. Someone you know will accidentally write down the wrong date or think that registration is at eight instead of seven. Don’t be that guy! Make sure you get the correct information from the Lafayette website and set a few reminders and events in your calendar so you’re able to both get to bed early and wake up on time.
2. Set at least two alarms. And preferably ones that force you to physically leave your bed. Having a roommate is very helpful in this regard, so you can make sure that you’re both up and ready to register by 6:50 a.m. or so. If you don’t have a roommate or they’re sleeping somewhere else the night before, make sure that you set multiple alarms and place your phone or alarm clock away from your bed and nightside table, so you actually get out of bed in order to shut it off.
3. Have a backup for each class you want. This is super important, especially if you are registering for intro level classes or if you are a freshman or sophomore trying to get into a higher level class. If you’re hoping to get into big lecture classes, such as intro to economics or intro to psychology, which often fill up very quickly, make sure you have a viable backup option if you’re just knocking out general course requirements. If you’re trying to get into a high level class, such as a 300-level foreign language class, and you’re a first or second-year student, make sure you have a second choice in the same department or something else that gets you closer towards your major or minor.
4. Seek out a quiet place on campus with a good WiFi connection. If you are part of a special club or organization which has a space on campus (e.g. Lafayette Activities Forum, Newspaper, WJRH Radio, Special Interest Housing etc.) take advantage of the space you’re provided! It’ll probably have better WiFi than the residence halls, and will be a more relaxing place to make your selections.
5. Use Coursicle to map out your full weekly schedule. If you haven’t used this amazing online resource before, it allows you to choose your college and select from the list of course offerings to create a weekly calendar which helps you visualize what each day of the upcoming semester will look like. This is a great way to figure out if your schedule is jam packed on certain days and to think about how you might want to move around classes to create a more balanced workload.