It’s crazy to think that we’re already registering for spring semester classes. I know it can be daunting, frustrating, and annoying at times–especially when you have a late registration time. Just this semester, I, a senior at Loyola, only competing against fellow seniors, thought I would get into all the classes I wanted. But unfortunately, I had a late registration time, so by the time I went to choose my classes, at least two or three I wanted were already filled up. So frustrating!
But, sometimes the hectic battle of registration and the disappointment of losing a class can lead to some of the best discoveries. What am I saying? Sometimes, when you’re kicked out of a class you thought you were interested in, you’re forced to try something new. And if you’re someone like me who doesn’t venture beyond her comfort zone all too often, that extra nudge could be a good thing – and that’s exactly what happened to me during fall add/drop week of my Junior year.
So, here’s what happened:
Trying to get my last few core classes taken care of, I began the semester registered for an upper-level history course. History isn’t my favorite subject, but the course description captured my attention, so I figured it couldn’t be too bad. On the first day, nothing was inherently wrong with the course. The professor was nice and a few people I knew were in the class, but something just didn’t feel right about it. For whatever reason, my intuition was saying “drop it”. So I did. Usually, I try to avoid dropping out of courses, and I just push through if I’m not entirely in love with a class. But this time was different, and I’m so glad it was.
I admit, trying to find a replacement class was an arduous, worrisome process.
There seemed to be nothing available that interested me, and I couldn’t turn back now because someone had already taken my spot in the history class. Time was running out and I didn’t want to just pick a random class that I didn’t like, so, hoping and believing I made the right decision, I just kept waiting for something to open up.
One afternoon, waiting in the hall for my psych class to start, I ran into a friend of mine. We got to talking about how the first week of school was going and I shared with her that I was desperately looking for a fifth class to take. She told me about an economics class she was taking, but I wasn’t sure about that one. And “Oh!” she said, “There’s also this graphics course I’m taking as well, and all the sections have spots open.” BINGO! Granted, I knew nothing about graphic design. But I knew I liked art, so digital design couldn’t be too difficult right?
To this day, I’m so thankful that I got over my fear of add/drop, followed my intuition, and accidentally ran into that friend of mine.
Taking that graphics course helped me discover my love for digital art, and now in my senior year, I am seriously considering post-grad opportunities in art and graphic design. If the craziness of registration hadn’t forced me into trying something new, who knows if I would have ever envisioned that career path for myself. With that said, add/drop and registration aren’t the worst things in the world. And, when choosing courses, (especially at a liberal arts university with so many options available to you) never be afraid to try something you never thought you would! You may surprise yourself with what you find.