Last week marked the beginning of registration. For those of you that have been around longer than a semester, the thought of a hundred foot serpent living in the pipes of the residence halls is probably more appealing than this process. For those of you who have not been through this, you may think, “is it really that bad?”
My answer to you is yes.
Registration may seem like an easy thing: pick your classes, click a few buttons, and you are good to go. Of course if this was the simple process, it would work out fine, but there are so many other wonderful factors that you must consider as well:
- What if my computer does not connect to the Internet?
- What if the Internet crashes?
- What if my computer dies?
- What if my section (or all sections) of that one class I need is full? (You will have to create a whole new schedule)
- What if I am put on a waiting list?
Though all of the above statements are “what if statements” they are based on years of registration experience. Registration is a horrible monster; do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
Luckily there are some tips and tricks to make sure that you are not one of those sorry souls stuck in the hallway, gasping for breath and calming your own tears.
- Meet with your academic adviser
- Have SEVERAL versions of your schedule
- Go to my.mercer.com and check for any holds on your account
- Make sure you know the class name, class number, section number, and professor for each class
- Get opinions on professors from upperclassmen
- Charge your computer
- Wake up at least 30 minutes early
- Login into my.mercer and a few minutes before time, continuously refresh your page
- If the internet slows down for a little while, do not panic
- Remember: everyone else is going through the same thing
There are many myths that have developed around the registration beast. Some people believe that you should go off campus or buy an Ethernet cord. Feel free to take the pre-cautions, but if you follow the suggestions above, everything should turn out to be a little less than a nightmare.