With class registration quickly approaching, there are many questions that come to every student’s mind, particularly First Year students. As the process of class registration is still relatively new, all First Year students are anxious to know which classes to take. However, luckily for them, here is a complete guide for how to handle the stress of class registration! Good luck!
1.) Choosing an FYS- Choosing a First Year Seminar (FYS) can be stressful, as there are a variety to choose from and many First Years feel that they need to take a course that fills a requirement. However, this notion is not necessarily true. First Years should choose the FYS that most interests them, because this course can be very time consuming so it is important that each student will be interested in it for the entirety of the spring semester!
2.) General Requirements- As First Years are making a list of courses they would like to take on APR2, they should also look at taking courses that fill general requirements for graduation, which are listed under the ‘My Progress’ tab. Many First Year students are still unsure of their major, so fulfilling general requirements will not only save them the trouble of having to take intro level courses their senior year but will also introduce them to new topics that they may want to possibly major/minor in. Many students who signed up for general requirement courses to take second semester of freshman year were pleasantly surprised at how much they enjoyed them, and found themselves intrigued by the subject and other courses within that department!
3.) Try to get a head start on your major- While it’s not a big deal if you are unsure about what you want to major in during your First Year, the students who do know should focus on taking intro classes for their major. As many majors have a lot of requirements to complete, it’s always a good idea to get a head start on them so that you don’t have to take all required major classes during your senior year!
4.) Listen to your advisor- While many students may believe that they know exactly what to do for class registration, it is always a good idea to meet with your advisor, as they can offer great insight and often know the professors who will be teaching your spring classes. Most likely, your advisor will know which classes are good to take for a particular major, as well as which days are best to register for a particular class as many can be hard to get into.
5.) Take classes you find personally interesting- Aside from filling out major and general requirements, try to find classes that you find particularly interesting and if you can, take them! College is the only time you can take classes that you want to take, so every student should take advantage of this opportunity.
6.) Don’t be afraid to ask for help- If you feel panicked about registration, reach out to your professors, advisor, or upperclassmen for help. All of these people have been through this before and can give some great advice!
Overall, class registration is a scary process but as long as you are prepared and stay calm, you should be fine. May the odds be ever in your favor!