It’s the most stressful time of year, collegiettes… no, it’s not finals week… its much worse. REGISTRATION. Staying up until midnight just to register for your next semester’s classes, only to find that you have been locked out of the Hofstra Portal, or worse, your class is full. Eek! We’ve all been there ladies, but here are some tips on how to make the experience as painless as possible.
Find a stable Internet connection
The biggest stress factor during this whole experience is the internet. You just never know when the Portal is going to crash! If you can, find a safe place with a good Internet connection off campus to register so you can avoid all of the incoming traffic to Hofstra’s server. Can’t leave campus? Never fear. Connecting to the Internet via an Ethernet cable can make your connection stronger!
Never go into Registration blind
Know exactly what courses you need to take, down to the CRN — meeting with your advisor before your registration date is invaluable! Take advantage of their expertise, they might have some insight you never would have thought of. Even after you register, they’ll be able to answer any new questions you might have, or even help get you into some classes!
Pay attention to general education requirements
You don’t have to scramble to get these out of the way freshman year, but don’t forget about them either! Know about major-specific prerequisite courses too! Give yourself the freedom to take what you want when you’re an upperclassman.
Do Your Research
Make a mock up schedule so you know that the courses you want to take don’t clash times.If you know several professors are offering a course, look into which one will be the best fit for you!
Have Backups Ready
Inevitably, you will get locked out of a class. Be prepared with a Plan A, and a Plan B… even a Plan C! You don’t want your schedule to come apart at the seams just because you can’t take that one class.
Reward yourself
Even if you didn’t get your dream schedule… it’s okay. Let it go. You can always edit your schedule later, even once the spring semester starts. Check back in a few days to see if anybody dropped out of you dream class, you could get lucky! But for now, buy yourself a pumpkin latte and a cookie and give yourself a pat on the back. You have lived to tell the tale!
Breathe
You’ve got this! You are a brilliant and talented collegiette! Registration week has got nothing on you.