As a Junior, I’ve had the privilege of registering for classes six times now (can you believe it?!), so you’d think I’d have the hang of it by now or at least earned my rights to the best classes. Yet every semester, I’m reminded that I still can’t master Student Center to save my life and that I will never ever have enough credits to be part of the elite group that gets the first dibs at classes and a killer schedule. By the time I finally have this whole thing down, I’ll be halfway across the stage at graduation when I’ll be more worried about getting a job than seeing the forsaken red dot next to a class. But as of now, the red dot is a legitimate fear along with Friday morning class and a lecture on top of Bascom Hill. However, fear isn’t the only emotion experienced during this time of the year. Excitement, sorrow, heartache, anger, happiness- you’ll experience the whole spectrum so buckle up and get ready for the rollercoaster that is registering for classes.
Three weeks before registration: You’ve looked over all of your required classes for graduation and taken advice from professors and advisors on what classes to take, just in time for the course list for the new semester to come out. You’re feeling good. You’re on top of your game. This is your semester. Feelings of excitement pump through your veins as you look at your newly crafted wish list. A single tear falls as you take one last glance at perfection. You close your laptop, head held high, shoulders back and a cocky grin smothered across your face.
Two weeks before registration: Your friends start talking about registering for classes, wondering when their enrollment time will be. Amateurs. You’re so ahead of the game.
One week before registration: You remember to check when your enrollment time is so you can write it into your calendar. You go to the website to find that you register at 7:30 a.m. Son of a ! Who do they think they are, assigning you to register at that ungodly hour? Whatever, at least your potential schedule still rocks.
Two days before registration: Your friends are all talking about how they register tomorrow. What? How can this be?! You took the same amount of credits as them. Stupid AP credits, they never leave do they?
One day before registration: You anxiously check your classes to see how many seats are left in each, calculating the probability that you’ll be able to snag a spot in every lecture. Some of your discussions are full but you’re not too worried. There are other options left, but the buildings are farther away. “Just keep breathing; that’s only one small sacrifice,” you remind yourself.
23 hours before registration: No! The class with the professor you wanted is full. Wait, scratch that. TWO of your classes are full. This can’t be happening.
21 hours before registration: You’ve regained your cool. All you have to do is just reorder your schedule no big deal. This isn’t your first rodeo.
18 hours before registration: WHY IS THERE NO BACK BUTTON IN STUDENT CENTER?! WHAT IS PEOPLESOFT AND WHY DOES IT KEEP SAYING YOU’RE SIGNED OUT?!
17 hours and 30 minutes before registration: Whew, you started a new search. All you have to do is check between ratemyprofessors.com and the grade distribution list to make sure everything lines up. You found a class that has a 3.3 average GPA. Yes! Wait…now you can’t remember what your schedule looks like. Uhhh back to that page again.
7 hours before registration: You go to bed, making sure you set your alarm so you’re ready to enroll first thing in the morning. You’re schedule isn’t quite what you planned, but hey, at least you still have enough credits to be a full-time student. You’re feeling good once again.
30 minutes before registration: Today’s the day! You wake up and check your computer to see how your schedule is holding up. You stare at the screen in disbelief. This can’t be happening. There’s now a waitlist for every of your classes besides one. Great, now you’ll only be enrolled in four credits. Four! You call your mom asking if you can drop out of school. She says no.
Registration time: You’re currently waitlisted for three classes and enrolled in one. All that hard work for nothing. Then you realize that every other semester has ended up fine in the long run. Eventually, classes open up and everything seems to fit together. Plus, if you only end up in one class, you could be in college forever! Time to celebrate!
As you can see, registering for classes can cause endless amounts of stress and frustration. Take it all in and savor it because soon enough you’ll be walking across that stage at graduation, wishing you had just one more semester.