It’s that time of the semester again – class registration for Fall 2017! It’s certainly a stressful, overwhelming experience, between having to meet with your advisor, risking the classes you want to take getting filled up, and deciding which classes you need to take and when is the best time to take them. By following these tips, you’ll be one step closer to creating the ideal schedule for next year!

1. Meet with your advisor.

This is the best way to succeed. Your advisor is trained to help you create your schedule, as well as keeping you on track to graduate and making sure you’re taking the classes you need to take to achieve this. Many people wait until the last minute to make an appointment with their advisor, so try to meet with him or her early on.

2. Know what times work best for you.

There is no “right” time to take a class, because everyone is different. While some people learn best at 7:30 in the morning, other people prefer to sleep in and take late afternoon/nighttime classes. It all depends on when you feel you’re able to perform best in the classroom and retain the most information.

3. Find out what classes you need to take in order to graduate.

The best way to do this is by printing out your advisement report and bringing it to your advisor. This way, you’ll have a list of everything you need to take to graduate with your degree – this includes classes for your major, core classes, free electives, and potential minor courses.

4. Be aware of all prerequisites before registering.

One of the worst things that can happen while you’re registering for classes is finding out you can’t register for a certain class because there is a prerequisite you need to take. Avoid this inconvenience by researching your classes online and finding out about any prerequisites you need to take, as well as meeting with your advisor.

5. Make alternative schedules in case your Plan A doesn’t work out.

No matter how hard we try, sometimes our ideal schedule doesn’t work out and we need to switch some of our classes around. Whether the class is filled up and won’t accept any more students or it’s cancelled altogether, make sure you have a back up plan.

6. Create a balanced classes filled with major/minor classes, core classes, and electives.

In my experience, the best type of schedule is one that is balanced with classes for my major, gen ed courses, and free electives. That’s the best way to have a schedule that is well rounded and challenging without being completely overwhelming.

7. Know your limits.

Not everyone is able to take three classes back to back and not everyone can take all of their major classes in one semester. That’s okay! Know your limits – the best schedule is one that is rigorous and challenging, but not one that you’ll be completely stressed out all the time.

8. Take advantage of RateMyProfessor.

A professor can make or break a class. Make sure to use RateMyProfessor to your advantage, as well as asking other students about a potential professor.

9. Check the class status regularly.

This is extremely important. Even if a class is closed, it’s much better to know beforehand so you can do what you can to get into that class or create an entirely new schedule before your assigned time to register for classes.

10. Don’t give up if a class is closed.

It’s very frustrating to try to enroll in a class, only to discover it’s completely full. Don’t give up just yet. While this isn’t always the case, if you try to email the professor and ask to enroll in that class, sometimes they’ll grant you permission.

Good luck to everyone registering for classes in the upcoming weeks; may the odds ever be in your favor.