It has now been a couple quarters into the new registration system, when students register according to the progress completed of their degree. Although the new system makes sense to me, it also makes me question how the students with low “degree percentage completed” are supposed to get that gauge further up. With such a late registration time, it’s hard to get the classes they need to become further along progressed in their degree…

Registration means endless PASS schedules and stressful hair-pulling nights, the Wi-Fi going out at the last second, and debates on whether to go for it and waitlist/crash a class, or to pick a class you don't actually want but you’ll definitely get into in order to not risk being too low on units.

But these aren’t the only decisions faced during registration. Other decisions such as whether it’s more important to have a professor with high Polyratings, or a good time of the day are also factored in.

Should you have a 3.8 Polyratings professor at 8 A.M.? Or go with the 1.2 professor at 12 P.M.?

This is a tough choice, but ultimately I have found that it is better for your sanity to take the professor who has the better reviews. There's probably a reason that one guy has raving reviews about how cool his class is, and that the other one has been rated a 1.2 out of 4.

Should you choose to take the only GE class that's open at your registration time, or wait until next quarter when you know one you're interested in is open?

I would suggest waiting, and taking the class you're interested in. I have learned that as a journalism major, I would rather wait to take a class like astronomy, which sounds fun, rather than sign up for the only one that’s still has spots open, and one I know I will be miserable in, like intro to geology (unless you're into rocks, then you go, and you take the class and show everyone how cool the difference between igneous and sedimentary rocks can truly be).

Ultimately, what professor you choose will have an effect your grade in the class, and what your GPA will be. The time of day you have a class can have an effect how you perform in it (or whether you even make it to class… 7 A.M. calc?!). What class you choose will have an effect whether or not you'll be motivated to learn, which is why we are in college.

Keep these tips in mind if you're still registering, or for when you register for next quarter. And may the waitlist be flexible and forgiving, the odds of the strong and unfailing Wi-Fi be ever in your favor, and your next quarter at Cal Poly a success.