It's time for spring registration time. The time all college students begin to feel the stress and intense pressure of trying to fit in classes to their schedule. Any student in college knows this becomes an extreme sport. It takes planning ahead of time and lots of quick adaptations near the time of your designated registration time, because the classes you want and need are bound to close.
1. Beginning the class search
You've talked to your advisor and gotten his approval and advice on what classes you plan to take. You begin to look at professors, head onto "Rate My Professor" sites to see what you're working with, and you start to form an idea of what you want your schedule to look like next semester.
2. Attempting to plan out your future schedule
It's a battle of taking classes at the times you want but also making sure to get the professor you want. To me, having a better professor is more important. To others, it is critical to have classes done before 1 p.m. Each person has an idea of how they learn best, except most the time we as students don't have a choice.
3. Waiting in anticipation for your registration time
The time is slowly ticking down and it becomes a waiting game. Each minute is critical as each class could close at any moment. You stare at the computer continuing to refresh. You start building up an alternative schedule in your mind. You wait, and wait, and wait and wait...
4. Seeing classes you need close
Yep, just before it is time for you to register you refresh to see "closed" next to the professor you wanted or the class you needed. Thank you for wrecking my schedule that I had planned for a couple days now. One class can totally wreck the entire schedule, and you're now forced to come up with a new one which usually means having to switch class sections of your other classes as well. The hopes and dreams of the "ideal" schedule eventually fade away. At this point, all you hope for is to have enough classes, no matter what they are.
5. Reworking your schedule with the new options given
You're frustrated having to take the professor that has been rated "extremely difficult" or "more work than is necessary". Why me?! Why must it be this way? Don't you understand my GPA is highly reflective of the type of professors that I have?
6. Accepting your new schedule for next semester
Well, at least you have a set amount of classes you need. You're attempting to be hopeful. It is a new semester with new opportunities. Your motivation will be high again at the beginning of a new semester. At least you and your fellow college students are all in this together.
Best of luck registering, Bulldogs! Don't let the stressful process get you down.
