Since Veterans Day weekend, students have been balancing turning in missing assignments, completing quarter projects and making plans for their holiday break. “Dead week” has just ended, during which students have worked late nights to complete the rush of homework assigned before the end of the quarter and studied intensely for their upcoming finals. In all of this commotion, many students have forgotten to register for classes and are scurrying to find out which ones to take. The Academic Advising Center is proof of this, as every advisor is booked solid for next few weeks.
Many students are under the impression they must meet with an adviser to register according to Emily Kolby, associate director of the advising center. “Unless you are a new student, students don’t have to see us to register.”
However, students who still wish to meet with an adviser before registering should be prepared to face a long wait time for a consultation. “The academic advising center is similar to a doctor’s office.” Kolby says. “Our advisers operate on appointments, but they also have drop-in hours as well that function on a first-come, first-served basis.” It is possible to get an emergency consultation this way, but be prepared to come early, as the sheet gets filled extremely quickly.
Kolby urges existing students who are not new to the school to register for classes immediately. Some basic courses, such as English 101, get filled up very quickly and may already be unavailable. Not only is English 101 a preliminary course, but it is the first class taken by many students in high school programs such as Career Education Options (CEO) and Running Start. “CEO and Running Start students have later registration times than existing students, so existing students who register on time do not have their spots taken by them.” said Jenna Fox, a high school programs adviser. “However, after their registration time opens it becomes more difficult to find a class for you.”
Kolby’s advice to students is to check the online classes page several times a day, as the listings are updated frequently. If a class is full, students can consider adding themselves to a waitlist. “We know that in every class, some students are going to drop within the first few days. Joining a waitlist for a class is betting that enough students are going to drop for your spot … to become vacant.” Kolby says.
However, there is a risk involved as students are not always guaranteed a spot. Fox says, “You might get on, but if you don’t you will have to find another class that most likely will not fit in well with the rest of your schedule, and you will already be at least several days behind.”
Students should keep in mind that waiting to register for a class until the last minute, even if plenty of spots remain open, is not advisable. If multiple classes in the same course are only partially full, the students already registered for these classes run the risk of having their class consolidated or even cancelled.
To avoid the registration rush that comes at the end of each quarter, Kolby advises students to come in at less busier times such as mid-January, to plan ahead. “We can create an education plan with you, so that you can know what classes you will be taking next quarter or even next year!”