Class Registration

Hello everyone! If you've been following other SMC blogs, I'm sure you've heard lots about class registration that went on this past week (shout out to my fellow blogger and friend Alex!).  It seems that everyone has their own personal story about registration, so I wanted to share mine with you! 

My process, like everyone else's, began with meeting with my academic advisor to dicuss what classes I might want to take next semester.  I was able to decide this by figuring out what LSRs (Liberal Studies Requirements) I still need to complete as well as what other classes I need to take for my psychology major.  After I got my classes and a list of alternatives together, all I could do was wait for registration day.  For me, this was on Tuesday.  Registration opens at 7am to make sure no one is in class when they're supposed to be registering, so everyone wakes up bright and early, and if they're lucky, they get to go back to sleep when the process is over!

Anyway, I have chem lab at 8:15 on Tuesday mornings, so I had to get up super early to register.  Around 6:50am I logged onto SMC's registration website called Knightvision to get my list of classes together.  When 7:00 came around, I made a huge mistake.  There was a button at the top of the screen that allows you to select the same option for all the classes in your list (register, withdraw, etc.) and I accidentally pressed register for all, which means that I was attempting to register for all of the classes I wanted, as well as my alternatives.  In other words, I was trying (accidentally of course) to make a schedule for myself that was completely impossible!  So after sitting at my computer for 12 agonizingly long minutes staring at the loading screen, I wasn't sure what to do.  I opened Knightvision up in a new tab and was only able to register for two classes (ideally you're supposed to register for four/semester), one of them being an alternative that I would rather take during a different semester.  I wasn't sure what to do, so my roommate Emma and my friend Cait tried to calm me down and tell me that everything would work out.  I had to continue getting ready for chem lab, but first I sat down and e-mailed all the professors who are teaching the classes I wanted to get into next semester and explained that I had trouble registering and asked to be put on a waiting list.

Thankfully I got out of chem lab earlier than expected, so I rushed to a computer in the library to check my e-mail.  I had responses from a few of the professors.  One of them, who I have this semester for Research Methods I, told me that a certain number of spots are set aside for majors/minors and that he would call the Registrar and have me added to his class.  Two other professors responded and said that putting me on a waiting list was the best they could do.  Although it was good to know I was on a waiting list, I was still a bit worried about my schedule.  Fortunately, next semester doesn't start until the middle of January, so I have some time to figure it out!  Also, you may have seen my tweet about my second chance to register.  Because of the way St. Mike's sets up the registration process, half of the sophomores are assigned to Group 1, and half are assigned to Group 2.  Since I was in Group 2, I registered on Tuesday, but registration was open to all sophomores on Wednesday.  Thankfully for me, a select number of additional spots opened up in some of the classes I wanted to take.  So on Wednesday morning, I was able to register for two of the classes which I hadn't been able to get into on Tuesday morning.  I was SO relieved!  As of now, I have four classes for next semester.  I want to be in three of them, and even though I'd rather take the fourth one later (just because I don't particularly want to have an 8am class), if I end up having to take it, it will count towards my psychology major.  Once my schedule for next semester is official, I will let you know!

The point of me telling you all this is just to let everyone know that although the registration process can be stressful and you may not get into all the classes you want, there is hope!  All the professors I e-mailed were extremely nice to me and I could've ask for anything more.  Plus, if I do take an 8am class next semester, it won't be the end of the world and who knows, maybe it will end up being my favorite class!

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading my blog!  Look out for another blog soon about some of my friends and our birthday mischief :)