Registration for the winter semester is now well under way, and like most students here at Eastern Michigan University, you have probably been scrambling to snatch up coveted spots in class rosters. But if you’re among the students who take one look at the extensive list of available courses and feel like crying, registration can feel overwhelming.
As you go through college, though, you start to learn the ins and outs of signing up for classes. I’ll be frank; I’m no advisor or counselor by any definition. But here’s a list of things I wish someone would have told me about registration.
Talk to an advisor: This seems like the most obvious first step in registering, but a good number of students sign up for next semester’s classes without even speaking to someone about what the best choices would be. Advising is offered through the University
Advising and Career Development Center, and the departments for each subject should have their own academic advisors as well. Search for your major on emich.edu and check out your advising options. Honors students have the added advantage of personalized assistance from honors advisors.
Think about your schedule: It is a proven fact that, unless you are secretly a mad scientist who developed the technology to create a perfect replica of yourself, you cannot be in two places at once.
You’d be surprised how many people sign up for overlapping classes. It’s shockingly easy to overlook the times that each class wraps up and schedule another class right on top of it.
Consider where your classes are: Having classes 15 minutes apart in Pray-Harrold and Quirk is no biggie, but if you plan on having one course in the Alexander Music Building and another 15 minutes later in the little-known Sculpture Studio (look it up—it’s real!), you better bring some running shoes.
Think about your limitations: 12 credits is generally considered a full load for undergrad students. If you’re balancing a job, student organizations, social life, family or hobbies and plan on keeping your sanity, make sure you’re realistic with your expectations. Some people may have scholarships that require them to take 15 credits per semester, but unless you are in that group or are absolutely intent on tackling many classes and
responsibilities at once, try not to overload.
Consider gen-ed classes: Oh, general education requirements. Students tend to abhor the very thought of the university forcing them to study all of these weird and seemingly irrelevant courses. I mean, why would a math major need to take a class in art history? But more often than not, these gen-ed courses can be enjoyable, with some students even considering them more fun than classes for their major.
Gen-eds are important because, in order to be a well-rounded
student and person, you need to branch out and become educated in a variety of subjects. You never know what you may discover about yourself. Perhaps you’ll find that math really isn’t your thing and you’d rather pursue a degree in art.
Check out PEGN classes: Got two left feet? Think you’re more “sink” than “swim?” Wanna get your yoga on? PEGN courses are designed to get you up and moving. If you’re fending off the Freshman 15, these classes will be your saviors.
Most of these classes are only one credit hour, so if you need just one more credit to keep your scholarships, these are the perfect way to go. Also, PEGN courses satisfy a Learning Beyond the Classroom gen-ed requirement, so you’ll be one step closer to both graduating and taming those buns.
Know what works for you: Some people enjoy scheduling all of their courses for two days during the week, essentially giving them two extra school-free days to work, sleep and party. But for others, a full load of classes from morning-to-evening is nothing short of soul-sucking. If you’re among this group, spread your classes evenly throughout the week. On the flip side, if you want to get all of your classes wrapped up before noon so you have the whole afternoon and evening to do whatever you like, that’s your prerogative.
Also, knowing whether you’re a morning person or evening person is helpful when scheduling courses. When you were in high school, there was no choice—you are waking up at the buttcrack of dawn to go to class. Now that you’re in college, you have freedom. You can go to class well after dinner time if that’s what works for you.
Balance is key: You’ll be enrolled in college for about four years, give or take, so chances are that you’ll wind up having to suffer through one class you absolutely loathe. If your major happens to require Watching Grass Grow 101, make sure you take at least one class you really enjoy to offset the misery. Use that semester to take up swing dance, learn another language, delve into the arts or do whatever it is you’ve always wanted to do. After all, in the now-infamous words of Drake, “You only live once.”
