With Strong Preparation, Registration Can Be a Rewarding Process

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My alarm clock rings, and I awake with nerves as I prepare to register for my classes. My heart is pounding, and I am sweating as I type in my classes. As I await the results, my mind is racing, and I am on the edge of my seat, hoping I get my favorite classes. When the results pop up on the screen, I am filled with sadness as I am unable to get most of my desired classes. 

Registration has always been a challenging process for me during my time at Marist. My freshman year, I had a poor registration experience as I was unprepared for the potential mishaps that can occur. During my preparation, I did not plan for backup classes because I had no reason to believe I would need them; it’s just something you overlook as a freshman. As a result, on the day of registration, I could not enroll in three of the classes that I wanted. This caused problems for me because I did not prepare any backup classes, which forced me to take classes that I had no interest in. From that moment on, I was determined to do well during registration time. 

Now in my junior year at Marist, I have learned how to approach registration. One thing underclassmen should know about registration is that the internet connection can be unreliable or the registration system may crash. My sophomore year, this exact thing happened. Since the entire school utilizes FoxNet and the system is prone to crash during registration, students should expect the unexpected. I would have liked to have known this because in my sophomore year the system crashed, and I was forced to scramble to register for my classes.

Students should also understand that classes fill up quickly during the registration process, and just because a class is geared primarily toward underclassmen does not mean you have a guaranteed spot. Underclassmen will be the last to register, so their desired classes may fill up. Students should regularly check the classes feature on the self-service student banner to monitor the remaining spots in their desired classes. This is a helpful tool for students because it allows you to prepare backup classes as the week progresses and classes fill up.

In addition, the schedule planner is an important tool that underclassmen should utilize when preparing for registration. The schedule planner can be found in the self-service banner under registration. With the planner, students can select the classes they want and it will generate schedules that show what time and day the classes are on. The schedule planner has been an important tool for me during my time at Marist because it allows me to see what days and times I want for my classes. 

But, once you’ve prepared, there’s only so much left you can do. The biggest advice that I wish I received as a freshman would be to get a good night’s sleep, have your class CRN numbers ready and keep a list of two or three backup classes. Getting a good night’s sleep is important because registration is early in the morning. You want to be ready and alert while registering for your classes. Also, writing your CRN numbers down on paper before registering is helpful because it will allow you to quickly type them in when you register. This will speed up the process and help you get the classes you want. Having backup classes is important because there is a strong chance that you will not get every class you want. Overall, registration can be a daunting and terrifying process, especially for new students. But, with strong preparation including backup classes, CRNs and some sleep, students can make it a rewarding process.