Registering for Fall 2021

When freshman Anna Sorenson clicked the button to register for her fall 2021 courses, she anxiously waited to see if she got all the classes she wanted. After waiting a few minutes, she refreshed the page and was happy to see that she got into the ones she had hoped for.

 “I was pleasantly surprised,” said Sorenson. “I ended up getting all my classes and had no real issues.”

During the week of April 12, students used Student Planning and Advising (SPA) to register for courses they will take during the fall 2021 semester. Registration dates are determined by class standing and priority groups such as Honors students and athletes.

“This was the first time in my whole college career that I didn’t have to worry too much about my classes filling up since I got priority,” said junior Colleen Shaffer.

For others, registering seemed to work out in their favor as well.

“I had a strangely easy time with registration this semester,” said sophomore Sydney Hamilton. “This was the first time I got all the classes I wanted since they fill up really fast. I was so relieved.”

While the process can seem very daunting to some, the Registrar’s Office and Student Success Center provide resources for students every semester, from guided training sessions on how to navigate SPA to major check sheets that ensure each student stays on the right track by taking their designated courses. Additionally, students must meet with their advisors, who approve of their planned schedules prior to registration.

“I always keep track of what I’m taking with the major check sheet,” said Shaffer. “It makes things way more organized and easier to keep track of.”

While class registration is never certain, many students say they found this semester’s to be easier than past years.  

Junior Juliana Scotti says it was easy to get her classes because she registered with seniors.

“It went surprisingly well,” said Scotti. “It’s definitely easier to get classes as you get older.”

Similar to Scotti, junior Olivia Cifali had senior registration status. She says she found registration for her fall 2021 semester to be easier than previous years.

“It went really well,” said Cifali. “I got everything I wanted, so I’m happy. It’s definitely less stressful to be registering for your senior year.”

If students find themselves in a more competitive situation of registering, Hamilton says she recommends having back-ups to certain classes in case you do not get a seat. She says this has helped her a lot over the past few years.

“If you know what classes you want as a back-up, you can switch if you need to,” said Hamilton. “That’s what I did this time and it worked out well.”

Connection and internet problems are often a big worry for some students during this time.

“The first time we used the new system years ago, it crashed, and I almost didn’t get any of my desired classes,” said Cifiali.

For Sorenson, some connectivity issues occurred, but they did not affect the classes she got into.

“The website froze for about two minutes,” said Sorenson. “Luckily, I still got every course I needed.”

With the resources available online and mandatory advisor meetings, many students say they felt prepared for the task of registration.

“I really wasn’t that worried,” said Cifali. “So I’m not surprised that things went well for me this year.”

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