The end is near — for the fall 2011 semester, anyway. Dec. 6 will mark the end of another semester and another chapter closed in our college careers.
This time of year is important for something far more significant than celebrating Halloween — the momentous occasion is, of course, registering for classes.
Some students have already had the opportunity to tackle such an epic event, like freshmen and honor students, because of their priority for earlier registration dates.
But for the rest of us, the anticipation is almost unbearable.
If you are unfortunate enough to have a late registration date (like myself on Nov. 9), don’t fret. We’ll get through this together.
How, you ask? By planning ahead of time.
If those with a late date haven’t already been proactive about this process, now’s a pretty good time to start.
Hopefully, meetings with advisors have been set up to figure out exactly what classes should be taken to stay on track for graduation. Once the schedule is figured out, check the needed classes in the class search catalog of My ASU. Start to get a sense of future schedules.
For the next week or so, there’ll be a lot of traffic on the site as hundreds of the students peruse the catalog at any given time, so keep patient when trying to load pages.
Take note of a few options for each class you’d like to sign up for. As you begin to narrow your choices down, begin putting together a draft schedule and write down the class sections you’d like to be in.
This will allow for an easy-going registration process. When it’s time, all you’ll have to do is plug in the section, add the class, and you’re done.
Because classes have already begun filling up, it’s imperative to be flexible and open-minded. Have back-up plans to your back-up plan — or schedule, that is.
Don’t be discouraged if you can’t follow the draft schedule to a ‘T.’ Keep in mind that there are four ASU campuses with plenty of courses to choose from.
Plus, if it is necessary to take classes located on a different campus, think of it as a chance to get familiar with new places and meet new people.
If the schedule shapes up to be less than desirable, revise it or try something else. The spring 2012 withdrawal date for Session C classes isn’t until March 28 or April 24 for complete withdrawal.
Don’t let the registration process elevate stress levels too much — enough of this will come during finals.
Reach the columnist at alhaines@asu.edu.
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