Cameron Crews begins every enrollment season with the fear of being unable to graduate on time. This was the reality of many students as they added classes to their schedule for this semester. 

“I don’t want to stay an extra semester because I couldn’t get one class, which is what it’s starting to look like might happen,” Crews, a third-year studying communication, said. 

Ava Stewart, a third-year studying communication, said she has been unable to enroll in the classes she needs to complete her major in her final semesters at NC State due to having a late enrollment date.

“It was much later than I was hoping it was going to be because I have the amount of credits to be considered a senior,” Stewart said. “I figured that would help me get an earlier enrollment date and get the classes that I wanted, but that wasn’t the case.”

Stewart said she has always taken summer classes as a means to eliminate GEPs and classes she had little interest in. Now, she is struggling to take the minimum amount of classes as she is nearing the end of her degree but cannot enroll in classes she needs to graduate.

Stewart added an English minor to continue taking classes at NC State.

“All I can do is add these classes, and I guess just add a minor out of it because I can’t get what I actually need,” Stewart said.]

Ramsey Warren, a second-year studying human biology, said her assigned enrollment date caused several challenges for her schedule at NC State. 

“I had a very late registration date, one of the last days, and that’s kind of where I struggled,” Warren said. “I had to do something completely like a 180 with classes. I registered for classes that were just basically open sections, and then I had to completely change my projected schedule because classes weren’t being offered.” 

Warren said her advising process felt very grueling since it seemed like no one was helping her. 

“I can’t do anything but advocate for myself at this point,” Warren said. “I’m getting no help from my own academic advisor. It’s not like I can reach out to the University as a whole. I just have to take matters into my own hands.”

Warren said the stress of having to construct her schedule on her own for classes she did not need caused her not to study for midterms. 

With advisors playing a huge role in the enrollment process for several students at NC State, their help can affect the process. 

Warren said, for many students, receiving guidance during enrollment is crucial. 

“Some people don’t even really need to reach out to advisors and are fine on their own,” Warren said. “From a former semester like this, I definitely needed to, like reach out there, through my registering and stuff like that, and I just didn’t feel supported.”

However, Crews said with several advisors being professors balancing school and enrolling periods, it could be quite hard to do both. 

“On top of teaching, having to be an advisor is just overwhelming,” Crews said. “It also explains why a lot of CHASS majors are not getting the guidance that they necessarily need.”

Crews said although all classes are offered to students through MyPack Portal, she thinks it’s particularly hard for CHASS students because every major is required to take humanities courses — not vice versa. 

Warren also said some people might register for classes they don’t need, which could affect her enrollment. 

“Students think they’re going to fail a class,” Warren said. “So they go ahead, if they have an early registration day, register for a class that maybe someone like me is going to need for next semester because it is easier for them.”

Stewart said a class she wanted to take this semester had two or three spots dropped during the enrollment window and later filled up before she could enroll in the class. 

Crews said she feels like the enrollment process was dependent on student’s advocacy for themselves. 

“I feel like we’re kind of on our little island; we’re having to figure everything out,” Crews said. “There are around 40,000 kids that go to NC State. So having an advisor that knows who you are and knows what you need is going to be kind of difficult, but I do kind of feel like we’re on our own.”