Spring registration is just around the corner, and while it feels too early to worry about next semester, everyone on campus is about to experience the gauntlet of advising and registration.

Though this may seem like one extra thing you don’t want to think about, I spoke with Mindy Sopher, a professor and advisor for the communication department, to figure out how to make this time of the year easier.

First things first, a lot of mistakes students make during registration stem from confusion about the process. When asked about common mistakes students make, Sopher said there are some unrealistic expectations.

“Waiting till the last minute to have an advising appointment, saying ‘Please release my hold’ without doing the homework, expecting advisors to tell them what to take or do the work for them, assuming all classes will have seats available, and be available in the format — online, hybrid, face-to-face — or at the time that they want them,” Sopher said.

This is understandable since the registration process only happens twice a year. It can feel like there’s a lot of moving parts, and it may be hard to recall everything you have to account for.

One strategy I use to manage all my requirements and potential classes is printing out a week-long planner organized by the hour. Then I review my degree audit and go over what requirements I need to fill. I like to get a mix of higher-level and lower-level courses, but I always make sure to prioritize prerequisites. 

I then write in all the possible courses I can take the following semester at every possible time. Just make sure you leave space for other classes, in case the one you want fills up. It’s messy, but this way I can see all my options in front of me and scratch out time for lunch and clubs as necessary.

When I was registering for courses last semester, I wanted to take an honors seminar, but because of an error in the system, I couldn’t. Thankfully, I found a graduate class with a professor I enjoy and was able to take that instead.

Another mistake Sopher outlines deals with how a timeline for graduation can be a bit nebulous.

“[Graduation date is] a relative term,” Sopher said. “So, what that really is saying is ‘My expectation is that I will graduate in x number of semesters’ or ‘I will graduate with my friends.’”

This has happened to both my partner and I. We both intended to graduate a semester earlier than we had initially planned, but then we respectively added a major and a minor. We realized it would make for an easier workload if we took another semester and spread out our work.

When your registration time opens up, it can feel like you’re about to head into the draft. Leading up to your registration time, make sure to continuously check the classes you intend to take to ensure there’s enough seats.

Another element Sopher spoke about when creating your schedule is creating a personal fit while remaining flexible.

“I know I’m not the greatest person at 8 a.m. as far as accomplishing goals and being focused [goes],” Sopher said. “So… if the only choice I had was an 8 a.m. class, I would want to minimize that and hopefully, it would be a Tuesday-Thursday class.”

Similarly, last semester I had planned all of my courses to fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays, meaning I was in classes from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. I thought this would give me the freedom and time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to get my work done at my leisure. 

In reality, I would get most of my work done on Mondays, do no work Wednesday or Friday since I was exhausted from the day before, and end up frantically doing all my homework Monday. 

This schedule also ignored my club commitments on Tuesday nights that kept me out until 9:00 p.m. Clearly endurance is not one of my strengths.

Now my class schedule is the same everyday: two classes from 11:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. This schedule allows me to consistently ease into my mornings while granting me plenty of downtime before my nightly club meetings.

The other thing about strengths is not everyone finds the same things easy. Just because a class has a reputation for being easy, does not guarantee it will be, especially since professors and curriculum can change. 

While it can feel like a lot to manage all of your requirements, that’s why you have your advisor. These people are there so you can talk to them about the confusion and issues you may be experiencing.