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Ascent Blog

5 Things to Consider When Registering for Classes

Jan 18, 2022 | By: Ascent
Categories: Blog, For Students, For College Students
5 Things to Consider When Registering for Classes | Ascent Funding

Registering for classes (whether online or on-campus) can be overwhelming, but it’s one of the most important parts of the semester to keep you on track for graduation. Between finding the right professors and balancing credits, here are a few things I keep in mind to make my class registration go smoothly.

 

Balance Hard & Easy Classes

I always try to balance my workload between classes when planning my schedule. For the classes I think I will have a pretty light workload as far as studying, projects, and homework, I try to balance them with classes that will have a heavier workload. Planning this way has helped me take more units than normal in one semester without overextending myself with more than I can manage independently.

 

Vet the Professors 

Another tip that has helped me choose my classes is researching which professors are teaching them. Rate My Professor is a good place to start for feedback from other students’ experiences with a class, but it’s always good to talk to your peers individually, as well.

I like to reach out to somebody who has a similar learning style and study habits as me to see what they thought of their professor for a class I am planning to take. I found it more relatable this way since everybody has different preferences of what they think makes a “good” professor. Asking somebody who learns similarly to me gave me a better idea of how well I would learn and succeed in the class.

 

Coordinate With Friends

Coordinating with friends is more than having somebody to sit next to and walk to class with.  When you’re absent, it’s also helpful to keep you up to date on notes and class changes. Your friend may be a good resource to bounce ideas off of, can be someone to study with, or work with you on group assignments together.

If possible, I reach out to my different club group chats and student organizations to touch base with other people in my major to coordinate taking a class together. Besides helping each other succeed academically, it’s also a nice way to bond with my friends when we are on a similar schedule and can see each other around campus.

 

Double-Check Your Schedule 

Timing is crucial to getting a class schedule that’s right for you. Everybody has different preferences on when they like their classes to be, so I recommend if you’re a freshman to experiment with other class times to see when you learn best. 

I don’t do particularly well in early morning or evening classes. My ideal school day starts at around 10 am, breaks for lunch, and ends before dinnertime. I keep an eye out for classes that fit around my desired time frame. Also, registering for registration day can help avoid the panic of overlapping classes or registering for inconvenient class times. I suggest having a backup plan if a class or two fills up.

 

Talk To Your Advisor

Checking in with your advisor is always an important step in staying on track. After I’ve planned my schedule, I like to schedule a meeting with my academic advisor to get final approval and make sure I’m on track to graduate. I also want to make sure I’m taking the best classes for my college career. Once I get their approval, I cross my fingers and hope to snag a seat in those classes on registration day!

 

When registering for classes, there can be a lot of compromise and changes – from unexpected prerequisites to classes filling up. Being prepared with a couple of different backup options and knowing which factors contribute the most to your academic success can help to ease the anxiety of starting a new semester in college. You are more than capable; you got this! 

 

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