Students dodge scheduling problems as they register for fall 2014 classes.
Scheduling week has come and gone, but the stress of claiming classes still weighs on students’ shoulders.
Students find themselves in a flurry of conflicting times, closed classes and degree requirements, but advisers and the RACR Degree Audit on MyGate often lend a helping hand.
Marie Seaman, sophomore from Bardstown, Ky., said her scheduling for next semester was successful, but had a few complications.
“One class I wanted to take more than anything was the psychology of language,” Seaman said. “It wasn’t offered for the fall 2013 semester, so I thought it was just for this spring, but it wasn’t either, and it’s not available for next semester.”
While some classes, such as the psychology of language, have not been offered for a few semesters, students still have an array of options they can choose from.
Seaman said she is able to plan out her schedule beforehand and the only thing she had left to complete before her scheduling time was for her adviser to lift the hold.
However, Ryan Wilson, junior from Karnak, Ill., had an issue arise on the day of scheduling.
Wilson had a class and lab he was required to take, but on the day of scheduling, a needed prerequisite he was already enrolled in prevented him from signing up for his class.
“I signed up for them the minute I could,” Wilson said. “But MyGate said I didn’t have the prerequisite, which I am currently in, so I had to take the whole day to get that to override. By then, the lab for that class was full and the other lab that was supposedly open didn’t exist.”
Despite the conflict, Wilson said he was able to sign up for a different class with the same professor.
Advisers suggest students schedule the minute they can and not to give up if a needed class is closed. Professors can be willing to open up a closed spot if students communicate with them.
Zackery Heern, associate professor of history, advises incoming freshman to choose a major quickly to prevent difficulties.
“The earlier you pick a major, the better it is for you to make sure you get the classes you need on time,” Heern said. “If you become delayed with some sequences and don’t start taking them right away, it can push you back.”
Heern said students should understand what their requirements are, and incoming freshmen in particular need to learn how to navigate scheduling to make it easier.
“Being aware of what some of these programs require,” he said. “Often times they don’t know how to schedule a class or where to go to look for classes. I think a part of it is the earlier they understand the process, the better.”
Story by Mary Bradley, Assistant News Editor