Tips for Class Registration
Written by: Tim Lussenhop
Registering for classes can be a very stressful time for students looking to get into popular classes or courses that they need to graduate. Whether you're trying to avoid having an early morning class or want to be free on Fridays, everyone approaches registration with preferences. In order to ensure that you have a stress-free registration period, there are some things you can do before your time ticket starts.
Talk to your counselor
At the University of Illinois, we have great counselors that will work hard to assist you in graduating on time without overworking yourself. Schedule a meeting with your counselor and have them go over your DARS report with you. This will leave no question in your mind what classes you need to take in order to graduate, and many times the counselor knows which classes you should avoid. They have seen many students take the same classes before and likely have heard insight on specific professors.
2. “Plan Ahead” in Self Service
This tool found in Self-Service will allow you to do a mock registration before your time ticket and allows you to save a plan to reference during the real thing. While doing this you can see how many seats are left in each class, which is a great thing to know before so that if a class is already full you won't waste any time. Also, it helps you work out any potential overlaps in classes before you're on the clock. This can be done semesters in advance and is a very valuable tool for planning your entire college coursework.
3. Look up when your registration time is and do not be late
The worst thing you can do is be late or completely miss your registration period. Being a little late is not the worst thing in the world if you have priority as a senior, but for underclassmen, this can make a big difference. Make sure to check your registration time in Self-Service, and plan your day accordingly to be in a place with good wifi.