Our view: How to make registration easy

Registration can be a hectic time for university students, but there are ways to make it, at the least, manageable.

Tip 1: A great tool for any student registering for classes is ratemyproffesors.com. With 15 million reviews of 1.3 million professors from 7 thousand universities, the website has honest reviews of nearly any professor you might have. The reviews tend to lean negative, but they can also tell you which professors are more lenient and which professors actually utilize the required reading.

Tip 2: It’s important when registering to take breaks between classes into account. Getting the classes done as early as possible may sound like a good idea, but hunger and exhaustion tend to both set in around noon. Take into account time to eat, take a nap and potentially cram in homework due next class.

Tip 3: Don’t blindly register for the classes your advisor sends you. Advisors are human too; they make mistakes. An advisor can forget to check your transcript and suggest a class you already have credit for, they can suggest classes that conflict and they can forget to take breaks into account too. Never be afraid to question your advisor if you think there’s been a mistake.

Tip 4: Know when early registration is. Graduates, Honors and senior students (90+ credit hours) can register early April 5 and 6. Juniors (60-89 credit hours) can early register April 7 and 8, sophomores (30-59 credit hours) can April 9 through 12 and freshman can April 13 and 14. Registration for all is open April 15 through 5 p.m. on August 26, but early registration provides the best chance to get the best classes.