- It all begins with pre-approval. Make sure to obtain those forms as soon as possible. The more courses you get pre-approved for, the less stress you’ll face during registration. Now, if none of the courses you want to take are available for pre-approval, please don’t stop reading, because this guide is useful for anyone registering for courses. Build rapport with your prospective professors, as it all starts with pre-approval. Why make your life more stressful?
- Do your research! Peruse the course catalog until you have backups for your backups, and be sure to check your professors on Rate My Professor. Don’t be invasive, though.
- Have you ever felt like your eyes were about to bleed from reading the same four hundred words in the Course Catalog? No? Then you haven’t found enough backups for your backups. Go back and do it again.
- Create a list in your Notes app. It isn’t official until you have a Notes app list. Google Docs will work too.
- In the meantime, ensure you exercise your fingers and wrists. Dexterity is key here – the faster you click those buttons, the better your chances of securing the courses you want. Stack the odds in your favor, even if the registrar doesn’t want to (cough first-years cough).
- Check Self-Service for your registered time slot the moment it becomes available. Set reminders and alarms (or multiple alarms). Wake up if necessary. Now, it’s time for action. You’ve done all that you can, so rest to ensure you’re awake and don’t miss your allotted time because some of us (myself included) are more likely to do so than others.
- When you hear the alarming sound of your alarm, you know it’s time. Get out of bed and reach for your nearest device. Sip a Celsius until the caffeine jolts you awake. Refresh Self-Service and put those well-exercised fingers to good use. You’ve either been pre-approved or honed your dexterity, and now it’s time to click away. I wish you the best of luck (until you do it all over again in another ten weeks.)
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