Every semester, students scramble to schedule advising appointments and analyze their Degree Works as registration opens. Varying approaches from colleges at the University cause students to have majorly different levels of confidence toward academic advising and registration.
“I just found out that you can register for classes through Schedule Builder and I have always been putting in the CRNs,” said Hayden Salter, a junior and theatre major concentrating in musical theatre. “It could’ve been 10 times easier, and no one pointed that out.”
By registering through Schedule Builder, students can add desired breaks to their schedule, import courses from their Degree Works plan and generate possible schedules based on course and break selections. Comparing it to the add/drop registration method, students like Salter said Schedule Builder is easier to navigate and provides a more comprehensive visual of schedule options.
Isaiah Madison, a freshman studying news media, said that academic advising is very helpful for students struggling with classes but shared that he was “a little confused” with the imprecise instructions when registering for classes for his first year.
Students said that registration during freshman year can be difficult for students to navigate as they lay the foundation for the following years and have to prioritize general education courses. Counselors can help steer students in the right direction, but colleges provide varying levels of assistance.
“Academic advising here is good because my advisors help me with my classes and lead me in the right direction,” said Melvin Tucker, a sophomore majoring in psychology.
Tucker said that registration for the upcoming semester was “much easier” compared to registering during freshman year, and having a “game plan” with what classes he wants to take has helped ease the registration process.
“At the beginning of your freshman year, whenever you go into the BFA, you get a curriculum guide and it’s very planned out,” said Aurora Maniscalco, a junior and theatre major with an acting concentration. “We have pretty good advising that’s one-on-one, it’s very intimate and I get my questions answered.”
Students can also do individual research on what classes would fit their schedule best, in case academic advising doesn’t provide substantial guidance.
“Starting earlier is the best option,” Maniscalco said. “Even though it’s something we don’t want to think about and it can be tough, you gotta get through it.”
