Fall rolls around quickly every year, gracing us with colorful leaves lining Comm Ave, pumpkin-flavored everything, and a cozy atmosphere across campus. It is also the time to register for Spring semester classes. For freshman, registration is uncharted territory; it is new and intimidating. Before now, classes were chosen during orientation with the help of an orientation leader. Having to go through the motions of registering for the first time on one’s own could be scary.
When I was a freshman and registration rolled around, I asked myself, where do I start? What do I do first? I wished someone could have given me a step-by-step guide of how to tackle registration for the first time. Fear not, if you are stressing over the quickly approaching registration date! Here is a guide to help make your life and registration as stress-free and simple as possible.
Registration numbers can either make or break you.
Unfortunately, you don’t have a say over what time you register. Time of registration is pre-determined by the last number of your BU ID, and it alternates every semester. When registering for Spring semester classes, numbers from 5 to 0 register first and then those from 9 to 6–the opposite holds true when registering for Fall semester classes when the order is 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. For someone like myself who has a 9 as the last number of my BU ID, I usually register roughly in the middle both semesters. This year, seniors and juniors register on Sunday, November 4, while sophomores register on Sunday, November 11, and lastly, freshmen register on Sunday, November 18. Registration times are spaced out throughout the day. To check what time you register go to bu.edu/studentlink and under the “Academics” tab, click on “Registration,” followed by “Reg Options” under Spring 2013.
Meet with your advisor. ASAP.
Prior to registration, it is required that you meet with your advisor to talk about the classes you want to take. Many times for freshmen, you have to attend a mandatory registration orientation session with your college and major as well. Spots to meet with your advisor fill up very quickly, so it is wise to sign up right away. Don’t wait until the last minute to make an appointment; your advisors have a very busy schedule and you need their signature to obtain your registration code for the Student Link.
Plan, plan, and plan some more.
Remember the phrase “Better safe than sorry?” Take that saying into consideration for registration. You really can’t be too “safe” when it comes to registering for classes. BU is such a big university that, while there are tons of classes to choose from, many of them, including all of the popular classes to take for each major, fill up quickly. It is always good to devise a pre-planned schedule that you would like to have for the upcoming semester on your planner (found under the “Registration” tab, followed by “Reg Options” under the semester of registration). Also, keep in mind several other classes that you would like to take in case your first choices fill up before your registration time. There is nothing worse than logging onto the Student Link at the time of your registration slot, seeing that every class you had wanted is full, and not having any backups.
Your planner is your friend.
The planner is extremely useful and makes your life much easier not only before registration, but during it as well. Instead of having to enter all of the information in again to find classes once it is your time slot, simply use the planner to check off the classes you want to add to your schedule and register for them. It saves tons of time, because even several seconds could make the difference between getting a seat in a class before it becomes full.
With these tips in mind, approach registration one step at a time, and in no time at all you’ll be a pro.
