![President Todd Pfannestiel poses with Jeremy Thurston chairperson Board of Trustees [left] and former chairperson Robert Brvenik [right] after accepting the university's institutional charter.](https://uticatangerine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/unnamed.jpeg)
Amanda Fanelli
Staff Writer
For some students,registering for classes is stressful, especially if you are a freshman and going through the process for the first time. The staff at Utica College is here to make sure the process goes smoothly.
Kristen Holt, assistant to the registrar and readmission specialist, has some tips to help freshman have an easier time registering for classes. Holt advises students to “schedule a time to meet with their advisor, create a plan and follow through with that plan.”
As freshmen, there are more options for classes and the times they are offered so if one time does not fit one’s schedule, there is a chance that there are other time slots. Registering for classes is exclusively done online using Banner, so be sure to get your pin number when you meet with your advisor. A student’s advisor will also tell them the date and time they can begin to register for classes. Holt stresses that as soon as students get their date and time to register, to register as soon as possible so the classes do not fill up.
If a class does fill up or students are missing a pre- requisite to take the class, they can contact the professor of the class to see if he/she will override it. Holt strongly advises that “students pay attention to their degree evaluation to keep them on track.”
Common mistakes made by freshman are “trying to register for classes without the pre-requisites needed and that are major restricted.”
Holt also assures students that if they do run into problems registering for classes, they can always stop by the Office of the Registrar in White Hall, and that “the door is always open, we are there to help.”
Jenna Worley, a freshman occupational therapy student, thought the registration process was confusing at first but quickly figured it our when registering for the fall 2015 semester.
“It really was only stressful when the classes I wanted to get into were full,” Worley said.
Although Worley has not gone to see her advisor yet, her freshman seminar professor, Cora Bruns, has been extremely helpful. Worley is very nervous to sign up for her spring 2016 classes because there are some classes she would like to take to get them out of the way and is afraid that they will be full when she goes to register.
Alexia Bigart is also an occupational therapy student. In her senior year she feels the best way to go about the registration process is to be proactive.
“Meet with your advisor ahead of time to talk about what classes you need to take, and which ones are best for you,” Bigart said. “Make a schedule before actually getting on to register is helpful so you don’t have to start from scratch.”
Another tip Bigart has is to make a backup plan just in case you find the class you want is full; this makes it much easier and less stressful.
She has found that the registration process is usually not a problem for her. There haveonlybeenacoupletimes where Bigart has had trouble getting into a class because it ended up being full.
“The professor of my gross anatomy class didn’t realize that the class size was going to be bigger than in previous years,” Bigart said. “This is a class that is only offered in the fall. Other students were having trouble getting in as well. Once my professor found out, he expanded the number that can get into the class.”
Bigart says that the professor did this for his students so they would stay on track for grad school for OT the following year.
She also advises students to talk to their advisor to make sure they are taking the right classes to be on track.
Spring 2016 classes are currently available online for students to choose their classes. Registration begins Monday, Nov. 16.
