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Calm your nerves

So far, Jessica Thomulka, a junior, has registered six times in her college career and getting the classes she needs, or wants, has never been a walk in the park.

She has had to deal with all kinds of issues--unresponsive professors, late PIN numbers, last minute pre-requisite obstacles--you name it.

“All my registration experiences have been terrible,” Thomulka said. “There were times I honestly had no idea what to do or where to go next.”

While her difficulties were often special circumstances, there are ways for students to make the registration process easy.

Majid Whitney, assistant dean of freshman studied and director of general studies, stresses utilizing campus resources. For freshman, this includes freshman advisers who connect with students through their University Life courses and act as their academic advisors for the first three semesters.

Whitney said they help students by discussing what their aspirations are and helping them to build schedules that meet their needs and goals. However, all freshmen must meet and be advised by their freshman adviser in order to receive their PIN number, which must be done before the time slot allotted to each student for registration.

Most errors surrounding registration are simply due to misconceptions about the process. For example, students need to be aware of required pre-requisites, major and college requirements and the time slots when they can register.

If a student gets locked out of their registration window, in person registration is an easy alternative, Whitney explains. A student would fill out a grid sheet or an add/drop form, which needs to be signed by their adviser in order to be legitimized.

Also, if a student believes a course they have already taken can count as a pre-requisite, that student would need to go to the department chair and then the dean to get it approved before registration.

Whitney warns of what he terms “faux-advisors,” upperclassman who propagate false information to younger students.

“We have to combat that,” Whitney said. “They may have known what was appropriate when they were freshmen two years ago, but requirements change every year.”

Although freshman advisers stay abreast of every curriculum offered on campus, department advisers can be just as helpful, if not more so.

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Director of the Center for Leadership Development and business management advisor Michael Reuter has helped many business students, not just his advisees. According to Reuter, students need to be thinking about their immediate and long term goals, what they need to be involved in or how they complement their basic coursework that can give them the skills to differentiate and narrow their interests.

One such student, sophomore marketing and management major, Zachary Laubernds, went to Reuter when he declared his major last semester.

“He was trying to gauge what I wanted to do with my life so he could better push me in the right direction,” Laubernds said.

Reuter speaks to the importance of looking ahead when planning your schedule. He was able to offer practical advice to students: “They have to be prepared, they have to be looking forward to what they ultimately want to do and be in life. It’s not just some paperwork, this is about planning their career.”

“I would advise people to go see their department’s advisor because they specialize in what you want to specialize in,” Laubernds said.

Mark Vitale, an alumnus who is now a freshman mentor, said he brings his experience at Seton Hall to advise current students.

“I am able to understand the situations my students are in, having been in their shoes just four years ago,” Vitale said.

He gives a simple piece of advice: “Relax!”

Students need to remember that there’s a good chance they will get the classes they need, even if they end up with the last registration spot.

In terms of choosing classes, both Vitale and Whitney agree, to focus on figuring out your passions and who you are, then go into the registration process with your goals in mind.

Emily Balan can be reached at emily.balan@student.shu.edu.

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