By: Anvi Ranjan
Course registration for the fall semester is coming up in a few short days, and with that can come a lot of stress and uncertainty. Whether you have a set plan ready for your upcoming semester or are struggling to map out exactly what you need, it’s always good to remember the following basics as you choose your classes.
Check your Academic Requirements Report
If you need to see a clear summary of what courses you’ve taken, what requirements you need to fulfill, and what you still need to graduate, make sure you take a look at your academic requirements under the Academics tab in spire. This will have a clear look of how you’re doing courses wise, and you can also see your grades and credits for each course by requirement for your major(s). This is a great starting point and should be looked at even before seeing an advisor, so you go in with some awareness and potential questions to ask. Sometimes, you may see a course fulfilling the wrong requirement or missing information, in which case you can bring it up to an advisor during a meeting.
Meet with an advisor
If you’re having trouble knowing which requirements you still need to fulfill or just need a better idea on how to plan out your years ahead, it’s best to meet with an advisor and discuss your academic goals and options. Everyone has different goals in mind for not only the present but also the long term, such as different graduation times, certificates, additional majors or minors, dual degrees, and many other varied paths. If you have multiple majors in different colleges, make sure to meet with your advisor in each major. If you are in the Honors College, your advisor can keep you up to date on honors requirements. Advisors can help you make sure you’re not missing anything important and give advice on your specific needs. Virtual advising appointments are by appointment or walk-in, and drop-in peer advising is an option as well (all linked below).
Isenberg Major Curriculum Plans
If you are still undecided or just need a refresher on the Isenberg requirements by major, they are all available on the Isenberg website linked below. This provides a holistic view of each major and provides a checklist on what you need, and is overall a great resource for semester planning.
Balance your Workload
Though we may not know what the upcoming semester will look like in terms of the university overall, it might be helpful to plan for your courses as though they are in person. Think about distances between buildings, class times and days, and course difficulty when laying out your schedule. For some people, concentrating their courses on some days while keeping the others fully free is ideal, while some students prefer more spacing throughout the week. While you may be confident you can take that 8:30 AM, keep in mind that if you’re not a morning person, early courses can be tough (especially if there’s a transition back to being fully in person). In addition, it may be a good idea to spread out your Gen-Ed requirements across all semesters, as they can provide a break from more rigorous major-related courses. What works for some people doesn’t work for everyone, so do what is best for you!
Backup Options
Always keep backup options in your enrollment shopping cart and be ready to switch to them at any time, as more popular classes fill up quickly and often don’t allow for extra seats. Monitor your cart until your enrollment appointment (which can be found in Spire) and make sure you enroll at the earliest possible time to give yourself your best chance at success. While you can switch around your schedule during add-drop the next semester, don’t rely on it as guarantee especially considering the shortened one week period for Fall 2021.
Don’t Stress!
Even if you don’t get the classes you wanted or are unsure of what you need to do, you have many available resources and people that are willing to help. As you accumulate more credits, you will be able to enroll in the classes you want sooner, so know that it gets easier as time goes on. Even if it’s not what you planned for, you might just stumble upon a course or Professor that you really click with, so don’t be afraid to try something new and unexpected. Lastly, you can also take advantage of winter and summer sessions, as they are a good way to take courses on your own time.
With that, good luck with course registration and be sure to keep these tips in mind! Important links:
Isenberg Major Curriculum Plans:
https://www.isenberg.umass.edu/resources/guides/ug-oncampus-advising-curriculum-pl ans
Virtual Advising:
https://www.isenberg.umass.edu/programs/undergraduate/on-campus/advising/virtual-a dvising
Isenberg Course Catalog by Semester:
https://www.isenberg.umass.edu/programs/undergraduate/on-campus/browse-courses?term=1217