The Daily Campus

Issue date: 3/23/09 Section: Commentary

Class registration time is here again. If today is your pick date, congratulations. But if you're anxiously waiting for your day to come in the next two weeks, you'll be okay - or will you?

We all know the times are tough and classes are getting smaller and smaller. Spaces are limited and, sadly, there are fewer open seats to go around. There are several things to remember to avoid the senior's worst nightmare - reaching your last semester and not getting into that one last required class. No one has the time or money to go to school longer than necessary, so make sure it doesn't happen to you.

Make sure you meet with your advisors - they really do know what they're talking about. Your advisors actually save you hours of class searching and schedule planning, they can tell you exactly what classes should be on your list. Advisors make sure you get all of your required classes, in addition to related courses and general education courses. Another thing advisors are useful for is pulling strings. Many know people and they can get you into those tough classes that fill up by 8:03 a.m. on the first day of registration.

Also, advisors know all the secrets to cutting corners when it comes to required classes. Some classes can count for more than one content area or other related course. You can't find these little notes in the course catalog. And as good as Peoplesoft has gotten - it's almost workable now - it still lacks a personal class shopper to go with the enrollment cart.

Just don't forget to look at classes on your own before advisor meetings. Advisors will always be there to double- check, but the fact that advisors in some departments change all too often is still a reality. For example, this is the third freshman and sophomore political science advisor in the past four semesters. You are the only one who can decide what you're interested in and which classes you think you will actually enjoy taking. It is important to speak up and convey your interests and goals to your advisors - especially if they haven't gotten a chance to get to know you personally.

University President Michael Hogan was quoted in the Hartford Courant not too long ago saying that the length of an undergraduate education may have to be stretched to five or six years due to the lack of money UConn has available. Don't let this statement intimidate you. Take as much control of your class schedule as you can, use the advisors to help you, and you can make it in the typical four years.

We'll all be Huskies on the inside forever, but we don't want our education to take that long as well.

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