Freshman Perspectives on Registration; A Personal Registration Journey

University of the Pacific students have recently completed registration for the upcoming Spring 2022 semester, and for many Freshmen, it is their first experience with college registration. 

The process for registering for classes is very different from the high school class registration process that most first-year students are used to. Firstly, it is for many the first time that they have complete control over their schedules. In high school, students are used to having some say over the classes that they take, but they have no guarantee that they will get the classes they sign up for. There is also more of a limit on the type of classes available to take and the students have no control over when these classes occur. College registration, in contrast, allows students to have much more control over their schedule.

The process of class registration in college is also different in regards to how students register. Although high school registration can vary by school, it is still a different experience than that of college registration, which many first-year students will find unfamiliar. The requirement to meet with advisors before registration, the time restrictions in regards to when students can register, and the way that students choose classes are all things that make college registration different than high school registration. Some first-year students may find that their own experiences with high school registration are similar to certain aspects of the college registration process, but generally the process as a whole is very different from college registration.

Continue reading for a personal registration story from Emma Garber.

When I was in high school, I always heard so much about how fun it was to register for classes in college. Picking classes that directly related to my interests sounded like a dream to younger me. Little did I know, the registration process can actually be stressful and exciting at the same time. 

Registering for fall semester 2021 was a breeze. I had a Sophomore class standing (thanks AP tests and dual-enrollment) so I was able to get into all the classes I wanted. My advisor was so helpful and encouraging. She inspired me to take some classes that initially sounded too hard. Now, I am really enjoying them!

I was looking forward to enrolling in classes on my own for the upcoming Spring semester. I had an earlier registration time than many of my friends so I was not worried about getting my classes at all. Some parts of my schedule were set already with little wiggle room. I needed to take PSYCH 102 Research Methods and Statistics with the same professor as my PSYCH 101 class and I also needed to take CORE 2. These requirements left me with room to take one core class for my Psychology major and one class for my History minor. I enrolled in HIST 103 Oceans and the Maritime World. It may sound weird, but I have always been a huge fan of boats and ocean travel so I was very excited to get this class. Unfortunately, I got an email a few days later notifying me that the class had been canceled due to low enrollment. It will probably be brought back in the future, but I was very disappointed. 

After this incident, I went on the hunt for another History class that would work with my otherwise great schedule. The only one I found was HIST 141 Imperial China which sounded very interesting to me. I enrolled, but then found out that Imperial China was canceled due to low enrollment as well. I am hopeful that I will have the opportunity to take this class in the future. 

At this point, I was desperately looking for a class that fit some bare minimum criteria. It had to work with my schedule, not get canceled, and be in literally any subject. I decided that I would just take elective credit if it did not count for my major or minor. I asked friends what classes they were taking, talked to my advisors and professors, and scoured e-prowl for a class. I eventually found two choices, RELI 023 Hebrew Bible or ENGL 113 Creative Writing: Poetry. I decided to go with ENGL 113 Creative Writing: Poetry because I have always loved writing (I work for the school paper so this should be obvious). I also greatly enjoy poetry. I contacted the professor for the class and I was granted an override so I could enroll in the full class!

I am really looking forward to my classes next semester; who knows, I might have to add another minor in English in the future!