Yes, it's hectic, but here's help By Krystal RiveraHave your emplid ID’s ready because registration has begun. It doesn’t matter if you're a freshman, transfer, or senior. The process can go from easy to agonizing in just a few clicks. “Most classes are already full by registration,” states Kayshawna Sadler a psych major.Often times, missed deadlines, account lockouts, financial holds and other problems pile up. “You're not guaranteed the class you want," says Geeta Singh, a business major. "If we had more class sections, it would be better.”However, you can avoid these issues. Kristen Matos, a communications major and assistant in the advisement office, shared the common mistakes students make as registration begins. She offers this straightforward advice: ask and look -- ahead of time. The specifics:
- Ask questions before panic sets in. “[Students] wait until the last minute to start looking for classes,” Matos says. Instead, think ahead.
- Don't procrastinate. “Same thing for the holds. [Students] don’t go on cunyfirst, and that’s basically where it tells you everything.” Yes, Cunyfirst is overwhelming, but you have to deal with it; log-in and look.
- Be first in line. Keep track of your registration date and put classes in your "shopping cart" early.
- Be prepared by having more than one schedule made. “Just in case the class was taken, you’ll have other options,” advises Matos.
- And you can always think positive. Sometimes everything works out. That’s what happened to Fatima Quiroz, a transfer student at City College. “I contacted the department by phone," she says. "They gave me an email of someone I needed to contact and a few hours later they responded.”
When in doubt, the office of student success can provide any further answers to your questions, including the right offices to visit in handling specific problems.