Registration-Mania
Words by Denisse Beato
Image by Sarah Otis
The rush begins as students open their Degree Works and browse through the many classes listed for the upcoming semester. Winter and Spring registration opened on November 1, 2022, and advising month has come to an end. Students who need academic advising can only schedule appointments with their advisors for December. City College students are ahead of the curve thanks to the updated CUNYfirst system.
The new system was updated at the beginning of the fall semester and caused much commotion among CUNY students. The update was new and confusing, and the layout differed from what many were used to. Some people even took to TikTok to share the stress, make jokes about the new system and educating others on how to navigate it. Although it has been an adjustment, many are happy because the old system often malfunctioned when it came time for students to sign up for classes.
City College junior Erick Martinez said, “I like how it looks; it feels more modern. But understanding it was something that took a while.” Martinez proposed a solution. “Once you get the hang of it, it’s convenient but there should be a tutorial, or tips to know how to use the new system.” Many students agree with the difficulty of understanding the update and have asked for a similar solution, such as video tutorials or even a meeting where academic advisors teach them how to navigate the new system.
Additionally, a new feature was introduced, which allows for students to save multiple schedules. This addition makes it easier for students to save potential schedules they are still considering for the upcoming semester.
City College students have been taking great advantage of this feature. It has significantly eased registration since with a click of a button students can enroll in their pre-selected schedules.
In addition to some students having difficulty with the new CUNYfirst layout, getting in contact with advisors and the financial aid office has also been a challenge. Psychology major and Senior, Nerely Galarza, struggles every semester. She doesn’t get the financial support she needs to apply for classes, then has to solve matters at the financial aid office as deadlines for registration approach.
“CUNY is not living up to what they promised. People don’t respond to their emails and the system is still glitching,” says Galarza.
Lack of academic and administrative support has added to students’ frustration and registration concerns.
