Course offerings have recently been littering my emails and reminding me that the most stressful day of the year is rolling around once more. Course registration season quickly becomes one of the most stressful games of Tetris there ever was.
When the course offerings are first released.
Every time course offerings are released there is an air of excitement brought on. You have yet to be disappointed by the details such as when the class takes place or class size, and everything seems like it might actually go smoothly this time.
When you first try figuring out your schedule.
As soon as you finally get a chance to look at all the classes up for grabs, you start to realize just how hard it is going to be to actually find a class schedule you don't absolutely hate.
When two or more classes you need to take are scheduled for the same time.
Inevitably there will always be those classes that you have to have that end up only being offered at the same exact time. It feels almost as if the university is trying to make your life harder than it has to be.
When you have to schedule a meeting with an advisor because everything was too confusing to figure out on your own.
There comes a point where you can no longer figure out your schedule on your own and you have no other option but to ask for help. You hope that between you and your advisor you can come up with a list of classes you don't absolutely despise.
When said advisor can't meet with you because too many other students have appointments.
GiphyReceiving the "Sorry but I am just to busy right now to meet with any more students" email is one of the worst things you can possibly receive from any advisor. Dread starts to fill you as you realize you're now all alone in trying to figure out your schedule.
When you start to question if you will graduate on time.
When all hope seems to be lost and you reach one of the lowest points in the process, you begin to wonder if you will ever figure out a solution to your scheduling woes. Worst case scenario, you decide you will just drop out if things keep going the way they are.
When you spend the weeks/days leading up to registration trying to finalize a schedule.
The more you look at the course options the more stressed out you become, and the more stressed out you become the harder it becomes to feel like there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.
When you have to wake up earlier than normal just so you don't miss out on the classes you want/need.
GiphyScheduling always happens first thing in the morning every semester, but our bodies never quite grasp the concept of needing to wake up early for such an important event. While it is one of the only ways to make it fair for all students, it never fails to suck having to wake up earlier than normal just to schedule classes.
When none of the classes you need are still available, and you start to hate small class sizes more than anything else.
Small class sizes always seem like a great thing until you aren't able to get into a class you desperately wanted. Sure it might make everything else about the educational experience better, but it will never help the stress that it brings on.
When you have to make an entirely new schedule during your registration time because all of the classes you needed are now full.
It almost never fails that at least one of the classes you needed is completely full when your time to pick classes rolls around. It always ends up bing a last minute scramble to find classes you think you can endure.
When you have to give up on trying to find other classes and email professors begging to be added to a class.
When all else fails and you didn't get that class you thought you would, you succumb to emailing the professor asking to be force added to their class. This always involves some subtle sucking up and trying to convince them that they want you in their class.
No matter how rough course registration may be, at least it doesn't last too long. Before you know it you will be back to hating all the classes you signed up for last time.
