Registration Woes

By THE OBSERVER EDITORIAL BOARD

It’s that time of year again when we have to register for spring classes. While liberating for some seniors, it’s mainly a hassle that leaves many of us wondering how our perfect schedules never seem to work out.

Weeks before that 7 a.m. deadline, we craft our flawless schedules, looking for the best (easiest) professors, ideal (after 10 a.m.) times and convenient (five-day weekends) days. We factor in our jobs, internships and commuting times. For some it’s more about the schedule than the class; for others it’s more about the anticipated grade than the professor. Regardless of our motivation when setting our schedules, we hope to able to register for classes without hindrance. But time and time again, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

As Rex Sakamotoand Kathrene Binag’s article “Residents Frustrated With Internet Speed” on page one notes, the Internet in McMahon Hall is not at the level it should be. Students often encounter long waits when going online, and during registration, some were unable to access the MyFordham portal for periods of time. Wireless Internet on campus must be a priority—it’s how we access class readings, write papers and interact. A delay in wireless service delays registering, which not only raises student stress level but results in missed opportunities for great classes.

Even if the Internet were up to par, registering for classes is, more often than not, a challenge. All over Facebook students yell about classes they weren’t able to register for and classes they didn’t realize they’d need special permission to join. There should be an easier system in place that allows us to know what classes we’re able to take and at which campus before 7 a.m. panic kicks in. Enrolling in Rose Hill and Gabelli School of Business classes repeatedly proves problematic for students. If there was clearer communication among departments about dates and prerequisites, additional student frustrations could be avoided.

Every semester we email professors, deans—anyone we can find to make sure we get into a class. If something was in place before the mayhem of registration week, if we knew which classes would be blocked, which Rose Hill classes we can and cannot take, when we can register for certain ones—things would run more efficiently and smoothly. Plotting a semester of classes is time consuming and detailed, it’s something we work hard on getting right. We expect the school to honor that by providing clearer information and better wireless service.