Graduate students are signing up for next fall's courses this week, and undergraduate registration begins next Monday, April 10. Towson's Web site (http://onestop.towson.edu/) can answer basic questions about class sign-up, but otherwise here are some other tips and tricks you should know-
Don't procrastinate
Registrar and associate vice president for academic affairs Bob Giordani's registration advice is simple: Register on time.
"For some reason, we always have a number of students who wait until June to register, and then they're surprised that courses aren't available," Giordani, said.
He said students should plan their schedules well ahead of time.
"If a student can register at 8 a.m. Monday, they shouldn't wait until Monday morning to look at the schedule. They should do that on Saturday or Sunday and decide what they want to register for," he said.
Giordani also recommended having backup schedule options.
"Have some alternates for every course in case they're full," he said.
To view your registration appointment, log onto Towson Online Services (http://students.towson.edu/), click on SA Self Service, then Learner Services, then Academics, then View Enrollment Appointment.
Get some advice
Next fall, academic advising will be mandatory for all students. Until then, it's highly recommended. Richard Seigel, chair of the biological sciences department, said students should make an appointment with an advisor as far in advance as possible.
When students meet with the advisor, "they should have an idea of what courses they need, both for fulfilling graduation requirements and what courses might be necessary for their own career plans," Seigel said.
Kent Barnes, chair of the geography and environmental planning department, also stressed the importance of advising.
"Registration may still prove to be a headache, but if they are advised by faculty, they will avoid common mistakes such as taking courses out of sequence or getting into classes for which they are not academically prepared," Barnes said. "Moreover, faculty can recommend viable alternative courses to students should students' preferred courses be closed."
To schedule an appointment with the Academic Advising Center, call (410) 704-2472. For information about advising in your major, check with the specific department.
Try something new
"Be daring," Lynn Dowell, director of academic advising, said. "Try something besides the classes your roommates have already taken."
Several years ago, Dowell took ANTH 208, Human Evolution & Prehistory, and found herself thinking that she should have majored in anthropology.
"Take something you've never thought of," she said. "Take a self defense class, it could save your life. Meet your future partner in ballroom dancing. Classes like film in literature can be really interesting, to see the movie of a book."
Dowell pointed out that many professors are "awfully interesting" once they begin discussing a topic they're passionate about.
Wake up early or stay up late
The campus gets crowded between 9 a.m. and noon, when the most classes are offered. But as classes fill up, look for options at less popular times of day.
Almost every available room is booked in the mid-mornings, Giordani said. The registrar's office runs a report detailing the availability of class space every hour of every day.
"Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 and 10 a.m., almost every room on campus is booked, which means the most number of courses are offered," Giordani said.
On Tuesday and Thursdays, "there's nothing at 9:30. There's nothing at 11. Those slots are completely full."
To avoid the rush, look for 8 a.m., mid-afternoon, and evening offerings. When the University adds class sections to meet enrollment demands in the weeks to come, it will add them at off-peak hours.
Become an athlete or an ambassador
Not all students are created equal, at least not when it comes to registration. Student athletes are the very first to sign up.
"They have to work around practice schedules," Giordani said.
Students with disabilities, Honors College students and members of the Student Ambassador Association sign up at the top of their class. (In other words, they receive the first enrollment appointment for their class.)
Students with disabilities sometimes have special needs for the way they arrange their class schedules.
"For example, some students get double-time in testing, so if they have back to back classes, they might miss their next class on test days," Giordani said. "Also a student in a wheelchair may not be able to get across campus in 10 minutes."
Students with learning disabilities may try to avoid scheduling once a week classes if they have trouble paying attention for several hours in a row.
Track progress using PeopleSoft
Students can track their progress toward graduation using PeopleSoft, Cecilia Deems, director of graduation and academic standards, said.
"Before, students would apply for graduation without any concept of whether they were eligible," Deems said. "Now we're trying to get the message out that before you apply, you can go online and view your degree progress report."
The report lists requirements for graduation and uses the student's unofficial transcript to measure whether requirements have been satisfied. It checks general education classes, and it will eventually check requirements for the major, as well.
"It's a relatively new instrument that's really very helpful," Deems said. "Ultimately, students are going to be able to look at requirements for their major, look at their progress, and see 'Oh gee, I still need this class for my major.'"
The degree progress report is accessible in Towson Online Services under the Academics category. Deems also said students should log into PeopleSoft and verify that their contact information and academic program details are up-to-date.
"The better information we have, the smoother the process is for the student," she said.
To view your registration appointment, log onto Towson Online Services (http://students.towson.edu/), click on SA Self Service, then Learner Services, then Academics, then View Degree Progress Report.
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