Top Ten Registration Mistakes Made by College Students

Summer session A at UF just seemed to fly by. Summer B has already begun and students who have enrolled in Summer C classes are about halfway done. Attending college at any time of year can be stressful but the summer just seems to be more hectic because it just goes by so quickly. This is why it’s so important to make sure that you understand the registration process so you can put your limited time to the best possible use. Read on to find out the top 10 registration mistakes made by college students. Get familiar with them so you will not make them!
1. Read all of the fine print in the course catalog- Students tend to get excited about a particular class and don’t check the prerequisites. If you have not taken the prior course in the sequence, then you will not be eligible to take your dream one! Don’t even try to register for it!
2. Check your financial aid status- Make sure that your financial aid is up to date. If it’s not, then you might be paying out of pocket for those classes or begging your parents for money!
3. Follow all of the instructions exactly- If you have an appointment time, make sure you keep it. Whether you are registering in person or online, it’s important to do things exactly as you are instructed to because if you don’t you will just have to do it again.
4. Register as early as possible- Classes tend to fill up quickly especially required ones and classes that tend to be fun. Early registration will prevent you from getting locked out of your favorite class and save you a lot of disappointment.
5. Consider your time restraints- You might dream about graduating a semester early but you need to think about all of your commitments. If you just started a new job or doing an internship, you might want to cut back on your course load. Trying to do too much at once, can just result in poor grades or even course failure.
6. Look at your transcript- Before registration, request a copy of your transcript or look it up online. You might see a chemistry class that you received a poor grade in and it needs to be repeated. Try to do this ASAP.
7. Use the summer to take hard classes- If you have a difficult course that you need to retake or pass, the summer might be an ideal time. Chemistry, biology and math courses tend to be harder and more time consuming. It might be a good idea to think about registering for only one course and giving it your complete attention.
8. Talk to an advisor before registration- Whether you are a graduating senior or an incoming freshmen, it’s always good to get advice from another person before registering. Sometimes they can help you to see the importance for taking classes in a different order then you originally planned.
9. Make class changes early- If you need to drop or add a class, do it right away. This can help you get started on the right track. Waiting too long will make it hard to catch up in the new class or get out of the old one.
10. Have fun- Education is supposed to be a journey to prepare you with the knowledge necessary to succeed in the future and beyond. So make sure you enjoy your time as a student because pretty soon you will be in the real world working everyday wishing you could be a student again!