How to deal with registration

We all dread that e-mail from UC saying that we need to sign up for a pre-registration meeting with our adviser. You've finally settled into your schedule for the current semester, mid terms are dominating your life, and break feels like its never going to get here. Once you get over that and accept the fact that you may want to change majors again, follow these easy steps for a successful class registration.

-Find a time that isn't completely inconvenient: It would be prudent to register a time as quickly as possible before your colleagues take all the good ones. Even if you have no idea what you're doing next semester there is still plenty of time since the pre-registration email is sent out weeks in advance.

-Run a degree audit: Are you tired of finding out that you still need to take basic studies courses? Go to seanet and run a degree audit and find out exactly which ones you still need. That way you can have some idea of what classes you want to take before meeting with your adviser. Bonus: If you have settled on a major, you can see what other classes you need to take to move up in the major.

-Don't forget to meet with your adviser: I know you forgot to schedule an appointment and all the good ones are taken and you normally don't get up at eight o clock, but make sure you actually go.

-Meet with your adviser: Hopefully you come prepared, and if not, that's what your adviser is there for. Ideally you make sure that you have all the required prerequisites for your classes (looking at you Mr. Zuckerman) and you come up with a few alternative classes just in case you decide you want to drop a class. Because who actually wants to take International Studies?

-Prepare: Drink a redbull, make a facebook status, and have your registration form ready as the clock ticks down. I like to listen to "The Final Countdown" by Europe to pump myself up. Bonus points if you have seanet open in multiple browsers just in case.

-Register for classes: Take a deep breath and dive in. I recommend just getting into all of your required classes first before trying to have no 8a.m.'s and Fridays off. Once you get in, you can change sections or rearrange your schedule to your own liking, but at least you'll know that you are taking classes next semester. For fall semesters its not a bad idea to make Mondays your busiest day since we usually have Mondays off for more than one holiday.

Congratulations! Hopefully you got all the classes you wanted and if not there's always the chance to snag some seats during the add/drop period. Make a facebook status either complaining or bragging about your schedule and relax. Now all you have to do is pass the classes.