Scheduling classes is a hassle. You need to think about the next semester before midway through the current one.
It is a cruel joke sometimes, starting to think about what your semester will look like at the start of January when you may be drowning right now … in mid-October.
That being said, registration is one of the most crucial parts of being a student. If you do it successfully, not only do you set yourself up for a good semester ahead, but you also influence future decisions for future semesters.
Firstly, utilize all the resources you have at your disposal. Your course coordinator, academic mentor, advisor, school staff and registrar staff are all in your corner — here to help you succeed with your academic journey.
Through all steps outlined here, meeting with at least someone will help you ensure a fair fight for registration.
Before we dive right into registration tips and tricks, let us take a step back and focus on the bigger picture.
What do you want out of your university career? This is not just for new students. It is always good to ask regardless of where you are at during your academic journey.
The insights you get from your answer should influence what you are looking for, come next semester.
This may help you decide whether or not a minor is for you, whether to pick up a certificate or an option or even decide to do the BS/MS program, if offered.
During this pre-registration time, actively view the course catalog for your major, ensure required classes are accounted for and from there, see where you can creatively flex the major to cater to your needs.
It is recommended to view the most up-to-date major requirements that can be found at catalog.gatech.edu/programs/. From there, in whatever organization method (like Excel) best suits you, plan it out. Plan your whole time at Tech out, and make sure every single class is accounted for.
As a freshman or sophomore, this may seem like a useless practice. However, never underestimate the power of marking something down. It is better that you constantly account for a class rather than completely forgetting about it until your graduating semester.
This initial draft is not binding, but it is a good start since it is known that it meets all institute requirements. Specifically, try to focus on planning at least a year in advance, so Spring 2023, Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 for now.
The big question on your mind now would be “Well, what should I take?” This can be answered with a flurry of questions.
Are there any required courses/streams that must be taken now as a prerequisite? Answering this would be a good place to start.
What are my peers around the same graduating year as me taking? What did students ahead of me previously take? What are recommendations that I have heard from staff? Am I balancing my schedule based on external time commitments?
Once completed, you can patiently wait until Oct. 26, when course offerings will be released.
Your schedule will inevitably change, either due to the time the class is offered, a conflict or the professor.
There is no hard and fast rule when deciding between sections for several classes.
Some students swear by stacking together their classes, some ensure that they get a certain professor for every class and others just try their hardest to get classes whose locations will be nearby one another.
There are several resources present online that can be used to rank sections, classes and teachers; however, please be aware of the nature of the anonymous internet.
If you are fortunate enough to know someone who had previously interacted with the class, they are probably a better source.
Once your schedule is set, you are ready for the big day. When that time ticket opens you need to be prepared.
The new scheduling system allows students to submit their whole schedule at once, so try your best to make one at least a night before your time ticket.
It is also recommended to check the portal an hour before your time ticket is up to ensure all the classes you would select still have seats open.
It is easy to walk out of the time ticket and feel distraught about your schedule.
There are two things you must do though. Ensure you have at least 12 credit hours signed up for if you are interested in being a full-time student next semester — select random classes if you have to.
Lastly, do not worry if everything does not go according to plan the first time around. In Phase 2 we trust.