While this blog post mostly goes out to current first-years-going-on-sophoromes, I invite any who’ve participated in pre-registration before or need a few extra tips to comment below with questions or advice of your own!

This past week, most of the student population of the 5Cs participated in pre-registration, a long standing tradition which gives us the opportunity to plan out the rest of our four-year plans in detail, manufacturing stress levels that rival those of hall draw. I know that when I was a freshmen, I had little comprehension as to the severity of pre-registration and it’s effects on my academic psyche. It wasn’t until the second semester of my sophomore year when I was required to learn how “pre-reg” operates, and how to use it to get what you need.

As a science major, I was inevitably signing up for second semester Organic Chemistry. *shudder*  That semester, there were at least four different sections of the class and I knew that get into one of them. However, there was a bit of a scheduling conflict with one, and only one, of the sections and, wouldn’t you know it, it happened to be the only section available when my pre-reg time began. I quickly found the information of the professor to contact and emailed him right away. It wasn’t until two or three days later that I heard anything. He claimed to be swamped in something called PERM requests, a tool that I would eventually come to love and revere, and that I would have to submit my concerns and conflicts through the academic portal if I wanted my issue addressed. I was devastated. I’d felt like I had wasted so much time and that there was no way that I would be able to get into any section at that point and that I wouldn’t finish my major requirements and that I wouldn’t graduate… As you can probably guess, long story short, I calmed down, filled out the necessary request, and when the next semester came I was sitting in appropriate OChem class.

Now while this process isn’t always smooth, please be assured that the pre-registration system is a god-send and is set up specifically for the benefit of the students. The two biggest tips to making the system work for you is proper planning and an effective use of PERMs. As many of you may already know, before any of us are allowed to pre-register, all of the scheduled classes for the upcoming semester are displayed on the academic portal. My advice is to take this time to clearly and thoughtfully plan out as many alternate schedules as you feel is necessary. If you’re an underclass student, create back-up schedules in case particular classes fill up. If you need to fulfill major or graduation requirements, find alternate classes that fulfill similar prerequisites. If you want to try lots of different classes, develop schedules that include various disciplines so you won’t get bogged down in a single subject. The other point I’d like to make is to actively utilize PERM requests. For those who are unaware, PERM requests serve as messages to professors as an intent to enroll in a particular class and ask the permission of a professor to allow you into their class. Whether it’s because the class is already full or you don’t meet certain requirements, PERMs become the singular facet through which to communicate with professors. It is through PERM requests that you can actively make a case for your place in a class, which demonstrates initiative and motivation (even when it comes to the smaller issues like selecting your classes). PERMs make a first impression and get your foot in the (classroom) door, setting positive impressions on first-time professors.

I know that I sound like a broken record, calling on students to be proactive and to have a part in shaping their own education, but pre-registration is no different. It is an amazing opportunity to start considering the direction and progression of your academic career. It is a tool that you can actively control and manipulate for your own scholastic gain, something for which I will always advocate.