After eight semesters of registration, I can truthfully say that I have never and will never comprehend the complexity the Fairfield University registration process entails. As incoming freshmen, the class of 2006 was handed automated schedules and from that day on the process has remained a foreign entity to me. I do not recall a meeting that explained how to register. But I will never forget sitting in the hallway of Canisius at 5 a.m., waiting in line for the registrar’s office to open. That was ridiculous.
Therefore, after four years of trial and error, I would like to consider my self quite knowledgeable in the area of registration. With that in mind the purpose of this column is to serve as a link between students and administration and convey in four hundred words what they attempt to do in ten thousand.
To begin, no matter what the school changes concerning the registration process, it always begins with a course booklet and a lottery number. Keep in mind that the color of the course booklet changes each semester.
The lottery numbers are worthless and solely serve the purpose of giving you a time to sign-up for classes. Even if your lottery number is a single digit, it can be assumed that there are well over a hundred students in your class who have already registered due to preferential registration. With that in mind, make sure to have at least one back up schedule so you are not scrambling for classes.
My first time encountering computerized registration I did not have a pin number. I naively thought that our social security numbers (at that time we didn’t have ID numbers) were our pin numbers, so when it was time to register online I ended up missing registration for that day-woops. Lesson of the day: you have to see your advisor to obtain a pin number.
It is important to remember that there are quirks to every system. For example, if your lottery number is 765 and your roommate is eight, there is no need to get discouraged. Have the roommate sign up for one of your classes that is almost maxed out (because you can register for six classes) and then in December when registration is long forgotten, have your roommate drop the class (opening up a slot) and you sign up. Ah, the beauties of technology.
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