For three years now course registration has been simple, checking off the required core classes while fulfilling my major and minor requirements. Now heading into my second semester of senior year I’ve found that I have more flexibility in taking classes in other subjects, which I didn’t have the opportunity to take before.
While the idea of expanding my horizons and taking advantage of the different courses Fairfield has to offer may sound intriguing, I have found it rather difficult to narrow down my options. Will I regret taking this course over another? Should I venture outside my comfort zone or stick to what I know best?
One of the things I like about Fairfield’s curriculum is that it incorporates a wide range of interests from creative and visual arts, to cognitive and natural sciences, to languages and business and beyond. Students can make the most out of their time at Fairfield by taking courses best suited to their strengths.
I’ve found that the registration process has been made easier with the help of my academic advisor, who has helped guide me through finding the best classes suited towards my major, as well as to offer me advice when I am stuck between classes. With my advisor’s help, I have been able to enroll in the Communication Internship Course offered during the summer, and I have received academic credit while working with the non-profit organization, American Friends of Jamaica, in a virtual communications internship.
This internship was valuable because it provided me with first-hand experience in the non-profit field of public relations and helped affirm that this is what I wanted to do for a career.
Even with these positive aspects, there are areas of the course registration process that can be frustrating. Most notably is the risk of the website crashing when all of us students log on at 7:00 a.m. There is also the slow processing of the schedule once you hit submit since there are so many of us submitting our schedules all at once. I’ve also noticed a glitch when registering for courses, that states there is a restriction or a prerequisite error and prevents you from registering for the class despite there being no restriction.
As the incoming class numbers continue to rise on campus, the registration process becomes more competitive, with students attempting to register for the same classes either for their major or part of the core. As I was looking through the course offerings I noticed that there were numerous interesting courses however there was no section available to take for it. This could lead to a problem where there are more students than there are classes.
Another issue occurs when a class only has one section, making it even more competitive to register for, or when a class conflicts with a student’s schedule whether it is at the same time as another class or interferes with work or other obligations. As Fairfield’s student body continues to grow, there becomes a greater need to ensure that all students have the opportunity to take advantage of the courses that are being offered; a potential solution could be having an open dialogue where students and faculty can address concerns regarding registration and ways it can improve.
Heading into my final semester of course registration is bittersweet as it will be the last time waiting for professors to send out the syllabus, picking up my textbooks from the campus bookstore, and sitting down with my iced coffee in the library or the Barone Campus Center, studying my notes for an upcoming quiz.
I can honestly say that many of the courses I’ve taken at Fairfield have been a good experience, and much of it is attributed to the professors I’ve had who go out of their way to make their class engaging and accessible, who want to see their students succeed. As the fall semester is starting to wrap up I’m excited for what lies ahead in the spring semester, and I hope that course registration goes well for all students next week and best of luck with the rest of the fall semester!
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