I love many things: my family, UDairy ice cream (especially All-Nighter), good romance novels and America to name a few. Another thing that is high on my list of loves is course registration. Yes, I am a huge fan of the magical weeks when courses are published and classes are chosen. There are four reasons why this season is my favorite of all.
1). The Anticipation. Towards the middle of the semester, life starts to look a little bleak. Classes and extracurricular activities are in full swing and weeks drag on in a blur of midterms, papers and presentations. At this point, the light at the end of the tunnel flickers dismally. It seems as if there is little to look forward to, that is, until courses for the next semester come out.
The Registrar’s Office never tells the students the date that courses will be available; rather, they quietly update the database and wait for Twitter to blow up with the exciting news. The thrill of hearing that courses have been released is only beaten by the nervous excitement of looking up what courses are being offered and at what times. I admit that this year I perused UD Courses Search while walking across campus, only lifting my head to avoid getting hit by cars or aggressive bicyclists.
2). The Challenge. After the initial elation of searching for courses and examining the offerings comes the inevitable planning of ones schedule. For me, this becomes a puzzle that I spend far too much time trying to solve. It’s fun to play around with the different courses that are offered trying to find a schedule that I deem ideal (early classes with time for a lunch break). Naturally, after I find that schedule, I continue to make countless other options, just in case.
3). The Adrenaline. Now for the actual registration. This is the part that causes me the most anxiety. Will I get into UDSIS? Eventually. Will the system crash? Most likely. Will I get into the courses that I want? I sure hope so. These heart-pounding, palm-sweating moments are stressful, but completely worth it. There is such a sense of accomplishment after completing a schedule and being genuinely excited about the courses that I will be taking next semester. In a time where my current courses are cramming in assignments and information, it is a major relief to have something to look forward to.
Naturally, Rebecca’s favorite website.
4). The Community. Never do I feel more like a UD student than on registration day. During registration, social media sites (especially Twitter) thrive as students make jokes and comments about their registration experiences. Reading about others’ experiences while I nervously wait to get into my classes not only makes me laugh, but also makes me realize that I am not alone in this adventure. It is fun to get to share what can be the struggle of registration with my fellow Blue Hens. In fact, I have never gotten more love (i.e. retweets and favorites) on Twitter than I did during registration last spring.
I can only hope everyone is as excited about registration as I am. And of course, may the odds be ever in your favor.
~Rebecca Jaeger
