So many freshman, so little class choices

by Heather Dilalla and Rosemarie Gonzalez staff writers

Most freshmen dread registration for classes like a nightmare. This year, freshman students were able to get into many of the classes they desired. First-year student " have any all of the classes I wanted." However, some students were not that lucky. •

Many of the required core classes were full when first-year students went to register. For many it was extremely time-consuming and aggravating. Some students would find a schedule they were happy with, meet with their adviser and have him or her sign the form, but by the time they registered, the classes were full. For example, first-year student Brian Kerrigan said, "I was picking my classes with the help of my designated adviser and just when I thought I was finished, I went to register and they were full. That quickly they were already full and it forced me to have to start the process all over again."

First-year students are urged by their advisers to take as many core classes as possible in order to get them completed. However, core classes such as Sem 100s and ISTs are some of the more difficult classes to get into. First-year student Nicole Martinelli who works behind the desk in the registrar's office said, "Sem 100s and ISTs are filling up quickly and it makes a lot of people frustrated and angry." ere or e core, o em were full on the Friday of freshman registration. In fact there are quite a few classes that are overbooked because there are students exceeding the limit. First-year student Adrienne Dinkelackers said, "I wanted to get into an IST class but it was closed so they didn't bother to help me; they gave me an add/drop form and told me to come back."

Sem 1OOsare a core requirement that all first-year students must take. While 20 Sem courses are offered, only six remained open on the Friday of registration. Half of the 14 classes that were full exceeded the number of students allowed in each class. That leaves little to pick from when trying to find a class that fits into the time slots a student wants.

Individual and Society courses were another popular core area in that the availability of those cours- es were slim with only four of the 11 courses being opened to students and the rest full. With a limited amount of choices, freshmen have no other choice than to take mostly 8:15 and Friday classes.

Karen Karlsen of the registrar's office was able to provide some information on courses available or st-year stu ents. os o e courses that everyone would like are taken and the first-year students, especially those who register last, are left with cores, 8: 15 classes, and Friday classes.

"It's bad. I feel badly for them. They have to rethink the way they take their classes," Karlsen said. She also said that these are the classes and times that students try to avoid. For one reason, these times pose problems for commuters to arrive on time to their early scheduled classes. Karlsen tries to help students out as best she can, providing some advice and support for students based on their majors or for their best interest, seeing as to whether or not certain times would be good for the students.

Many of the students pick their classes according to work, sports or what is best for them. Firstyear student, and intramural ice hockey player, Rob Cain said, "I only got into two classes that I wanted and I have to pick all new ones and those new classes will probably be full too." Cain, along with many other sports participants, finds scheduling classes to be a hassle because there are certain times where class will inter- rrs -year s en were no e only ones complaining at the registrar's office. Quite a number of sophomores fell a credit or two behind, prohibiting them from registering in classes they needed.

"I am a sophomore and I'm down one credit and they are not letting me register as a sophomore. They have me as a freshman and I can not get into any of the classes I need," Colleen Feeny said.

Maureen McQuade, also a sophomore, said, Everyone attending this school pays to come here. Therefore the classes these students chose should be available to em regardless of their seniority."

-see related perspective by Mike Kazanjian on page 15