by Maggie Westerman | Staff Writer

SCRANTON – Registration for spring 2020 is well underway at the University of Scranton. For many students, it will be their first-time selecting classes. For others, like senior political science major and criminal justice minor Spencer McLaughlin, it was their last.

“It definitely feels sad, knowing that I won’t be here in Scranton much longer, but it was really nice to finally have the first registration time,” McLaughlin said.

Seniors at the University registered on Oct. 9. Students from the Kania

Students in the Kania School of Management (KSOM), the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and the Panuska College of Professional Studies (PCPS) filled out their last Curriculum, Advising, and Program Planning (CAPP) sheet with capstone courses and last minute humanities, and signed on to My.Scranton for one last stressful Friday afternoon.

After seven registration days in seven semesters, these students say they have learned a thing or two to pass on about how to build a schedule and have a successful registration day.

KSOM:

Student: Matthew DeBenedetto

Majors: Operations management and philosophy

Honors Programs: Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program, Business Leadership Program

On KSOM advising: “In my experience, my schedule has been a bit complicated with majors so separate from each other, but even with that complexity, the advisors are still able to break it down for me in a way that still gives me a lot of control over what classes I take and when I take them. I’m never left uncertain, which I think is pretty nice about KSOM advising.”

Worst registration story: “Two semesters ago, I was stuck in a position where I got a very late time, so both of the schedules I had planned out didn’t work anymore. I had to create one on the fly because everything I had planned for went out the window at the last minute. Everything ended up being just fine though.”

Advice for first time registers: “Be sure that you’re organized. Something that helped me was knowing what classes I wanted to take, reading what they were about. Also, when you’re registering with classes, try to pick times that will work with you and your life.”

CAS:

Student: Spencer McLaughlin

Major: Political science

Minor: Criminal justice

On CAS advising: “It’s pretty much been painless. Ever since my first year, I’ve always been able to access my academic advisors at least a few weeks before registration. They’re very good with helping me figure out which classes are in my best interest to take and what professors I should take. I’ve found that the more you go to them, the more personal they are with their help.”

Worst registration story: “I think my first year I had the latest time, which was kind of terrifying. Some classes that I needed, though, I was automatically placed in. It showed me that even though there are bad registration times, the school is still going to work with you to find a way to get you into all the classes you need. You can always be put on a wait list and people almost always end up dropping. I don’t think there was ever a time I was denied access to a class.”

Advice for first time registers: “First things first, get in touch with an advisor. Look at your CAPP sheet and know what you have to take this year in order to meet requirements. Also, definitely have your classes picked out before meeting with an advisor, because then you can make sure you have all your pre-requisites and have a discussion about which professors have the best teaching style for you.”

PCPS:

Student: Fiona Dunn

Major: Nursing

On PCPS advising: “I’ve always felt lucky to be in PCPS because we have such a great advising center. You’re required to meet with an advisor every semester to go over what courses you need to take. The only issues I would ever run into would be an occasional miscommunication, but as I went further into the program, all of our classes and clinicals were scheduled for us. Any issues that came about with nursing everybody was experiencing and it was always fixed for all of us. Everyone is always really willing to help, be honest with you and talk you through issues.”

Advice for first time registers: “Don’t procrastinate looking through your schedule. It can be really overwhelming, so if you need help making your schedule, don’t be afraid to ask a friend for help. The biggest piece of advice I always give is to prioritize the teacher you’re taking and the class over the time it’s being offered when looking at the theology and philosophy courses. I always found myself trying to choose my classes based off convenience and time, but it’s much more worth it to go off of professor that are recommended to you.”