Registration and Scheduling tips for CSU Students

thunderman15
Thu, 04 Jul 2013 05:58:34 +0000

The number one complaint you will hear by students at CSU Northridge, CSU Long Beach and all other impacted CSU’s is not the tuition or location, but how difficult it is to get your classes. You will see so many classes you want to sign up for be filled weeks before your registration date and have 10-20 people crashing impacted classes on the first day with most of them leaving unhappy. Rather than being upset that you did not get your classes after your registration date, here are some things you can plan before the upcoming semester to help the chances of you getting a better schedule.


Take 15-16 units freshman year.
I see so many incoming freshman only sign up for 12-13 because that is the max they allow at orientation, only to regret it later as they realize this was the only time it was easy to get all of your classes. They allow all students to sign up for an additional class during open registration which is listed on the school’s calendar. If you have a part time job or feel it will be too much pressure to take 5 classes, than starting off with 12-13 is okay, but if you have the time, definitely try to take 15-16 units and at worst, you can drop one of the classes week one without penalty.
Do something for priority registration.
Some of the common activities to get priority registration (at least at CSU Northridge) include being an orientation leader, a university ambassador, or a note taker for someone in your class. Some uncommon ways are sports or other major clubs, but these usually have some heavy pre-requirements.
The professors you get.
Most worry about taking a class with a bad professor after seeing their reviews on RateMyProfessor, but most would tell you that could do well with whichever professor you have. Although this may be true depending on how much you study, I can tell you from my experience that the professor you have at universities does indeed make a difference not only because of how they teach, but because of grading styles such as curves. I am not saying do not take a class just because the professor for it isn’t ranked high as it will be hard to get good professors without a good registration date, but if you are a type of student who has a hard time learning on your own and will need a good professor to do well, but the professor has heavy reviews along the lines of “you will need to teach yourself”, you may want to wait-list for a better professor.


As for your schedule, here are things I see people complain about the first few weeks into class.


8 A.M. classes.
Unless you are a morning person, most incoming freshman regret taking an 8 A.M. class because of how tired they get during classes. Students also say it affects their studying and grades later in the semester. Do not be discouraged if it is the only option you have, but if you do indeed other choices, I would recommend taking afternoon or maybe even evening classes when you are wide awake.
Having too many classes back to back
Many think it’s good to take 3 or even 4 classes back to back. The main negative goes back to the 8 A.M. class logic in that you will get tired and not pay attention, which in turn will lead to lower scores. If you dorm or live nearby, I recommend making your schedule flexible if possible. If you commute from a long distance, have a part time job or have another reason in which you have to take multiple classes back to back, do not worry too much, but just realize you will have to put in more effort to stay focused not only during class, but later at night as well.


Here are ways to make your schedule better and gain more units.


Take G.E. (General Education) classes online. This is something I cannot emphasize enough. Even after the semester starts, I always see so many spots open in online G.E. classes like astronomy and religion. Remember that even though these classes may not be the most interesting, they will help you in filling those G.E. requirements and hitting 15-16 units without being too overwhelmed. Try to take G.E. classes in subjects you enjoy, but if none are open, I recommend getting any online G.E. classes as it will benefit you in the future.
Plan your schedule for next semester ahead of time and look at pre-requirements of future classes you need.
If you are a math major and need calculus for your degree, take the pre-required classes for it like algebra during your freshman year when you are guaranteed to get them. Having your schedule planned out for all four-six years and knowing the order helps, as you can take those mandatory classes early when you can get them and save the electives for later. Also take lower level G.E. classes like history, arts, and sciences early as even though these are level 100-200 classes, everyone tries to get them junior/senior year because they didn’t freshman year only to realize they will be full by the freshman with priority registration.


This basically wraps up the main ways on how to enjoy your college experience when it comes to scheduling and classes. I commute so I cannot answer many question about dorms or clubs, but if you have any questions regarding things like registration, what to expect in certain classes, or even different majors, feel free to message me or post here.