One of the most stressful events for college students everywhere is coming! “Registrating for classes.” It is stressful because everyone has the ideal plan in their head of the type of semester and the type of classes we want to take, but there are not unlimited seats available, so you have to plan ahead and be strategic! This can be especially unnerving for those who are going through registration for the first time. In this blog, I would like to give you some tips about how to register for classes successfully!
Step 1: Look on KnightWeb!
Visit KnightWeb, which is an online portal that you will have access to once admitted, to view your registration status and registration time. Depending on what year you are in, you are scheduled to register at a specific time. You also have to make sure that you do not have any holds on your account, which can prevent you from registering your classes. If you are a first-year student, a first-semester transfer, a student on academic probation, you will have an Advisement Hold. It can only be removed by only having an appointment with your academic advisor prior to your registration date to make sure you are taking the proper courses. Even if you do not have this hold on your account, I strongly suggest talking with your advisor. When you come into Geneseo, you will be assigned an advisor so that you can meet with them about your courses. You can view all of the information above by visiting: My Geneseo -> KnightWeb -> Students -> Registration -> Course Planning -> Prepare for Registration.
Step 2: Browse available courses for next semester.
Visit the course catalog and narrow down the subjects you are interested in. You also can browse any specific level of classes, schedule time, or departments. Some courses are available only during either the fall semester or the spring semester, so make sure that course you are planning on taking is provided next semester. The best part of this page is that you can see view any prerequisites, corequisities and credit hours at the same time.
Step 3: Know what courses you have to take
In order to graduate and satisfy your major, there are requirements, of course. The easiest way to check what courses you have to take in the future for your major or general education is to visit Degree Works on MyGeneseo. Classes you have to take are labeled as “Still Needed” in red letters on this page. If you click “What if” on the left sidebar, and select any major or minor, it shows what course you would have to take if you decide to declare a specific major or minor. Therefore, it is helpful not only for viewing your required courses but also for deciding your major or minor if you have not decided yet.
Step 4: Plan Ahead
Once you get a rough idea of what courses you are going to take next semester, start actually planning! Visit Registration on MyGeneseo and select Plan Ahead. You can create a maximum of 5 different plans for the next term. You should always come up with alternative course schedules prior to registration, so you do not lose time making alternatives as other students sign up for classes you are interested in. In order to prevent this disaster, planning ahead of registration date is strongly recommended. You can view sections and if they are the ones you want to take, you can press “Add Course” so you can see if there are any class conflicts. Once you save your plan, the only thing you have to do on registration date is just submit it, it’s much easier. Make the most of the “Plan Ahead” tools prior to registration.
If you finish all of steps above, then make sure you set your alarm to wake up in time (registration starts early in the morning). You can always seek advice from your academic advisors or RA if you have any concerns or questions. Good luck!
Here are a few more helpful links for you:
https://www.geneseo.edu/registrar/MasterSchedule
https://www.geneseo.edu/registrar/how-register
https://www.geneseo.edu/registrar/registration
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Nami Nashimura ’20
International Student & Scholar Services 