Registration week is always stressful. Take it from me; this year I get to register on the very last day at the last available time. As difficult as it will be for me to register, some students have their registration times during class time. That makes registering even more difficult, as some professors will deny students their right to register for classes during their class time. I do not think this is right. It will harm the student in more ways than the professor may think.

Some professors may argue that the time the students register is just the time their registration opens and they can register any time before the next semester begins. If anyone is familiar with the College’s registration system, students and professors know that it is not an easy process.

First of all, logging into JayWeb exactly when one’s particular time slot opens causes the system to either freeze or slow processing speed because of the overload of students logging in at the same time. In addition, classes close up quickly depending on their popularity or the subject matter. Yes, students can pre-register for some classes, but students will have to fight for others when they register.  That means they might be waitlisted or they will have to settle for a backup class.

In some circumstances, a student’s inability to get a required or important class can impact their major profoundly. Certain classes are not available during certain semesters and students may need a certain class as a prerequisite for other classes to advance in their major.

Registering for Core classes is even more stressful, especially if they are popular.  Not getting into a certain class in a certain semester can heavily impact a student’s schedule.

For example, maybe a student wants to take Class A in the fall of 2014 because it counts as a guided writing and research class, as well as a Core class and a course for his or her major.  Say that the student cannot get into the class because the professor won’t let students register during instruction time.  In such a case, the student has to rethink an entire schedule if the class isn’t offered the following semester. He or she may have to take extra classes instead of a three-hit class.  There’s even more tension if the student wants to take up an additional major or minor.

It may not seem like much, but I feel that it is not the professor’s place to prevent students from registering when their registration time opens. Students should be on top of their own schedules as young adults and it is not the professor’s responsibility to keep students in class so they do not miss their work.

Students can choose to make up their work or not. The fact that the student feels the need to register for classes during class proves that  students are driven and forward-thinking, not wanting to save their responsibilities for later. This should demonstrate to the professor the student’s desire to be the master of his or her education at Etown.

Besides, when the registration process goes smoothly, it only takes a few minutes to complete. The professor should not be affected by students’ registering during class. Yes, the professor might want them to pay attention to the course material covered in class but by Registration Week, students should know what to expect on their final exams.

Some students may feel that registration is no big deal. They might be pre-registered for some of their classes or they will just take what they get.  I always want to do everything with plenty of time left over to make sure that I get the classes I want by registering early.

I want to be able to register as soon as my time slot opens, and I do not want my professor telling me that I cannot register at that time when the classes I take could affect my entire college career. Students should be able to register for their classes regardless of when their time slot opens during a class, as the students are quite capable of staying on top of the work in their current classes.