It is that time of the semester again. Registration time. That means it is time to ask around about the good professors, find out what classes are not overly challenging, plan a meeting with your academic advisor and cross your fingers that you get a good time slot.

For first timers, registering for classes on their own can be slightly overwhelming. Villanova offers a wide variety of classes to fill core requirements as well as many electives. With so many classes to choose from at so many different times, it is difficult to know where to start.

“It has been a little hard not having someone just set my schedule up for me like they did in high school,” freshman Kathleen Buckley says. “I’m not used to this.”

When planning a tentative schedule for the following semester, a good place to start is “The Enchiridion.” The name may sound a bit intimidating, but students describe “The Enchiridion” as easy to use and well-organized. The booklet outlines the core requirements along with individual college, major and minor requirements.

Freshmen who are anxious about the unfamiliar process need not worry. The University offers an experienced staff of academic advisors and peer counselors to help students make the most of their schedule every semester. In general, students find such advising to be helpful.

“My peer counselor and advisor made it a lot easier to figure out what classes I should go for next semester,” Buckley says. “After meeting with them and getting my pin number to register, I was really put at ease.”

Registration times are based on the number of credits a student has. Students that have enough credits to qualify as seniors register first, and so on.

“I have a registration time on the last day,” freshman Kelsey Whalen says. “It is sort of high pressure. I am not going to lie; I am kind of nervous about it.”

Buckley adds, “I somehow got in the first time slot for freshmen. I am happy about that. I still planned back-up classes though, just in case.”

Researching the classes you intend to take before your registration time slot approaches is imperative for a stress-free process. It is also important to have a few back-up classes planned in case the others are already filled.

Although registering for classes can seem more daunting to novice freshmen, it is something all students have to put effort into every semester. Freshmen may be relieved to learn that registration gets easier with practice.

“I feel better about the whole thing now that I am a sophomore because I’ve already been through it,” Justin Green says. “It is not really a big deal anymore.”

Students at Villanova do not have problems getting the classes they need to take in order to fulfill certain requirements. And for the most part, students do not run into difficulty registering for the classes they want to take either. When talking to most students, the fear that all the “good” classes are impossible to get into seems to be a myth. Different types of students find different classes desirable. Some never run into any tribulation getting the classes they want to take.

“I have always been pretty lucky,” Villanova senior Jon Messing says. “I have always gotten the classes I wanted without any problem … the hardest thing about registering for classes, though, is that NOVASIS seems to break down every year.”

At this time, most upperclassmen have already registered for their classes and the anxiety has been lifted. Freshmen are finishing up, and the registration process for the Spring 2007 semester is almost complete.