Sunday, November 16, 2014

Handling Class Registration

       Just hearing the word “registration” in November often makes me want to freak out––how can I be expected to choose new classes when I’ve barely hit a rhythm in my current schedule? It’s fun to browse through BC’s course catalogue and see the plethora of fun offerings, but as an English major, I sometimes feel like the extensive options are too much of a good thing. Now that I’m transitioning into upper-level classes and gaining a ton of academic flexibility, it’s easy for me to be overwhelmed by BC’s offerings and the fact that I can’t take them all. Part of me feels silly for worrying about this because I’ve loved all of my English classes and know firsthand how difficult it is to go wrong in BC registration; I wouldn’t be pursuing a French major if not for a Freshman-year registration mishap for which I’m now deeply thankful. Still, the idea of missing out on the perfect classes stresses me.
Fortunately, I’ve found a great coping strategy: talking to professors. In addition to my official academic advisor, I know I can rely on several faculty mentors for advice. I’m glad that registration gives me an extra excuse to visit their office hours because I love staying in touch, and every time I visit, I leave with a clearer plan for my present and future. The best part? Each registration cycle yields a class with at least one more professor whom I grow to trust as a mentor. In my eyes, BC’s main academic strength lies in its amazing faculty, and even though registration time is stressful, I love stepping back and seeing how positively my professors have shaped my BC experience.

-Ross Tetzloff '17


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