To start the new year and new semester, students spent hours trying to register for spring classes at Del Mar College.
For those smart few who registered early, it was smooth sailing and calm waters.
But for those unlucky few who waited for regular and late registration, it was barrier after barrier to get their classes.
For most it was a long process going from one excruciatingly long line to the next waiting for paperwork that hadn’t even been processed.
On Jan. 12 the computers for registration crashed, leaving students in a panic and in a rush to complete their registration for the spring semester.
The registration process is over- loaded for the amount of students registering at one time. And shuffling people from line to line adds to the confusion and frustration the students feel toward the school.
Students who registered early didn’t have to wait in line for advising.
Meagan Falcon/Foghorn
Express registration is for new or transferring students from another school, but current students use the last days for registration, too, which is a reason the system crashed mid- registration
Express registration is for new or transferring students from another school, but current students use the last days for registration, too, which is a reason the system crashed mid- registration.
Students should attend registration prepared with the classes they want before seeing an adviser.
There are also many other ways to register besides in person. For instance, a student can register with the VikingGo app or online. By registering this way, the student saves time and avoids any and all lines. The time an adviser would have spent with that student can now be invested into helping new and transferring students.
To avoid confusion, the college should offer more registration dates. On top of offering more registration dates the calendar regarding registration needs to be more specific and easier to read.
On the calendar, it simply states express, late or regular registration, which is confusing and non-specific. Most students don’t know the different the types of registration, which is why they show up on the wrong dates. A simple explanation can avoid a majority of the confusion felt by students, and it will, in turn, make the registration process smoother for everybody involved.
For students who are coming back to school, it can be disheartening seeing failure in the one place where they are supposed to find success.
The college and students alike wait way too long to even begin registration. Larger universities allow students to register onsite months in advance; whereas here at DMC, onsite registration is available to students until days before classes.
