The Registrar’s Office at Oswego State is preparing for the fall 2014 registration season and students are encouraged to start preparing for it.

Come the registration period which began on Monday, students attempting to register for classes could encounter many roadblocks such as prerequisite errors, restrictions and closed courses. Here are some helpful tips to make sure registration goes as smoothly as possible.

Two different schedules.

Registration Supervisor Casey Walpole has been helping students handle registration for over 30 years. She said a common problem she sees is students not being prepared.

“I always tell students to make their schedule well ahead of time, and make an alternate schedule as well so you have a backup if some classes don’t work out,” Walpole said.

Even if a single class on a schedule closes, it could throw off a student’s entire plan for next semester. A second schedule allows a better chance of getting into all the necessary classes.

Check for holds. 

Holds that prevent registration can be placed on students’ accounts for multiple reasons, and students may not even know they have one.

Holds may be placed on students due to unpaid tuition bills or fees, unpaid parking tickets or overdue library books.

To check for holds, look under the registration tab on myOswego and click on “view holds.”

If you plan to change your major, do so before registration.

Some classes are limited to students with specific majors. To avoid any restrictions, complete a change of major/minor form which can be found in the academic departments and the Registrar’s Office. Once filled out, return it to 301 Culkin Hall.

Check for prerequisites on each class you plan to take. 

“Look on Course Availability and make sure that nothing will prevent you from getting into your classes on the first try,” Walpole said.

Many classes have certain requirements that students must fulfill before they can take them. Some require students to get the permission of the instructor, while others require them to have upper-division standing. It’s common for advanced classes to have a lower-level class as a prerequisite to prepare students for more challenging work.

Move fast.

Oswego State student Sarah Brown is a sophomore and has been through the process of registering for classes multiple times.

“My second semester freshman year, I waited a while to register because I was thinking about changing my major,” Brown said. “Once I finally decided to register, a lot of the classes I wanted to take were full.”

Advanced registration continues through April 25. The date students register depends on how many credits they have, with seniors getting the first pick of classes. Students can look on myOswego under the registration tab and click “check your registration status” to find the specific date and time they are eligible to register.

The Registrar’s Office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to help all students that need assistance. The office can be reached by calling 315-312-2136 during these hours, or by emailing registra@oswego.edu.