With the month of November beginning, many students have already started thinking about next semester. Of course, the reason for this is that registration for courses offered during the spring 2018 semester has begun. For many students, registration season is often one that brings forth plenty of stress. It also does not help knowing finals week is waiting right around the corner.

The methods used for registering for classes differ between schools, but something one would assume many would agree on is that technology, such as computers, have certainly made registering much easier than it once was. However, it seems as if Oswego State is preventing registration from becoming too easy.

The reason for this suspicion stems largely from the system of advisers assigning students with personal identification numbers. Mind you, only first-semester freshmen and juniors, as well as new transfers with second-semester junior status, are required to use a personal identification number. Regardless, that does not take away from the stress this can cause an individual.

It is not entering the PIN that is the issue, but rather the process of receiving it. Simply sending the PIN over email would be far too simple, so students receive an email from their adviser to set up an appointment in order to obtain the number. Although this appointment also provides an opportunity to speak in person to your adviser, it still does not negate the fact that it is an insufficient method for registering.

From personal experience, this method feels like it is the furthest thing from stress free. Due to the number of students having to set up appointments, it can quickly become difficult for students to find a time to meet that works for both them and their adviser. There is very little that can compare to the stress and aggravation of setting up an appointment and showing up to an adviser’s office only to find they are not there due to a meeting they did not notify the student of. All the while this delays a student’s opportunity to register on time and get the classes they need, which is the absolute last thing any student would want to have happen.

This is a prime example of how dysfunctional and stressful this system is. The worst part of it all is when the day finally comes to receive the PIN, it is given to the student on a simple sticky note, which all but confirms how inefficient this system is. So, a student has to face the stress of scheduling an appointment, possibly having to reschedule and not register on time, just to receive a sticky note with numbers on it. One has to wonder what benefits the school sees from using this system.

Oswego State should consider other options for registration. Perhaps giving PINs over emails and eliminating any of the aforementioned stressful situations would be a great place to start.

Photo by: Taylor Woods | The Oswegonian