Every semester of every year, the same problem happens. This problem happens not once but in some cases twice a year. The worst part about the problem is it only affects a few students per year. The problem is simple: students not being able to get into the classes that they would like to take or need to take. In my opinion, I really do not like the system we have at KSC when it comes to picking classes.
Sure the majority of the students are happy with the times they receive and are happy with the classes they sign up for, but is that what the college wants? Is having the majority of the students happy good enough?
I don’t think so at all. When I started the 2014/2015 school year, I had to sit in on three different classrooms until the end of the class and hope that a student would drop the class so I would be able to join. Currently, students will continue to have access to registration online through May and then again in July after orientation and again from fall billing through the beginning of the fall semester. This gives the students plenty of time to decide what classes we want.
The only problem is if I were a part of the group last to enroll (which I was), the amount of time that I can register is irrelevant because the majority of the classes I would take or wanted to take are filled and I am forced to take a class that I do not want.
This takes me back to the issue of students not being able to get into classes that they want. For in-state students, the highest cost for tuition is $22,650. For out of state, $31,120. That includes being a full-time student, living on campus and having a meal plan. My point is that at the cost of school today I should at least get into the classes I want and need.
Here is my idea: the school is urging students to declare a major as soon as possible because in order to enroll in some classes it’s required to be declared. I think this is a great idea. Once declared, students should have full access to all the classes in their major/minor. Obviously, some classes have prerequisites, but I wouldn’t be taking one of those classes in the first place. This way, the students who are declared get first pick for the classes in their specific major.
For classes outside the major/minor, make it a free for all. Anyone can pick up or drop an elective whenever they feel. It just makes no sense why a first-year going into their second year getting their classes is more important than a sophomore going into their junior year. If anything, a first-year should have the worst time because they are living on campus and should have the most flexibility for class times.
As juniors, most have a job or internship and live off campus. From personal experience, I know I had a much better time to pick classes as a first-year and I also know I had way more time to screw around and not really care about my classes. By the end of my sophomore year, things were much more serious and I had a lot more things going on and getting into the classes I needed should have been the least of my worries. I will be commuting to KSC next year and, needless to say, registering for classes was difficult to work around my work schedule.
Maybe not every student on campus has had a bad experience with registering for classes, but, like I said before, is the majority of the student body being happy with the classes they get good enough? I’d say no.
Cyrus Lyons can be contacted at clyons@kscequinox.com
