As the students of Keene State College return from their spring break, course registration for the fall semester is right around the corner. While preparing for registration, students and their advisors will have to adjust to new course changes that will go into effect for the upcoming semester.
Chair and Coordinator of the Chemistry Department Denise Junge also serves as the coordinator for the General Education Exploration (GEE) program, which is the driving force in the course changes. She explained what these upcoming course changes will look like.
“The biggest change in course registration for this upcoming academic year is the transition from the current Integrative Studies Program [ISP] to the new General Education Explorations program,” Junge said. “Students who still need to complete ISP requirements will notice that the course prefixes [IA, IH, IS, IN and II] have been removed from courses, as they have become GEE courses. Even though these courses have undergone a change in how they are listed, students are still responsible for completing the current ISP requirements for graduation, they will just be doing so with GEE courses.”
Junge continued by sharing recommendations for how students can plan ahead for the new changes that will occur with class registration.
“With this transition, it is very important that students meet with their academic advisors to plan their schedules appropriately,” she said. “We are doing everything possible to guide faculty and students through this transition. I will be providing an advising guide that will list the courses being offered for general education and what ISP requirement they will satisfy. Likewise, the Registrar’s office has put together a mapping document that shows how ISP courses have transitioned over to GEE courses and what general education category each course will fulfill. In addition, videos have been prepared to show faculty and students how courses in Self-Service will now appear and how to find courses that will satisfy ISP requirements.”
Junior Javi Simms, a defender on the men’s soccer team, is currently studying safety occupational health and applied science (SOHAS) with a minor in construction management. Simms explained how his sport intertwines with his course selection and affects his schedule for the upcoming fall semester. He said that balancing academics and athletics can be challenging at times, but his experience as an athlete has helped him develop strong time management skills.
“Balancing my class schedule with sports is only difficult sometimes. Growing up being an athlete, I learned how to manage my time. I set aside certain days to do school work and sometimes I take on one class a day as the week goes on,” Simms said.
When registering for classes, Simms said he is especially mindful of how his schedule will affect his physical and mental energy throughout the season. Because practices, games and travel require a lot of time and effort, he said he tries to build a class schedule that allows him to stay productive without becoming overwhelmed.
“The hardest part about registering for classes while being an athlete for me is making sure that I’m not being overworked every day, to create a schedule where I’m not mentally and physically drained,” Simms explained.
On the other side of registration is sophomore Liza Mazzei, who is currently studying nursing. Mazzei explained how her major is different from other majors that are taught at the school and how that can affect the process of registering for classes.
“I think my major affects registering for classes by having to fulfill certain requirements that the nursing department wants us to obtain,” said Mazzei. “For example, we need a 3.25 GPA in just science classes alone. Also, it isn’t horrible registering for classes because nursing majors need to follow a schedule of what classes they need to take each semester.”
Mazzei continued to explain some of the difficulties that come with registering for classes in the nursing program. She said that because of the program’s strict sequence of required courses, students must carefully plan their schedules to stay on track. However, even with this structure, nursing majors still register for classes at the same time as the rest of the student body, which can create challenges.
“The downside is when you need to take a gen ed, it doesn’t fit in your schedule,” Mazzei said. “All nursing majors have had a schedule of what classes we needed to take since day one. But we schedule our classes at the same time as everyone else. This can make life a little difficult. If I couldn’t get into the class I need for my major, it would set me back.”
Mazzei said the difficulty of availability within her major for certain classes has led her to reach out to her professors and advisor to help find availability.
“I have struggled getting into my health in society class I am taking this semester that I need for my major. I had to email the professor and go to drop-in advising. The advisor who I met with found the class but at a different time, which was great,” said Mazzei.
Simms elaborated on how he chooses the right classes for the right semester based on his responsibilities for his athletics and academics. Because his schedule includes practices and work commitments, he said he has to carefully consider class times and course difficulty when registering.
“I hate early classes like 8 a.m.s I have 8 a.m.s Monday through Thursday, that’s just how I had to set it up unfortunately. That leads me to skip a few classes. Since I usually practice in the evening and work as well, I avoid later classes,” Simms said.
In addition to thinking about class times, Simms said he also plans his workload around his soccer schedule. He said that he tries to balance the difficulty of his courses depending on whether he is in season or not.
“When choosing my classes in and out of season, I take the easier classes during season and the harder ones during off-season for the most part,” said Simms. “Do what you think is best for you. If you value your academics way more, then make that your priority and vice versa. Try to create a balance.”
Academic Advisor Cristina O’Brien emphasized the importance of preparation before registration begins. They outlined several steps students should follow to ensure the process goes smoothly.
“First, they [students] should log into Student Planning and check their account for any holds that could keep them from being able to register for classes,” O’Brien said. “Next, they should schedule a meeting with their advisor to plan courses before registration opens. Students can find who their advisor is in Student Planning or Navigate. After planning classes with their advisor, students should make note of their registration date and time, which will be emailed to them and also listed in Student Planning by the week before registration. It’s also a good idea to have some backup classes planned just in case. Don’t forget to set a reminder of your registration time about ten minutes beforehand so you have time to log in and authenticate.”
Some of the considerations advisors want students to keep in mind when deciding their final schedule involve balancing their academic responsibilities with their commitments outside of class. As O’Brien explained, students should think carefully about their daily routines and other obligations when choosing class times.
“They should think about their obligations outside of classes, such as work, clubs, sports etc. and choose courses at times that would make things feel balanced,” said O’Brien. “If you know you have a difficult time getting up in the mornings, maybe try to avoid 8 a.m. classes. It’s not always possible to have your dream schedule, but you can try your best and Academic Advising is here for support.”
Sophia Merenda can be contacted at
