On Oct. 29, NSU opened registration for the Winter 2019 semester. I know classes fill up fast, so at midnight I logged onto my SharkLink to register. There’s no way a class could be closed by 12:03 AM, right? Wrong.
I was able to choose all the classes I wanted, except for one. I know that it shouldn’t be a big deal because there are obviously other courses to choose from, but I was disappointed after spending so much time carefully planning out my schedule for next semester.
Aside from going to school full-time, I also have a job that requires me to drive 40 minutes away; therefore, timing is everything. In addition, taking three classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and now having to take two (instead of one) on Tuesday and Thursday inherently means I’ll be lucky if I get a day off.
In my opinion, it’s not fair that a class could be filled before general registration. I understand that Honors students take on a lot more responsibility and they need a curriculum that meets the needs of their program, but why do athletes get more priority? The truth is, we all have busy schedules. Being an athlete shouldn’t means that your schedule gets put first above everyone else’s; we should all get priority registration. A possible solution to scheduling and classes being closed is to take online classes, but even those have their own unpleasant aspects and may fill up quickly as well.
I’ve taken many online classes over the course of my education, so I don’t feel that it would be incorrect to call myself an expert. There are definitely many benefits to taking classes online, including sleeping in late, working at your own pace and saving money on gas. Being able to stay home and complete assignments doesn’t sound so bad, but the grass isn’t always actually greener on the other side.
Online classes might seem easy and less likely to interfere with your schedule, but don’t forget that you need to have an internet connection to access and submit your work. During rainstorms, it’s not unusual for electricity to go out or for your Wi-Fi to lose signal. In addition, it’s easier for you to get distracted and procrastinate because you’re at home and probably have a bunch of other things going on. Online classes are also usually very solitary, which means that you would definitely not be able to socialize with your classmates. All in all, it’s up to you in how you choose to handle your class schedule, but make sure you choose the best option for yourself, whether it means having super long days every day or doing your work from home.
