An example of a schedule layout in Coursicle. Image courtesy of Gabriella Rodriguez ’27.
By Gabriella Rodriguez ’27
Business Manager & Opinion Editor
Course registration brings on a wave of both excitement and panic for students at Mount Holyoke. Some students are thrilled to finally select classes that they have been waiting months or even years to take. Others frantically race to see what they can fit into their schedule. Students are assigned time slots beforehand during which they have access to registration; this is because if all students were to register at the same time, it would very likely overload the server or even cause the website to crash due to heavy traffic. However, with some students receiving earlier times than others, this creates inequity.
Registration is extremely frenzied and unpredictable, and its occurrence very close to finals season only adds to the stress. Classes can be filled in a matter of minutes. For example, during this past spring’s course registration period, there were four Introduction to Creative Writing course sections available for Fall 2024, and all of them were filled within days. While this could be considered an exception, as some classes fill much slower, it is still a testament to the sheer popularity of certain classes at the college, and how they can leave many students on long waitlists.
When classes do not fill, however, their sections may be canceled; this is disruptive and alarming, as students who were once securely enrolled in that class must now search for another that fits into their schedule and fulfills their credit requirements. I have had personal experience with this; last fall, I had confirmed my schedule, but later received an email that my SPAN-209 class had been canceled due to low enrollment. I panicked, anxious to find something else to fill its place to ensure that I would have enough credits. Fortunately, my advisor was very helpful, and she directed me towards other potential classes that I could take. While this situation turned out well for me, I cannot say the same for so many other students who have found themselves in this scenario.
It makes sense that upperclassmen receive priority. After all, they have been waiting patiently and have likely missed out on their desired classes during past registrations, so they deserve a secure chance to select courses that align with their major requirements or personal preferences. When it comes to underclassmen, however, it seems that anything goes. Assigning students random registration times means that, inevitably, some students will not receive their first priority. Waitlists will almost always be created; this is true for courses at any college. However, with the size of Mount Holyoke classes, this problem seems to be exacerbated.
There are many interesting and enriching classes to take at the College. The small classrooms create active and intimate environments where students can get to know their classmates and professors on a more personal and engaging level. Unfortunately, this also means that there is limited availability, and a tight time frame during which students can choose and confirm the classes that they want. As a result, students must create multiple backup plans, trying to foresee every conceivable outcome. If one class fills up, they need to find an alternative that fits into their existing schedule, but also fits into their distribution or major and minor requirements.
During this process, students must account for many variables and potential class scheduling conflicts. Using tools like Coursicle, they can visualize the timing of their courses and move around possible classes as they see fit. Resources like this are extremely helpful when trying to organize potential classes; the mayhem of registration time can definitely make it difficult to think clearly about how courses line up.
In the best case scenario, students lock-and-load the classes that they want and, assuming everything goes right, are able to register for them at the start of their registration time. However, due to the frenzied nature of many students trying to register at once, unforeseen problems are always possible. If a student should miss their registration window, or mix up the time they are given, they will be left scrambling for anything that will fill sixteen credits. They then must deal with the consequences for the entire next semester.
I believe that extremely popular prerequisite classes — ones that serve as exclusive gateways to higher level courses — should have more openings, or course offerings in both fall or spring. For example, BIO-200, a critical prerequisite class, is only offered during the spring. This class, which students can only enroll in once they have taken BIOL-145, BIOL-160 or NEURO-100, is the key to the rest of all biology courses at Mount Holyoke. Students taking this course must also account for how labs fit into their schedule, which can create further conflicts. This limited availability — compounded by the fact that BIOL-200 is exclusive to the spring — makes registration all the more chaotic. If students do not successfully register for the course, they will need to wait another year to try again.
Comparatively, ENGL-199, which could be considered an English counterpart to BIO-200, fulfills a similar role: it is the gateway towards taking any other literature class at Mount Holyoke. This course is offered in both the spring and fall, has a multitude of skilled professors to teach it and has many sections available. Why is there such a difference between these STEM and humanities prerequisite classes? One explanation could be the expected number of students who will declare English majors. The major is extremely popular at the College, and so it makes sense that more spots would be opened in anticipation.
It is true that there are many English classes; however, there are so many students interested in these courses that overflow still occurs. Previously, in order to fulfill the major requirement, students needed to take ENGL-199, as well as three approved courses at the 200 level, three courses at the 300 level and two more courses at the 200 or 300 level for a total of 36 credits. However, as of spring 2023, the requirements have been updated: while ENGL-199 is still required, there must now be eight elective credits, twelve credits of 200-level classes, and twelve credits of 300-level classes. If students are unable to enroll in an English class one semester — whether due to scheduling conflicts or even an inopportune registration time — that most likely means that they have to double up on English classes in another semester. If these are both writing-intensive courses, then it is very possible that they will need to divert their attention away from other courses, so as to put their full attention and effort towards these essay-heavy classes.
I understand that there is a limited number of staff who can teach these classes, and I absolutely respect that professors can only work for a certain number of hours. For this reason, I believe that it would be a good idea to direct more attention towards visiting professors as well. There are many qualified instructors who can teach these courses and allow students to have more opportunities to take them.
In conclusion, I feel that the course registration process is very frantic. I acknowledge that course space is limited, but the process seems extremely unpredictable and stressful, and I believe that it could be improved to make registration more streamlined.
