Spring Registration Is Upon Us

By: Jacob Harris

This week was intense for the Gatton Student body. Not only were we finishing up with midterms, it was also time to submit schedules for next semester. All of the juniors and some seniors (seniors have the option of registering themselves for last semester classes) were required to upload their requested schedules to an online homework portal that went live at exactly 10:00 pm.

April Gaskey, our Coordinator for Student Success, and Derick Strode, our Assistant Director for Academic Services, registers students for classes in the order that their schedules are uploaded. The first people to upload get registered first, almost guaranteeing them a spot in their desired classes. Those further down the list are less likely to get the classes they want, as some classes fill up quickly.

I’m sure you can imagine the intensity that ensues. By 7:30 that night, all the ethernet cords had been claimed in a determined quest for faster upload speed. People were frantically comparing speed tests and hypothesizing about the quickest way to upload a file. The guys sitting next to me practiced submitting their schedules for three hours, just to cut a few seconds off their time.

Occasions like this remind me why I love Gatton. The students here care. People care about succeeding; they care about doing well. The friends I’ve made here want more voraciously than anyone I have ever met. They are hungry. They want success in college and in the professional world. They want to provide comfortable lives for their families. They want to make the world a better place. They want to expand on our scientific understanding and our capabilities as a civilization. The people I’ve met here don’t take chances; their futures are far too important to forget the little things. They study for every test and go to every review session. The friends I’ve made here capitalize on every opportunity—even those as small as a good schedule.