Registration is a special and stressful time of a student’s life. Signing up for the summer and fall semesters can be hectic as the upcoming freshman are coming to take slots from the rest of the student body. There are a few ways to prepare for such a time period, which is a hazard to the unprepared upcoming freshman. Rising sophomores experienced something similar to this during their transition from the fall semester to the spring semester. However, this time, they will have to compete with the incoming freshmen, who excited and curious as to what classes they can sign-up for. For me, this process is an all-out war, with no open com-lines or hope for support, especially on the dates that registration becomes available.

Communication is an essential element that is required throughout all aspects of life. Unfortunately during the course the year, I have encountered the hard truth that communication in universities is almost non-existent. Every single teacher/staff member has a mindset that the students are mature and independent enough to make their own decisions without their influence. Emails stating the time frame of registration are the only signs of assistance students are able to get a hold of. Sometimes the staff is not even aware of the students’ situations. Communication is a large aspect of living and attending a university like Old Dominion University. However, sometimes it seems people think that there is no such thing as communication, despite the advancements in technology to make communication easier. They expect students to know how to be prepared for the following semester.

The big question that needs to be answered has to do with my personal experience with the registration process. As a freshman, this year is the first that I have spent in this university. One can probably understand the sudden jump from high school, where students are guided in every subject, to college, where students are independent and are expected to have been previously advised or intelligent enough to figure it out on their own. As of now, I still have not attended a session with my Computer Science advisor, as I do not know exactly when the deadlines for registration is for the summer and fall 2016 semesters are. I did meet with her in the fall, but not even my brother, who is an alumni from this school, knows when the exact week to register is. Before meeting with the specified advisor, students are expected to at least have a thought on what classes he or she wants to take and speak with the advisor in charge of those classes.

Registration is a time of stress and confusion to students who lack experience in doing it one their own without assistance from past teachers or even parents. Many of them struggle to get all classes needed for the degree one is heading for all at once. The upcoming freshmen desperately need guidance in this process, for they hold no past experience to assist them with preview dates and tuition payments. Students such as myself also need to prepare for the process, which feels as if it’s coming up out of nowhere all over again.