Preparations bring down students

Media Credit: Staff Nissa Billmyer -- Staff Essay

Here I am at the end of this semester, and like most every student, I have played the wonderful little game called "registration, registration not." This game, if you are not aware, is the painful little process we all endure at the end of each semester in preparation for the next semester.

We begin our college education playing "chase the advisor" in search of our access codes. Without these we are not allowed to advance, pass go and collect our next 15 credits or so. These access codes are set up so that we might take time to be 'advised' on what to register for. I'm sure most students haven't taken the time to sit with their advisor to discuss such things.

Most of us realize about five minutes before we are set to register that we need an access code and then realize we need to track down the most important person in our lives at that moment. Most likely that advisor won't be around when you need them or it's a very inconvenient hour.

While many of us take the time to pick out which classes we believe we need, we don't take the time to find the person with the number that allows us to move forward.

So a wild advisor chase ensues. When we do track the person down at a convenient time, we are often stonewalled with the "make an appointment" routine. This is a time that is both inconvenient to us and to the advisor as it will take only a moment to receive the golden number.

After students have tangoed with this dilemma more than once and still do not learn (I didn't learn until I was accepted into the major), you must figure out what classes you need. You have to plan precisely what semester and in what order you must take the classes in order to graduate before the eight-year mark and not become the next Tommy Boy.

This is the moment when you find out that after three years of putzing around you have another three to go, at least if you are lucky.

I am at this point. Sort of. I am supposed to graduate at the end of next semester. However, like many other classmates in the minor program, that isn't going to happen.

I know that I am not the only one. For this minor there is one class I need to take that stands between me and graduation. These classes can only be taken in order and for this class there is no independent study. There is only one professor who teaches it and there is only one section of this upper level class offered each semester. There is not an alternate class and there is no getting around taking this class.

I was accepted into the minor when I was a second year student. I meet all the requirements. This class gives priority to majors (who still have several more classes to go) while the minors have to battle each other tooth and nail for the few remaining seats.

There are enough minors who need this class next semester to open another class. But that won't happen. I know of a few minors who need this class and only this class to graduate. Without this class I will be at only 12 credits. The rest of the classes are for my major. The department won't open another section.

Not enough money. Our school prides itself on diversity and accreditation. This is supposed to be a school where students have no problems getting what they need; we believe we have nothing to worry about. If the other students and I have to wait until summer, or worse yet next fall for this class, it will be a major inconvenience, not to mention headache.

We cannot get jobs without a full degree. There is so much more that goes into this battle.

But what I want addressed by this university is why there is not enough money for another class even though our tuition and fees have been severely hiked up.

It is not fair for students to have to wait for a key class simply because the university doesn't feel like offering it. A college education used to be completed in four years, now that's for the lucky.

So much for my education.

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