I need that class to graduate!

Well, it’s that time of year again.

And no, I’m not talking about the return of The Walking Dead (finally!). Registration season is upon us.

For current students, Winter 2013 credit registration opened up Oct. 9. New students were allowed on to the system starting Oct. 28.

Set your alarms to midnight on your registration access date to ensure you get into the classes you want. Competition is fierce. Photo illustration: James Wilt

There’s some interesting theories circulating the halls of Mount Royal University as to exactly how a student’s registration access date is determined.

GPA. Last name. Program of study. Birthday. The list goes on.

So, the question remains: “Oh, wise and powerful registration gods, how do you decide who gets to sign up for classes first?”

First of all, there’s no registration gods. Rather, registration at Mount Royal is based on a prioritization system where students are assigned their registration access date based on the number of earned credits they have accumulated.

“That’s the only criteria that we’re looking at,” said Sue Gemmell, manager of records and registrarial services.

That means students with the most credits at Mount Royal and/or transfer credits from previous post-secondary institutions are given registration priority.

Gemmell said this sort of system allows for students further along in their program of study, and closer to graduation, to be able to get into all of the classes they need to graduate on time.

The system doesn’t work out for everyone, though.

Stephanie Watt, a fourth-year journalism student, said she will likely have to delay her graduation date after being waitlisted for two courses necessary to complete her program.

“I’m hoping I can still get into these classes,” Watt said. “Otherwise, it screws up my plans for graduating on time.”

Watt points to her registration access date as part of her current predicament.

Watt said she needed seven courses to graduate going into the Winter 2013 semester, which put her registration access date at Oct. 12 – two days behind not only most of fourth-year journalism students, but also some of the third-year students.

By the time she was able to register, the two courses she wanted to take were already full. Watt said she doesn’t want to spend the money on the few available courses.

Her advice: don’t be afraid to ask for help.

“As long as you can clear it up with someone and understand why that’s happening to you the way it is, it kind of makes it at least a little bit better,” said Watt, who turned to her program chair.

Journalism program chair Terry Field said the chairs are there to provide students with the information they need about their program of study and what is required of them to complete it.

To ensure registration is a smooth process, Field said it’s important for students to effectively plan ahead. That means using the resources available to them, such as mruGradU8 and Mount Royal’s annual academic calendar, as well as any program-specific documentation.

Field said it’s also students’ responsibility to ensure they’re taking courses that fit their program’s requirements, no matter how many courses they choose to take per semester.

And, remember: students are not alone in this. “When in doubt, ask,” Field said.

The last day for students to adjust their registration (drop, add or cancel courses) for the Winter 2013 semester with a full tuition refund is Jan. 15.