Registration can be a source of frustration. While some may get classes they desire, others have registration nightmares.

Ibukunoluwa Fasoranti, a junior computer science major, had a run-in with the permit system. Two of the classes he planned to take were for his major.

“I went and took care of my financial account so I could register for classes,” he said. “I didn’t have permits. I only have seven credit [hours] now.”

At the beginning of the semester, Fasoranti went to the department and got a permit for CSCI 330 for this semester. He did not, however, add it to his schedule.

“Now I want 330 for next semester, but I can’t get it,” Fasoranti said. “I was disgruntled for three days because it messed up my registration schedule.”

Sophomore English major Lisa Sebeson had the same problem.

“I couldn’t get into the English classes I needed,” she said.

Sebeson wanted ENGL 310 and 303, but both were closed or not offered.

“[The school should] either find more faculty or let the class sizes get bigger,” she said.

She also recommended graduate students teach some of the classes with a professor’s lesson plan.

Brandon Moss, a sophomore business major, planned his schedule in advance freshman year, but had one of the last time slots.

“I had selected all of my classes beforehand. I had the times worked out, but I had to wait because I was a second semester freshman,” Moss said.

By the time he was able to register, Moss got one class but the remaining classes he wanted were at different times.

He said he was frustrated because he worked out his schedule with an advisor, but when it was time to actually register for classes, he had to fix everything himself.

Sue Doederlein, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said the most important thing to do when registering for classes is to plan ahead.

“You may think you have to have a course this semester, but you could actually take another,” Doederlein said.

She said students should not wait until the last minute to figure out their schedule.

“When you cannot get into a class, you should contact the course department,” Doederlein said.

New classes only are created when there is a need and if there is the staff and space.

The NIU course finder is a tool to aid students in planning a schedule. Some students don’t realize the listing of courses offered reflects all changes made in the student information system during the previous business day.

This means the course openings and closings displayed are not up to date on the course finder. Changes in the number of courses available may be different than what is actually displayed there.

Doederlein recommends using WebConnect as a reliable way to find course openings.