NIU’s telephone registration line, T.R.A.C.S., will be busy today with spring 2004 class registration underway.

Graduate students and students-at-large will be the first to register for classes, starting at 7 a.m. today. The T.R.A.C.S. registration timetable lists all grades from graduate students to non-degree or visiting students.

0Within each category is a section designated for credit hours earned. Credit hours do not include any classes currently being taken, said Admissions Records Officer Sammie Doty. The number of hours determines what time a student can begin registration.

There are three ways to register for classes. A student can use T.R.A.C.S. over the phone or register on the Internet through WebConnect. Students also can go to the registration office and have a staff member sign them up for classes.

Going to the registration office, however, is becoming less common, Doty said. This is partly because T.R.A.C.S. and the Internet have extended hours and are more easily accessible to students.

Both T.R.A.C.S and Internet registration options have clear prompts for students to follow, Doty said.

Having the class reference number is helpful, Doty said, and will speed the process along. This is important because the call is timed and if a student takes longer than 12 minutes to enter the necessary information, the call will end and the student will be forced to log in again.

Maureen Lowry, a senior family social services major, was frustrated with T.R.A.C.S. while registering for classes in the past.

“The line was busy a lot,” Lowry said, “and I would have to keep calling back.”

Determining the best option depends on how comfortable a student is with computers, Doty said.

Senior OMIS major Kusum Shah said she prefers using WebConnect instead T.R.A.C.S.

From her past experience, she said WebConnect is easier, and she likes that WebConnect enables her to see her schedule on the computer screen. T.R.A.C.S. only allows students to hear their list of classes.

Also, students may not be able to get through while using T.R.A.C.S., Shah said, which may ruin their chances of getting the classes they want or need.

Students, especially freshmen, who are one of the last groups to register, should have other class choices ready in case their preferred class already is full or closed, Doty said. Lowry suggests having multiple backup classes.

In case of closed classes, the student should go the offering department or professor of the class and ask for a closed-class permit, Doty said.

Both T.R.A.C.S. and Internet registration will verify the number of credit hours a student has registered for. This especially is important for students who need to be full-time to receive financial aid, student health insurance or want to participate in athletics, Doty said.