Do’s and don’ts on scheduling for 2019 Spring Semester

Next week is Scheduling Week, the time when students will schedule classes for the 2019 spring semester.

It is important to remember what to do and what not to do in order to make scheduling a breeze. Whether you are a freshman or a senior, there are certain things to be aware of that can make or break your scheduling experience.

The very first thing a student should do before scheduling is contact his or her academic advisor. Academic advisors clear their students to schedule online, so if a student does not meet with his or her advisor, he or she will not be able to schedule.

Knowing when you are permitted to schedule is also important.

“Do not log onto My.Francis to register prior to your assigned time,” reminds Stephen Rombouts, the University’s Registrar. “Students sometimes log onto My.Francis a few minutes early in order to be ready to register at the assigned time.

“If you do so, the system will prevent you from registering at your assigned time because you were not authorized to register when you first logged on.”

Older students remind underclassmen, however, to make sure that they do log in to schedule when their scheduling window opens.

“Even if it’s at 6 a.m., schedule at the time given to you,” said senior Aubrey Courtney. “Don’t wait until later in the day because your classes will be taken.”

Being organized is also important, especially when choosing what courses to take. Scheduling happens quickly and it can be very competitive.

“I used to make an excel sheet every semester of some potential schedule options once the Undergraduate Schedule of Classes was released,” said senior physical therapy major and student-athlete Dmitriy Borissov.

“This method made scheduling a little less stressful because I scheduled around my practices, and if one or two of my desired classes were filled, I had back-up schedule options right in front of me.”

Lastly, remember that a financial hold on your account will keep you from being able to schedule.

“Students should access the registration portal prior to their assigned registration times to ensure that there are no financial holds that would prevent them from registering at their assigned registration times,” said Rombouts.

Scheduling can be stressful for first-year students, as well as fifth-year seniors. Follow some of these tips to take the stress out of the process.  And good luck!