Looking through the hundreds of courses the University has to offer may seem exciting for most students at first.

However, while there is an overabundance of interesting classes to take, there are only four short years to take them. Many devote hours and hours to tweaking their schedules to try to make the “perfect” one, complete with the best Gen Eds, no classes until 11 a.m., and a balanced load.

Once registration time comes along, frustration hits and the reality sets in that choosing and enrolling in classes can be harder than it should be. Thankfully, there are some ways to reduce the stress and annoyance that inevitably comes with registering.

“First thing (students) want to think about is to go and see an advisor in their department,” said Mike Hirschi, assistant dean in the College of Engineering. “Just review things and talk over plans, like if they’re thinking about study abroad, working for a semester or taking summer classes. This may change timing of some of the classes, so it’s important to let the advisor know for proper planning.”

Just visiting an advisor won’t do the trick, though. Researching and having information beforehand is crucial to a smooth process, said Keith Marshall, associate provost and executive director of the Campus Center for Advising and Academic Services.

“As you’re registering and choosing which courses to take, it’s good to do some research on them and check the prerequisites,” Marshall said.

He recommends taking prerequisites before the course, whether they are advisory or mandatory.

Even if you’re prepared and have taken the appropriate course sequence, many students, especially freshman with later time tickets, might find themselves in a situation in which a class is full before they can register. For problems like this, talking to one’s advisor is handy.

“Talk to the advisors because sometimes there is an equivalent course that isn’t obvious,” Hirschi said. “For example, many Engineering majors might list ECON 103 as a requirement, but in fact they would accept ECON 102 or ACE 100, which are equivalent courses. If they raise that type of question about not getting in, the advisor can help really quickly.”

Hirschi also advised to check the system randomly over the summer for people dropping and switching classes. There are peak times for checking course availability. The weekend before classes start is a prime time to catch openings since that’s when a lot of holds and restrictions are lifted. The first day of classes is also good because many people are switching around.

Another way to go about encountering full classes is to be more open to the kinds of classes that fulfill requirements. Students typically focus on 25 to 30 Gen Ed courses that are really popular, but forget the myriad of other classes available.

“Ask around and try to find a not so popular class that might be just as interesting,” said Ryan Hurley, freshman in Engineering.

“The best way to find out about these interesting or less intensive classes is usually by word of mouth. Talk to a friend, and friend of a friend, to get their advice about different classes they have taken.”

Often times, courses in departments that aren’t well advertised or popular can be hidden gems. Every department has a few courses or seminars for non-majors who are interested in the subject, and are usually open but unheard of. Even if the class doesn’t fulfill a requirement, taking it could be just as enriching.

“I would encourage students to think broadly and creatively about the courses they choose.” Marshall said. “Students tend to get focused in on a certain set of courses that they think are the ‘right’ ones to take. There are 700 Gen Ed courses, so thinking broadly is beneficial because not only can other courses be available if not many people are signing up for them, but it’s also a way to help differentiate you from every other student on campus.”

As to how to find out if the class is a lot of work or if the professor is really into the material, some outside sources can help. Marshall said getting information from peer-to-peer conversations or through ratemyprofessors.com can give some good insight as to how the professor runs the class. But caution should always be used when gathering subjective information.

“Rate my professors is usually pretty good,” Hurley said. “Although you sometimes get (negative) comments from students upset they didn’t do so well in the class.”

Researching the class website or contacting the professor and asking directly about the course could be just as useful. No matter how one goes about it, the process can be intimidating, but having a plan and being resourceful always helps.

All in all, having a little bit of patience during the process doesn’t hurt.