Erin Mei
Staff Writer
We may only be one month into the fall semester, but spring registration begins on Monday, October 15. For an optimal schedule, William Polaski, Senior Associate Director of Academic and Career Planning, encourages students to plan ahead and register online.
“I always do it online only because it’s easier. Once registration starts, I make my schedule so I can get all the classes I want to get into,” says junior public relations major Michael Lagreca.
One of the benefits of being able to register early for the spring semester is to be able to see how your personal and class schedule will be next semester. Polaski explained that early registration helps the academic departments as well: “There’s also an advantage to doing it early in that departments know how many students are registered for courses so if a cancellation happens, it can happen sooner rather than later so people have time to adjust.”
For that reason, senior criminal justice major Brian Rojas sees a benefit in registering for classes later. “I think it’s better to register later in the semester only so I don’t have to deal with cancelled classes and re-do my entire schedule to fit one class.”
If you decide to head to Kumble Hall right now, chances are you’re going to be given an appointment with your advisor pretty late in the fall semester. There are only 15 full time advisors in the Academic and Career Planning department and their schedules fill up quickly. Before online registration was available, registering for classes was early enough so every student had a chance to meet with their advisor. Polaski thus advised that students should make their schedules online through their My LIU Student Center and go to an advisor afterwards to make sure that the schedule will lead towards graduation.
Polaski recommends that students check the academic requirements page and check the school’s website to figure out what classes to take for their major. The academic requirements page shows you all the classes you’ve already taken and how many more credits you need to graduate. Each department’s website has its own degree requirements that you need to fulfill in order to get a degree. They tell you how many credits you need and the GPA you must maintain.
The program of study is an overview of your major and the typical sequence of your classes for the next four to five years. The Academics and Career planning website (www.liu.edu/cwpost.academic.aspx) offers information for the degree requirements, program of studies and course descriptions for you to compare to the “Academic Requirements” page on you’re My LIU Student Center account.
Registering early for your spring classes online is one way to make sure you get into the classes you want. Senior education major Jacqueline Klingler does exactly that: “There have been too many times where I don’t get the schedule I want or I end up taking a class I don’t really need so now I make sure I meet with my advisor to make sure I’m on the right path towards graduating.” Advisors are there to plot and plan your road to a successful path towards graduation.
To make an appointment with your advisor, call 516-299-2746. If you don’t know who your counselor is, visit the Academic and Career Planning website: www.liu.edu/CWPost/StudentLife/Services/Counseling.aspx. The office hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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