By: Victoria Miranda
Course selection at Assumption College has always been a little like “The Hunger Games” (without the well-paid actors and the violence). We wake up early in the morning, sit at our computers waiting for the clock to change to our designated time so we can hit “register for courses” only to learn that the class is full, or the computer froze, or there was a glitch in the system, etc. And we end up bombarding our advisors and the registrar in desperate need to add a class. However, this year there is a new software being used for course selection that is said to make the process run much more smoothly.
The old system used for course selection was very confusing to some. There was a process of having to search for the section, manually typing in the course name and number and once you found the specific course you were looking for you needed to click on that and then scroll through pages of class times that were offered. When asked what she didn’t like about the old system, senior Michela Stone said, “I wasn’t a fan of how nerve-racking it was because if one class didn’t end up working out, I’d go back to my worksheet to get a new class and by the time I was done doing that the class was filled and I was left without a class.”
The new Web Advisor system makes it easier to access the course and times offered than the previous one. Instead of typing in everything and clicking through several different pages to finally see the times of courses that are offered, you simply type in the designated subject and you are then able to limit your search options to get a specific level of courses, days and what semester you want it for. Each class shown has the course description embedded into it, along with all available days and times for that specific class.
The software is new to Assumption as of Summer 2015. The freshman class of 2019 are the only students that have used the software here at Assumption. It appears the rest of the students at Assumption are in for a treat when it’s their time to register for courses. Stone is excited to use the new software, she says “I really like the way it’s set up. It is in a calendar format with the days and times of the classes that you’re looking to register for so it is a better way to visualize what your schedule will look like.”
The calendar format of the scheduling not only makes is easy to physically see what your day will look like but is also makes it that much easier when it comes down to actually registering. Instead of having to manually put that you want to register for each individual course, you will be looking at the calendar view of your schedule and there is a button that says “Register” in the top right corner. Once you click the register button, you should be all set to get into your desired classes.
Students were sent emails about the new software, that had a link to a video tutorial on how to access the new software and how to work their way around it, the video is also on blackboard for students that have yet to see it. The video shows step by step instructions on how to use the new software, making it easy for students to learn and register. Stone says, “Although I still have a fear that the system could crash or freeze on me, I hope that it runs smoothly for everyone.”
Course selection begins on Monday, November 9 for the senior class and will continue until November 20 for all of the other classes to register. Although this new software is being raved about, students will find out just how great and how well it works when course selection is over.
THE AC301 