Q&A: What Is Early Registration?
Answer: All schools have registration dates. These dates are when students can sign up for classes for the following semester. At larger community colleges, vocational schools and universities, classes may fill up quickly. Most courses are also "first come, first served," which means those who register early or on time have a greater chance of getting the classes they need, at the times they want. For students who work or have other responsibilities, class scheduling is important. It's also necessary for students who need specific classes to graduate on time.
Students are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Therefore, some schools offer early registration periods when students can register for classes prior to the "standard," open registration date. These are usually a month or two before standard registration. For example, a school may have standard registration in the Fall (for the Spring semester) at the end of October, but offer early registration at the beginning of September.
Early registration is not only helpful to students, but allows the college to see what classes are most in demand for the following semester. The school can then plan for how many instructors are needed and how often a particular class should be made available.
Unfortunately, many students don't even know if their school offers early registration. I strongly encourage students to check with the registrar's office or an academic advisor. If your school does offer early registration, get ahead of everyone else and take advantage of enrolling in classes early.
Dr. Beverly A. Browning (Dr. Bev) has been a higher education adjunct faculty member for over 25 years. She has taught in the classroom and online for multiple colleges and universities including Spring Arbor College, Baker College of Flint, Mott Community College, and Rio Salado College. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Spring Arbor College and Mott Community College. She is currently an online instructor for ed2go.com (Cengage Learning). In addition to founding and directing the Grant Writing Training Foundation, Dr. Bev is also Vice President of Grants Professional Services for eCivis, Inc. She is the author over over 37 grant-related publications and a frequent keynote speaker and workshop presenter for national and regional conferences. Dr. Bev is a product of lifelong learning and an advocate for online teaching and learning!