How big is Mississippi State University? Are we not the largest university in the great state of Mississippi? If I’m not mistaken, which is very unlikely, we are. How neat is that? We are taking classes at an amazing school. But wait, are we taking classes or wasting time?
There you have it, it’s registration time. Are you getting to participate in the classes you need or are the seats filling up days and days before  you even begin to sign up for them? I don’t know about you, but this simple fact frustrates me to no end.
For many of us, preparing to register for the next semester’s classes brings all types of emotions. We become nervous in selecting the right teachers, excited about the new things we are going to be exposed to and frantic to actually have the opportunity to be in the classes we need. With all of the prerequisites we must aquire in order to obtain a degree and graduate, it is pretty difficult to do all of that in four years.
We may joke with those “fifth year seniors” about taking their time, but the truth is, that could be you. If it’s already tough to finish in four years doing what you have to do, what would happen if you had to wait semester after semester just to get the classes you needed? That could put you back years, and as great as college life is, not many want to be here forever.
I think I could go as far as to say that the majority of you have gone to sign up for a class that you need and have been dismayed to discover that it is full. 
“It’s frustrating because I haven’t had a chance to register yet, and everything I need is already full. I mean, what am I supposed to do about that? Something’s got to give,” expressed sophomore wildlife and fisheries major Jesse Adams on the class registration system.
Unfortunately, I know what this feels like. I don’t have enough core classes left to fill an entire semester, but most of the major courses I need to sign up for have already been filled days before I even get to register.
There is a chance that the head of your department can force an opening in the class you need, but that is not always a definite alternative.
I know I’m complaining about the system, and to be quite honest, I’m not sure what solution to give to the problem, but I have heard an interesting take on it from many people.
It is known that honors students are given the privilege to register for classes before the rest of the campus. I think it is a right well deserved. They worked hard for that title and should be allowed to pick classes before some. But before everyone? The problem brought to my attention is: is it really fair that even freshman honors students sign up before seniors? Granted, seniors and freshmen are probably not taking the same classes, what about when it gets down to juniors and sophomores? Classes begin to overlap a little more.
Many have proposed a solution where honors students sign up before their individual classes. For example, senior honors students would sign up before seniors, juniors honors before juniors, and so on and so forth. That way those upperclassmen that are being denied the major courses they are in need of have a greater chance of getting them.
The excitement of registering for classes should not be overshadowed by the fear of not getting what you need. This could force you to sign up for pointless classes and possibly waste a semester of your time taking things you don’t need just to be a full-time student.
So whether there can actually be a way to fix this problem or not, know that you are not alone. There are others of us that are frustrated in the fact that we can’t get into what we want. Keep holding your breath and hope that spot opens up. You never know; luck may be on your side.
Sarah Ulmer is a sophomore majoring in communication. She can be contacted at [email protected].