This semester's change in registration policy -- from a 24-hourto three-week period when students can add and drop classes --opens a scheduling window, giving students greater flexibility whenchoosing courses.
Under the current Tufts system, students log on to SIS Online attheir designated day and time and sign up for typically four tofive courses. In the past, students were unable to make changes totheir schedules until the first day of classes during the followingsemester, with the use of the add-drop form.
But students will now be able to add and drop courses online forthe next three weeks.
According to Glaser, students will be able to make alterationsbefore leaving campus for the summer, cutting down on the number oftransactions made at the beginning of the term."
If a student does not get into a course, and is on the waitlist, he or she will now be enrolled automatically in the course ifa spot opens up.
Sophomore Sheena Harris agreed that this will be beneficial forstudents. "There are a lot of times when you want to get into aclass but are closed out and in three weeks, there is a lot of timeto get in," she said.
"I think it's a really good idea to have three weeks to changeyour schedule around and reconsider the classes you want to take,"sophomore Ajaita Shah said.
The registration system in the past has made registering forcourses somewhat difficult for many students.
According to results of a Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senateonline survey, released last month, approximately 30 percent ofstudents felt that the add/drop system hindered their ability totry new classes.
Some students, however, feel that a system in which they couldadd and drop classes online at the beginning of the new semester,rather than at the end of the current one, would be far morebeneficial.
"At the beginning of the semester when you're stalkingprofessors for signatures, it is horrible. Getting signatures todrop a class is really awkward," junior Sarah Gray said. "And ifyou have to add or drop a class that takes place during the sameblock, it's really hard. You have to come in late or leave early --it's rude."
Gray added that with the add deadline being "so early in thesemester"-only two weeks after classes begin forupperclassmen-being able to add courses online at the beginning ofthe semester would "save a lot of time and hassle".
A handful of schools, including Brown, Yale, and Harvard, havesomething called a "shopping period" for classes, during whichstudents can visit different classes and decide, withoutregistering, which classes they would like to take. Only after theshopping period officially ends, do students formally register forclasses.
According to the TCU Senate survey, 55.9 percent of Tuftsstudents said that they would favor a "shopping period" type systemover the current University system of registration.
According to the Harvard daily newspaper, the Harvard Crimson,Harvard students' approval of the shopping period was proven lastyear when the Harvard administration proposed eliminating it.
"Students began an uproar and huge protest," Harvard sophomoreRebecca O'Brien said. "About a thousand students signed apetition."
"There was a whole movement to stop shopping period and havepredictable class sizes and make the rooms based on predicted turnout, which is logical. But basically the students had an uproar, soclearly people are really happy with it here," O'Brien added.
Harvard students are given five days to "shop around" and seewhich classes they most enjoy. "People are nuts for a few daysrunning around," O'Brien said. "But usually within a few days youknow what classes you are going to take and you can start doing thework."
According to O'Brien, a shopping period allows students to bemore "experimental" with their classes, rather than simply choosingbased on requirements.
"In September when you're not really sure what you're doing...and one class really inspires you it helps. That's how a lot ofpeople decide what they want to do. I think that's invaluable tothe Harvard system," O'Brien added. "I think it really gives youmore freedom. I would never be so adventurous with my courses if wedidn't have shopping period."
Tufts sophomore Nina Joyce agreed. She found that when she tooksummer classes at Harvard, a shopping period made it much easier toget into classes she wanted. "With our way [at Tufts] it's hard tomiss the first week of classes without falling behind, but ifeveryone is doing that, then it creates a much more hospitableenvironment for experimenting."
Although Tufts students seem to be largely in favor of the ideaof a shopping period, some are unsure whether it would truly bepractical.
Harris said that while a shopping period would be great, she isconcerned that there could be a lot of confusion and reshufflingthat could be detrimental.
"I think a shopping period would be a luxury but I don't know ifwe have the time built into our schedule because Harvard studentsget out so late in the year," Gray added.
Other students, however, are still in favor of the currentregistration system. "I don't think a shopping period would reallymatter because I'd rather have three weeks to get into classes andchange my schedule around," Shah said. "I already know who theprofessors are and I have the course descriptions, so I don't thinkthat would really help me."
