By Peter Green
Registration is an earthquake that you get four months warning for but still have nothing tied down when it hits.
I get to my department and the lineups have started already. Familiar faces line the halls, but everyone’s got that grim look of “lineup despair.” I crack a few jokes, say hi to some people and head into the office to look at the list of people waiting to see the person responsible for changing courses and schedules, the Departmental Assistant. There are 23 names on the list, with more to come — and it’s only 9:05 a.m.
I’m not number 24 in line, I’m the Departmental Assistant in RTA. The lineup is for me. I always told Mom I’d be famous. I walk past a flurry of questions and comments and head for my office where my computer awaits. I turn it on, fluff the pile of papers on my desk, and start with the first person.
My first guest needs an elective. We check behind door number one, and …nothing. We check every elective under the sun. Still nothing. I advise the student to visit the Faculty of Arts and work from the master list of Liberal Studies electives. The student skips along the yellow brick road and in comes person two.
This continues all day. Changes to courses taught or administered by our program are easy. English, Liberal Studies — that’s more difficult. Impossible, if you ask person one, two, three or 36. The same litany is repeated to each student. Labour Day is this coming weekend. Any sensible student who only has to drop (not add) courses isn’t going to come in during this week and stand in line to do something they could do next week when they have to be here. It turns out to be true, and the courses remain filled all week, leaving some students stranded and others taking a course they don’t want.
Each day of Registration Week and the first week of classes passes much the same. Constant lineups, contestants waiting their turn at the Wheel of Academic Fortune. Courses filled, students angry and frustrated. I get complimented by students who are amazed at how chipper and energetic I am at the end of the day. They don’t see my bar bills.
I sympathize with the frustration of students waiting in line. I’m at the end of the line and I get everyone’s frustration, sadness, anger, happiness and adulation. It’s slowing down now, near the end of week two. I’m feeling battered but not defeated and I look forward to the weekend. I open the mail — here’s my scheduling information for the Winter registration period.
Could we have our next contestant please…
Peter Green is the Departmental Assistant for Radio and Television Arts.
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