I Should Not Be Surprised By This Any More

[serinde]

Student email, quoted verbatim:

Hi,

I have a question about online registration. I created a a portal login ID and password, and then tried to register for a Summer 1 class through the eSims site. But it won't let me register. When I mouse over "Registration" on the nav bar on the left, it won't let me click on, and gives me a little box that says something like "appointment April 15 9 am".

Can you explain what this means, and what I should do?


Now this is totally out there, I realize, but how about trying to register on April 15 at 9am?

Comments

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry about it, i've already registered you for all the classes you need."

[msg1138.livejournal.com]

That's not at all obvious from the cryptic phrase "appointment April 15 9 am." It should (of course) say something like "registration opens April 15 9 am" or what-have-you. Give the guy(/gal) a break.

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

Well, what it actually says is: "Summer '09 appointment: 4/15/09 9AM". Which I think is fairly clear as far as What You Can Do About Summer Session; but also it should be stated that "Appointment" is the term of art that is plastered on everything the Registrar sends to students, posts in the hallways, etc. It's not a term that only the insiders can discover. (There are plenty of those, but this is not one.)

[elibalin.livejournal.com]

Unless they're trying to reduce load on an already cranky registration system and restricting blocks of time to specific groups (e.g. All 4th-year undergrads with last names between I and K). Otherwise, you'd risk *everyone* jumping on at 9am on the 15th and making everything fall over, catch fire, and cause a rain of frogs over Bremen.

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

1. They are trying to do that very thing. The schedule for who registers when is on the Registrar's web site; as undergrad non-degree, I am scum lower than everyone but the oldsters, which is why there are never classes left for me. This information is emailed to all the students.

2. It doesn't help.

[elibalin.livejournal.com]

Wait, do you mean I was *right* about the thing with the frogs?

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

They were toads. But yes.

[spride.livejournal.com]

Ah, our students. There's a reason they're at our school, remember.

[ilaine-dcmrn.livejournal.com]

nice tentacles

[fivetonsflax.livejournal.com]

That's perfectly grammatical English! The words make sense, even!

I think you have it better than you realize.

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

Oh, I have plenty that aren't. Believe you me.