WHAT IS PRIORITY REGISTRATION??!!

Beginning April 1st  through April 12th all currently enrolled students will register for Summer and Fall 2013 classes.  We call this priority registration because you get priority over any new students who come to MTSU for the first time during summer or fall.  Unsure where to start?    Below are some tips and tricks to help you get registered.

1. Meet with Academic Advisor - ALL FRESHMEN and many other students are required to meet with an advisor before they can register for classes.  After returning from Spring Break you should schedule that appointment.  If you wait until your registration date, your advisor may not have an appointment available for several days.  Meeting with an advisor is crucial to the success of all students.  Advisors like to check in with students to see how they are progressing in their current courses and help students plan out which courses to take for the upcoming semester.  If you are unsure who your advisor is, you can log on to your RaiderNet account to get the name and contact information for your advisor.  In the event that no one is listed you can call the University College Advising Center (898-2339) for assistance in getting an appointment for advising.  Click here for more help on how to schedule your advising appointment.

2. Account Holds - You may have a hold on your account preventing you from registering.  These holds are placed for various reasons and it is important that you know what these holds are and how to get them cleared before your registration date.  You can check your holds via your RaiderNet account for more information regarding each hold that is placed.  An advisor may place a hold on a student’s accounts that requires them to come in for advising before they can register.  All freshmen will have an advising hold!  (Please note that advising holds will not show up on RaiderNet until March 30th due to the March 29th deadline to withdraw with a grade of "W".)  You may also have an account balance hold for university charges (e.g. parking tickets or charges from health services).  Waiting until the last minute to get these holds cleared will delay your registration.

3. Registration Date & Time - Though Priority Registration is two weeks long, students have a specific date and time that they can begin registering for classes.  This date and time is based on how many earned hours a student had prior to this semester.  Students can log on to their RaiderNet account to see when their assigned registration time will be.  The date and time listed is when the registration window opens and that window does not close.  Often students think they must register at that time specifically, but that is not the case.  The date and time listed is the earliest you can register and registration is open to you from that point forward.  Students may be tempted to skip a class if their registration window opens during the time they are in class, but we discourage this as 30 minutes to an hour does not make that much of a difference in the selection of courses a student will have. 
In contrast, DO NOT put off registering for several weeks.  Priority Registration is a time that the administration gauges the number of course sections needed.  As more courses fill up during Priority Registration, MTSU is then better able to see where the need is for adding course sections.  Waiting several weeks or until summer could prevent you from getting the courses you need most!

Students often feel stress related to registering for classes, and it comes at a time in the semester where you may be feeling pressure and stress from your current courses.  Please know that your advisor is always available to help.  We want all students to be successful, but as with any relationship, the advisor-student relationship requires both parties to be actively involved in the process.