While priority scheduling is nothing new to Honors students or student-athletes at Miami University, the new time blocks implemented for the fall semester are receiving mixed reviews.
Priority registration for these students began at 7 a.m. Tuesday, March 31.
First-year Tory Paez, a runner for the cross country and track teams, said she relies on priority registration to prevent conflicts between her athletic and academic schedules.
"I think that priority registration is helpful because (student-athletes) are able to set their schedules so they don't miss class when the team travels," Paez said. "We are able to schedule around our practices."
While Paez found the registration process relatively simple, she said the new time blocks proved to be daunting with respect to her practice schedule.
Because time blocks now favor classes that meet twice a week for 75 minutes, athletes are having a more difficult time scheduling around practices and other events than they did under the previous time blocks. As a result, many are forced to drastically lengthen their workday.
"We have a lot more night classes that we have to take because of the new time blocks," Paez said. "I am not looking forward to it. Everyone is nervous about having a longer day and having to manage their time differently, but it is nice to have no Friday classes."
Similarly, students in the Honors program were also able to register beginning March 31 to ensure required honors experiences would be open and met by those within the program. Unlike the difficulties faced by student-athletes, the new time blocks seem to have had little impact on Honors scheduling.
First-year Honors student Nate Ellis said he sees both the positive and negative aspects of the new time blocks, but he thinks concerns over scheduling are being "blown out of proportion."
"I think people are making too much of a big deal about it," Ellis said.
Ellis said he thinks the transition to more two-day 75-minute classes doesn't work well for students who struggle with concentration.
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"Having (class) three days a week is more advantageous in general because people have a hard time concentrating for 75 minutes," Ellis said. "I think people will retain more if (scheduling) is spread out. But ultimately, it comes down to how you work personally."
University Registrar Dave Sauter said the response to the new registration format wass accompanied by the "typical flurry."
"When we first open up registration, there are so many prerequisites and co-requisites that we usually spend the first couple of days talking with advisers and directors, almost like a final testing," Sauter said.
While Sauter said he expects registration for the fall semester 2009 to go relatively smoothly considering the new block scheduling. Sauter said it is too early to report any solid feedback from priority registration students.
Registration started Monday for juniors who will be seniors next fall and will continue down through sophomores and first-years through the remainder of the semester.
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