Registration is a funny thing. In the fall you spent days, or for some, just hours agonizing over which classes to take in the spring semester, and once you had them on your roster you all but forgot about them. That is, until now, when you actually have to attend those classes.
You might be one of the lucky ones, one of those who took the time to plan and are pleased with their schedule. You might also be a member of the majority, one of the “What was I thinking?” majority, and you are now stuck in that 8:40 a.m. physics class.
Thankfully, here at Temple there are various ways to get out of those classes you signed up for but no longer want to take. However, the pitfalls of changing your roster are numerous, and if you don’t watch out you could fall head first into bills.
1. The Drop/Add Option: A very popular one at the advising center. Basically, you drop a class you don’t want and then pick up another to fill its place. Still, the drawbacks of this option could end up affecting your wallet. Concerning our current semester, Jan. 31 is the last day that you can drop a class from your roster. Any revisions made after that will cost you $12 a day for each day that a revision is transacted. According to the Office of Academic Records, any classes dropped after the second week of the semester will remain on your roster and appear on your transcript.
2. Withdrawing Late: Since there is a fee for dropping or adding classes, it would seem only fair to charge us for withdrawals, right? Withdrawing from a course within the first two weeks of the semester results in the deletion of the class from your roster. However, any changes made after those first two weeks can be tricky. Withdrawals made during weeks three through six require an adviser’s signature, and the course remains on your transcript with a notation of “W.” Any time you want to risk withdrawing after the six-week point, it requires signatures from your instructor, adviser and the Dean’s designate. Most students who consider withdrawing after week six do it because they’re failing. Here, Temple is one step ahead: If you were passing the class it will be recorded on your transcript with a “W,” however, if a “WF,” appears, it is there to indicate that you withdrew with a failing grade.
3. Refunds: Well, you signed up for it, but you didn’t go. So why do the bills keep coming? According to Temple’s academic policies, a complete 100 percent refund of tuition will be made for classes dropped or withdrawn from, but only if these changes were made by the end of the second week of classes. Any changes made after that point are your financial responsibility. Now if you are a student who is completely on top of your bills, and kudos to you for that, there are still some ways to get into financial trouble. When you receive your bill and the minimum payment due on your statement is zero, DO NOT THROW IT OUT! According to the Office of Academic Records, students must still mail the bill by the due date to confirm the classes. If you fail to do so or simply forget, your classes will be cancelled. Talk about a rude awakening.
I think the best lesson to be learned here is this: don’t let registration mess with you. Stay calm, know your options and talk to an adviser ASAP. The longer you put off changing your roster the bigger the bills will be, and the less likely you will get the classes you really want.
Michelle Nicoletto can be reached at mnic@temple.edu.
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