By Kelsey McKinney, Assistant Editor

With pre-registration just around the corner, students are geared up to start planning their next semester on the hilltop.

Starting April 2, seniors will be able to start registering for the fall semester. As all students are drafting schedules and making appointments with their advisors, there are some tips that students should keep in mind during the scheduling process.

First and foremost, every student should have a copy of the advising sheet listing all the course requirements for his or her respective major. “Students have some responsibility to make sure they know the requirements and that they follow the direction of their advisor,” said Dean of Students, Scott Cook.

Along with being aware of all required courses, the sequence of courses and their prerequisites is an important topic to discuss with advisors.

Cook also said that it is a good idea to ask advisors if the school will have a course when it needs to be taken. WLU makes their academic schedule a semester at a time. Therefore, each semester’s courses are going to vary depending on the subject area.

It is essential that students ask their advisor when a course is offered in order to keep from falling behind. “Being at a school our size, we just don’t offer every course every semester,” Cook said. Only faculty advisors will know this information concerning what courses are offered which semester for specific majors.

Besides knowing when courses are offered, “Theoretically, the student has access to everything the advisor has,” Cook revealed. All of the graduation requirements can be found in the school’s catalog. According to Cook, “It’s a partnership. Students need to be prepared when meeting with their advisors and ensure they are taking the right classes.”

Being that the advisee program is a partnership, it is in good practice that students visit their advisors more than just during times of registration. Faculty advisors are required to have office hours every week, not just to meet with current students but to have time to visit with their advisees as well.

“It’s a good idea to build that relationship and meet with your advisor several times,” Cook said, “There are questions that will come up that shouldn’t wait until registration.”

Pre-registration for the Fall 2012 semester was extended a week this year by an approval from the Faculty Senate. Pre-registration is now extended across a three-week period (April 2 – April 20) to allow advisors adequate time to meet with students. In the past, according to Cook, those who are advising over a dozen students may have only been able to meet with an advisee for ten minutes to discuss scheduling in order to see all of their students during the pre-registration period. The week extension allows students plenty of time to talk to their advisor if needed.

Cook stressed the importance of pre-registering. “Our classes fill up quickly.” Cook said he wants to make sure that all current students get the classes they need, especially if graduation is near.

Students can meet with their advisors at any time, but WINS does not open officially for registration until: April 2 for seniors, April 6 for juniors, April 12 for sophomores and April 18 for freshmen.

Students are encouraged to start making appointments with their advisors as soon as possible and to make sure to register by April 20.

Students should help themselves as much as possible by being prepared when meeting with their advisor and ask many questions during the meeting.

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