Spring break has come and gone and that means there are only six weeks of classes left before summer! As students enter the downhill side of the spring semester, it’s important for those who won’t be graduating in May to prepare for the coming summer and fall semesters. Registration began this week and there are several things students can do to make sure you’re ready to sign up for your next round of classes at Iowa State.
1. Know your registration date. Iowa State students register for classes based on seniority, dates are listed below.
- Graduate Students: Mon., March 21 – Wed., March 23
- All Seniors: Tues., March 22 – Mon., March 28
- Projected Juniors: Tues., March 29 -Mon., April 4
- Projected Sophomores: Tues., April 5 – Mon., April 11
- Continuing freshmen: Tues., April 12 – Mon., April 18
View your exact registration start date on AccessPlus under the “Current Student Info” tab and be sure to mark it on your calendar.
2. Make an appointment with your adviser well before your registration date. You’ll need this to get your RAN and discuss your class schedule. Academic Adviser Jessica Hansen says that appointments fill up much quicker than most students think, so plan ahead and call the main office at 515-294-4342 to schedule an appointment with Academic Advisers Jessica Hansen or Jason Wiegand, or email your faculty adviser about an appointment as soon as possible.
3. Decide what classes you want to take. Preferably before your advising appointment. Run a degree audit on AccessPlus to make sure you’re on track to graduate and refer to your four-year plan that you should have made in JL MC 110. From there, choose classes based on what interests you and will help you work toward your career goals, but pay attention to what you are able to take. Hansen warns that one mistake students tend to make when signing up for classes is not paying attention to the prerequisites for courses. “Just because AccessPlus lets you sign up for a class, doesn’t mean it will let you stay in it,” says Hansen. Hansen also says that the ISU online schedule planner is a great tool for students to use to plan their class schedules and make sure they will be able to take everything they want to without overlapping any class times.
4. Set an alarm for your specific registration date and time. You’re responsible for registering on time, so make sure you set yourself a reminder to register as soon as you’re able to so that you can get a spot in the classes you’ve been eyeing. Forgetting or blowing off your registration date could hold you back from graduating if there are required classes you need to enroll in. Don’t let that happen to you!
If you’re still looking for some interesting classes to take, Greenlee offers some rotating classes that will be offered this fall, including:
ADVRT/JL MC/P R 497K : Sports and the Media in a Digital 24/7 World
Spots available: 60 Meeting time: T/R 8:00 – 9:20 AM Course Description: This course is for juniors and seniors who are interested in talking and learning about sports and the media from an advertising, journalism and public relations perspective. What to expect: A professional environment with high expectations for each team “to create a final project related to sports and their major: journalism, advertising or public relations.” Instructor: Beth Hagg bhaag@iastate.edu
JL MC 461: History of American Journalism
Spots available: 85 (Junior Classification or above needed) Meeting time: T/R 11:00 – 12:30PM Course Description: JLMC 461 offers an overview of media history in the United States from the colonial press through the birth of the Internet. What to expect: An out-of-the-ordinary blend of online and in class interactive learning including: watching documentaries, examining primary sources and participating in engaging discussions Instructor: Tracy Lucht tlucht@iastate.edu
P R 460: Crisis Communication
Spots available: 36 Meeting time: T/R 3:40-5:00PM Course Description: Students will learn PR strategies for crisis situations to protect/recover an organizations reputation including public behavior in a crisis, crisis assessment, crisis communication, corporate social responsibility and ethics and many more. What to expect: Many hands on activities learning real-life PR crisis communication skills such as an apology statement exercise, a press conference role play and learning to creating a crisis communication report. Instructor: Suman Lee smlee@iastate.edu
ADVRT/JL MC/P R 497G: Data Driven Audience Analysis
Spots available: 60 Meeting time: T/R 12:40-2:00PM Course Description: Students will examine the theories and methods used to understand media use behavior, emphasizing quantitative research and macro-level media use patterns. Patterns of media consumption will be assessed in the context of advertising, marketing, popular culture and politics. What to expect: Students will have hands on experience with real world data. They will earn how to analyze the data and make strategic deacons using the results through multiple group projects. And as a bonus, students can expect occasional “Korean snacks” in class. Instructor: Su Jung Kim sjkim@iastate.edu
If you have any questions about registration or want to know more about classes for next fall, call Greenlee’s main office at 515-294-4342 to schedule an appointment with your adviser! Have a great rest of the semester and good luck with registration!