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At the end of each academic year, both returning students and new students have to select courses for the upcoming year. Although this obligatory process is supposed to be completed with sufficient care and thought, the procedure promotes both haste and bears unmistakable flaws.

Out of all of its blemishes, the most commonly perceived problem is “the rush” of the process. As soon as selection period begins, all students attempt to log onto their LionLinks account and register for courses. Some students skip classes in order to get their first picks on a course, and some even step out of their classroom to sign up with their mobile devices in the bathroom.

 Course selection is not designed to be done with impetuosity. It is a common responsibility for all students, an obligation that needs to be completed with thought and advice. However, the hasty environment that the Academy’s current procedure creates prevents students from applying sufficient time and thought to plan out their academic year courses.

 Designing a course of studies for a whole year is not a light assignment. It needs to be examined and planned with ample investigation and analysis. Often times, many concerns contribute to students’ decision to take certain courses. Some common influences include, fulfilling graduation requirements, concerns over GPA, pure academic curiosity and personal interests. 

Currently, the only source of information that students can depend on to decide on their courses, while taking in consideration the aforementioned factors, is the Courses of Instruction. Now, the COI is a useful tool, and all students should definitely read over the course descriptions when deciding on their courses. That being said, there needs to be another source, a more student-friendly mechanism, that allows students to judge each course with the opinions of other students.

An example of this new way of evaluating courses would be a website in which students can rate and appraise the courses they have taken in the past, and share their opinions on the courses confidentially. This way, students will be able to hear honest opinions from fellow students and consequently reduce the indecision during course selection periods.

Along with the lack of information and honest student evaluations of courses, another problem the current selection process encompasses is course registration for new students. Although, most new students plan out their courses of study strategically with graduation requirements in mind, every year, there are students who make mistakes. For example, some students complete their art requirement their first year. Some even forget to sign up for other courses that are required.

Now, the Academy definitely offers sources of advice to new students. One reliable source is the interim advisor system. However, most times interim advisors are not able to give the honest advice that new students need, and sometimes they forget to help their interim advisees. Quite frankly, the best source of advice for students, when it comes to selecting courses, is other students. Thus, it makes sense for the Academy to create a way for current students to offer insight and wisdom to new students in terms of choosing courses.

Overall, despite the functionality of the current course selection process, it still needs improvement. Although brief, the hasty environment it creates needs to be eliminated. Students should be given a procedure that allows them to choose with care, and a new way of sharing student opinions and ratings of courses should be instituted for the benefit of all students. 

Since Exeter places students as the most important aspect of the institution, it’s crucial for the administration to recognize that all conditions of course registration has to be favorable for students.