Class registration is something that every college student has experienced during their post-secondary education careers. With a variety of decisions involved, such as picking classes and figuring out how many credits to take in a semester, the process can be daunting.

Open advising sessions, where student advisors and faculty are on hand to help students develop a schedule that fits their needs, were available to all students at the end of October. Although those sessions have passed, students are far from being out of options when it comes to seeking help for upcoming semesters.

Black Hills State University’s Recruitment and Retention Advisor Janette Hettick recommends that students use valuable resources that sit at their fingertips, most notably the faculty advisor assigned to students once they choose a major. Even for upperclassmen, who may feel as though they have the hang of registration, it is important that they utilize the knowledge of their advisors.

“It is particularly important for upperclassmen to meet with their advisors, not just for registration, but on a regular basis,” Hettick said. “That way they have someone who has knowledge of their major, internship opportunities, potential for research opportunities, if they want to go to grad school. All of these types of things can be gleaned from an advisor within your major.”

Even when a student has already registered for their classes, Hettick believes that the line of communication between student and advisor should be kept open.

“Students should be thinking at this point about ‘who is my mentor? Who is my potential reference as I’m leaving this place?’ That relationship, that person who’s going to say ‘yeah, that person is great,’ that doesn’t just happen overnight, so you don’t want to get to your senior year and first start developing relationships with that person.”

Registration on the new Banner website, which can be accessed through SNAP, is open to all students as of Nov. 13.