At 6:59 a.m., nothing feels real. Not the homework due for that 8:30 class. Not the group chat blowing up. Not even the idea of going back to sleep. But at 6:00 a.m.—the exact second registration opens—that’s when Guilford students suddenly develop the reflexes of competitive gamers and the anxiety of day traders.

Laptops glow. Tabs multiply. Refresh buttons take a beating.

And somehow, somewhere, a Creative Writing class fills up before you’ve even finished blinking.

It’s that time of year again—spring registration at Guilford. Rising seniors get first dibs starting April 3, followed by everyone else on April 11. With it comes a familiar mix of anticipation, strategy and, for many, a low-grade sense of panic.

Students Kezia Sitepu and Jimmy Ma didn’t hesitate when asked about their experiences.

“It’s just a very annoying process,” Sitepu said.

“It is pretty stressful,” Ma said. “There’s one fundamental assumption that assumes that you have time to think about your registration … it’s a tedious task, and it requires a lot of time.” 

When asked how past registrations have gone for them, Sitepu and Ma also cited difficulties.

“[It’s gone] pretty bad,” Sitepu said. “I got one class that I wanted.”

Ma, on the other hand, got three of the classes that he wanted. But he expressed difficulty with Creative Writing, which he wanted to take.

He said that a minute after registration opened, the class was full. “Who gets it [is whoever registers] on the dot the first minute it gets released,” Ma said. “I’m like, ‘huh?’ It’s the first minute.”  

Sitepu said that she thinks registration at Guilford is harder than registration at other schools.

“We have not as many professors and not enough blocks for each class,” Sitepu said.

Although Sitepu and Ma both acknowledged that the system as a whole is fair, Ma is still not a fan of registration. “[It’s] just a hyper competition,” he said.

Students Nayani Annamalai and Alex Wang expressed more indifference toward registration.

Annamalai said it was just slightly stressful. “I feel like I will be able to get seats in most of my classes, but still waking up and making sure I get the classes I want is kind of stressful,” she said.

When Wang was asked if registration was stressful for him, he responded with one simple word: No.

“It’s been pretty smooth for the most part,” Wang said. “I think I got into all of [the classes I wanted].”

Although Wang said he woke up early for the last registration, he said that he doubts the registration scene at Guilford is “that serious.”

Annamalai only had one bone to pick with the registration at Guilford.

“When we’re looking at the course on BannerWeb, [we] can’t really see the syllabus or any introduction to the class,” Annamalai said. “You just have to go based off the name, or if you know the professor.” 

She said if she could change one thing about registration, she would have “three paragraphs” of an introduction to each class on BannerWeb.

Faculty also have opinions and observations about registration.

“I do think that they do [feel stressed],” said Early College liaison Julie Winterich when referring to Early College students, who register alongside traditional students. “Especially juniors, the first time they do it themselves … but after that, I think they get the hang of it. I feel like by senior year, it’s not a problem.”

Winterich is the academic advisor for Early College students. She guides them through the registration process and in choosing classes. For rising juniors, she even registers for them.

A moment of stress that she observed from students in the past was due to the high demand for the Organic Chemistry class.

“There’s only so many seats available, and those don’t get released until late July or August,” Winterch said. “So I did have a semester where I had more students who wanted the class than could get in, and that was stressful. They were really counting on getting it.”

Winterich also expressed her desire for Early College students to explore more diverse classes and to get out of their comfort zone.

“I wish they would consider that this is an opportunity to take kinds of classes they may not take when they go wherever, to major in whatever,” Winterich said. “There are unique classes at Guilford that I wish they would broaden their minds, perspectives about.” 

In terms of stress, Winterich said that she mostly just feels “constrained for time” during the fall registration season.

“It’s 95 to 98 students, and it’s a lot of appointments,” said Winterich. “And there’s prep work beforehand, and there’s note-taking afterward, and there’s keeping track of who needs to get back to me about what. So it’s a lot of detail work, and it’s very time-consuming.”

Nevertheless, she loves her job.

“I love meeting with students,” Winterich said. “That’s my favorite part … getting to meet one-on-one students and getting to know them more and find out their interests and help steer them in different ways.”

Even for faculty who do not work in the registration department, it can be a busy time.

“I do the placement test … the week before registration, the week of,” said Vera Castro, a Spanish professor at Guilford. “I’m busy with that, but it usually goes smoothly.”

Castro said she does not feel stressed during registration, but she thinks faculty advisors and students would be. 

“It’s very important for [students],” Castro said. “Depending on when they register, they may not have access to the classes anymore. 

Castro said that it is common for her classes to fill up fast, and also for students to ask her for a place in her class even after all seats are taken.

In general, each registration period brings its highs and lows, with both stress and moments of ease for students and faculty. However, when the clock strikes 7:00 a.m., the rapid rush to register begins once again.