Students start to register for new semester

Dubai: It's that time of the year again, when students line up at universities or in front of their computers for the registration period.

In many cases the days of taking a trip to a student advisor to register for courses are long gone. Though advisors still play a supportive role, most universities use an online registration system where students log in with their username and password to register.

"The online system makes registering a very quick and easy process," said Ahmad Essam, a master's student in engineering management at the University of Wollongong in Dubai.

"We normally only seek the help of an advisor if we need to choose what classes to take, and to schedule the class times."

The online system automatically informs a student who is teaching the course, how many seats are available and the prerequisites required.

Eligibility

Upon registering, the system automatically detects whether or not a student is eligible for a course based on the academic history of that student, recorded in the system's database.

Many times students are required to pay a registration fee, averaging about Dh300, for the service. If students miss the registration date, they are required to pay a higher late registration fee.

Registration methods vary between universities.

At the American University of Sharjah (AUS), students register for courses for every semester.

Other universities, such as Skyline College, do not offer semester-by-semester registration.

"Once enrolled, students progress from one semester to another after duly passing all subjects with the academic requirements," said Anuradha Vyas, student services coordinator at Skyline College.

At AUS, registration is a particularly stressful period for many students.

Although the online system, which was introduced at the university in 2001, gave students more freedom and flexibility in choosing their courses, it often complicated the process for them.

"I am graduating soon but still haven't had the chance to take some of my courses because there is no space," said Ali Namroud, a mechanical engineering senior at AUS.

Lynda Ataya, registrar and assistant to the Chancellor, told Gulf News it is the student demand that determines the size of classes.

"The number of seats is electronically set to around 20 students per class on average, but this number changes if more students add the course. Students can get approval from the professor teaching the course to join, and the professor can increase the capacity of the class."

In order to make the system fair towards students, AUS gives senior students priority to register, followed by junior students. "This is a fair system because senior students need to take specific courses to graduate. All students will get their turn to register for the courses they want," Ataya said.

Registration is supposed to be preceded by an advisory period when students discuss courses they need to take each semester with their academic advisors. However, many students do not take advantage of this service because they claim it is not always helpful.

While the professor's task is to guide students on their academic and career choices, many students said the advisors do not have answers to their questions. Universities also provide students with a back-up plan should the electronic system fail.

"We always have a plan B in case the system is down where students can register through their assigned advisor," said Sana'a Al Laham, head of recruitment at the University of Dubai.

Ataya also assured students there would be sufficient capacity for all of them to take the courses they want.

The complaints that the Registrar's Office receives, she said, are more related to requirements for courses and permission to take them than to the size of the classes.

Registration procedure

- Skyline College, Sharjah:

Students go through a one-time registration procedure upon admission

- American University in Dubai, registration date August 24-28:

Registration fee per semester: Dh100

- University of Dubai, registration date July 23:

Registration fee per semester: Dh500

- BITS, Pilani Dubai, registration date August 28:

Registration fee per semester: No fee

- University of Wollongong in Dubai, registration date August 31:

Registration fee per semester: No fee

--Zayed University, registration date August 24-28:

Registration fee per semester: No fee

- Heriot-Watt University, registration date September 7-11:

Registration fee per semester: No fee

- American University of Sharjah, registration date August 20-21:

Registration fee per semester: Dh500

- Mahatma Gandhi University, Dubai, registration date December to July:

Registration fee per semester: Dh1,000

No problems

Munqith Al Sammarai, Masters in Engineering Management, University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD)

"I went to the admissions office and the process didn't take me more than ten minutes. The procedure was very easy and the advisors are always willing to help. Because I'm doing a masters, a majority of our courses are compulsory, so you are automatically registered into the next courses you must take. We only have four electives and I generally don't have any difficulties getting into the courses I want."

Bashar Saffarini, Architecture, American University of Sharjah (AUS)

"Architecture courses are mostly fixed, especially the first year. When I started taking elective courses, I had to do the online registration myself. The system that we use does not always function properly because many students register at the same time. But the system improved a lot when seniors got priority to register, then juniors, then sophomores and so on. Speaking to an advisor never really made a difference to me because my advisor wasn't helpful."

Are you planning to register for university this year? How has your experience been? Have you faced any difficulties during the entire process? Share your experience with us