As pre-enroll nears, Cornellians are starting to plan ahead for the Spring 2023 semester. Last week, the course roster opened, and students are expressing both excitement and concern about choosing classes and preparing for the new semester.
The approaching pre-enroll is a first for first years, many of whom are seeking guidance from various resources in choosing their courses.
“Decent resources were available,” said Juneau McGee ’26. “But the best help that I got was from my peers and upperclassmen, who gave me advice on how to best [form] my schedule.”
According to McGee, as an Atmospheric Science major, getting used to the workload in the fall semester was an adjustment. But with help from peers, McGee is able to craft a better fit schedule that contributes the correct criteria of classes for her major while not overworking herself.
“I have a lot of electives and gen ed classes [required] for my major in the spring semester,” McGee said. “One of the electives that I’m required to take is called Meteorological Instruments, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Other freshmen have found more ease in selecting classes for the spring semester than they had for the fall. Jaden Oh ’26 described the process as one that went smoothly.
“The process was pretty similar to what [took place] for the fall semester,” Oh said. “I didn’t have too much trouble enrolling in the classes that I wanted.”
According to Oh, as a Human Biology and Health Sciences major, the distribution requirements are relatively general, giving him the flexibility to coordinate his schedule with his friends.
Grace Urmaza ’25 expressed excitement about the pre-enroll process.
“Pre-enrollment is always a fun time because I like to plan and organize,” Urmaza said. “I’m just hoping that it won’t be too stressful, and my requests for classes will go through.”
Urmaza, a transfer student from Smith College, also reflected on the pre-enroll process at her previous institution.
“It was definitely a very stressful time,” Urmaza said. “[P]re-enroll is always like a coin toss; with all of the freezing and cutting out, there is really no better way to do it.”
Other students demonstrated frustration about their inability to enroll in certain classes due to a heavy load of degree requirements.
“There are some classes that I wish I could take,” said Max Watson ’24. “But major requirements tend to cut them out. I’m hoping I can at least get into the required classes, as some of them may cut out fast.”
Although selecting which classes to take can be a stressful task, Watson demonstrated eagerness toward exploring the variety of courses offered.
“I like how I can see the classes beforehand,” Watson said. “I hope there are more [courses] available in the spring than there were in the fall.”
Current seniors, who are graduating after the spring semester, voiced a mix of emotions toward their final pre-enroll.
Ashley Liu ’23 found the pre-enroll period to be hectic in previous years. Since there are many students hoping to enroll in the same classes with relatively smaller capacities, it is important to stay attentive to enrollment deadlines.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s my last pre-enroll,” Liu said. “Part of me is glad that I made it through, but it’s also challenging to decide what my last set of classes will look like.”
Meanwhile, Cornellians hoping to change majors view pre-enroll as a crucial time to make the academic modifications that they desire.
Stephen Barlett ’26 anticipates designing his schedule to include courses that will make way for a new major.
“I’m in the process of changing my major from Environment & Sustainability to Information Science,” said Barlett. “Enrolling in classes is important for me to stay on track.”
Bartlett also displayed concern for a required course for the Information Science major, which involves skills that are entirely new to him.
“I don’t have any experience with computer science,” Bartlett said. “Ideally, I’ll be in one next semester and I am a bit nervous about that.”
Courses being offered in the upcoming semester can be found on the spring 2023 Class Roster.