Registration and Orientation, Fall 2007

Posted at 1:57 PM, Saturday, September 15, 2007

For once I don't have pictures of registration and I don't think I have time to go looking for those either. Anyways, this semester things went as usual, actually I wasn't very involved with anything so I can't say if there were any improvements or not. I do know that Admissions check-in was smooth as always. We accepted about 300+ students but only about 190+ have showed up for registration so far. I'm not soo sure of the statistics cos I'm concentrating on my classes which have already begun with loads of readings. All the same, registration for new students was very good, better than ever. But registration for returning students was the usual not very good process. But who can I blame for that? Don't ask me cos I can't say. God willing, next time it'll be smoother.

Here are some pictures of orientation that the admissions staff took:

Coming back to registration, returning students are never really content with the classes they get, they just have to keep coming to change an instructor, section or course. It's the same complaints and reasons they have (Students here just never stop complaining)  - "I don't like instructor X cos my friend told me so"; "8:00am! How can I get up soo early in the morning for classes?"; "I don't like afternoon classes cos I'm not an afternoon person"; "I can't do 4 classes on Moday!"; "Is there any space in a section of Instructor Y? Could you please move me there, I can't go to the Dean to get permission. Please, won't you do this for me?";"I've been here all morning and no one's attending to me, I can't stay in the long line of waiting students";"Can you please give me afternoon classes, and please make sure I don't get Instructors A and B" and it continues, I wish they understood that we have no control over what section, time, day, instrutor and what have you. It's almost impossible to make them understand that WE don't have the authority to change anything. You can see the kind of answer they give when we refer them to the Dean or advisor. Nevertheless, I guess they'll understand someday, God willing. There was some incidents that got me really upset. One was when a student said that she had to take a course and that there was no other way. We did tell her that all sections for that course were full and that she had to take SPECIAL permission to get there, cos it just was not possible. After making all the trouble and finally being admitted to the section, when I printed her schedule and gave it to her can you believe what she did? She had one look at her schedule and said "I can't take this course, drop it please I don't like the instructor!" I got soo upset that I just spoke and said "First you make us go through all this trouble and now you don't want the course?" I mean why do people have to be like that? I can understand that certain professors might not be too welcoming, but I can assure you that if only you pray hard and work hard, everything will go well for you. From my experience, it's not soo much the professor that one needs to consider, it's the effort, time and dedication you put into the course, and your faith in God. If you have these two things then you need not be afraid of taking a course with any professor. Of course I know that certian professors are better than others, even I have my favourites, but I wouldn't mind going to any professor's class if it is what God wants me to do. I just end up liking the professors for one reason or the other, that's God's blessing because on my own, I can do nothing or be anything. Just like the Bible says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Students say that Dr. Quarccoo is tough, but when I was in his class, I can tell you that he was one of the finest professors I've known. I mean calculus was exciting and I enjoyed the class sessions soo much that I looked forward to being in class. I don't know I managed an A- in his course(Calculus I) cos students tell me it's almost imposibles to get anything like an A- or A in his class. My sister Nino had a B+ in his Calculus III class, she really enjoyed his class, and she still thinks that he made Calculus a very interesting course. You see, if you trust the Lord Jesus, He always makes a way for you. Sometimes the road may be rough, but the final destination is soo beautiful that you forget whatever you had to go through to get there. As it is written "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding". Pray and everything will go well with you, just as it went with me because I wouldn't have gotten anything close to a B+ in many courses of mine if I did not trust in God to help me through. Change courses and sections if you want, but don't do it on the basis of your friend's opinion, cos "you are not your friend" as my little sis Mona said to one student. Even Ben Carson describes PEERS as "People who Encourage Errors Rudeness & Stupidity" in his book The Big Picture. You don't always need to listen to your peers cos sometimes these so-called "friends" might lead you astray. Listen to God, and it will go well with you.

Anyways, I guess that's about all that happened during registration this semester. My next entry will be on courses I'm taking this semester, and other entries about Yola will follow soon. I've decided to blog every Friday as I don't have any classes then. God willing, this time I'll be able to keep with my plans. Thanks for your time!