Sophia Cortez 
Valeria Tokun Haga/THE RIDER GRAPHIC
As Vaqueros prepare their classes for the upcoming spring semester, UTRGV has seen an increase in registration compared to the same time last year, according to a university report.
In an interview with The Rider, Sofia Almeda, university registrar, said the university saw a strong turnout this upcoming spring semester.
“The start of spring semester registration was definitely eventful,” Almeda said. “… We saw students very enthusiastic about picking their classes for the spring term.”
As of press time Friday, 25,704 students have registered for the upcoming semester.
The number shows slightly above last spring’s 24,742 students, but it demonstrates consistent growth and early action by students, according to the institutional reports and dashboard available on the myUTRGV website.
Almeda told The Rider the demand shows students’ commitment to their academic journey and careful planning.
“There is a big group of effort between the registrar’s office, the provost area and department chairs,” she said.
Almeda added the registrar’s office alongside other departments gather enrollment data to make decisions on adding more courses when needed.
Some students, however, faced delays or scheduling challenges.
Samanta Yepez, a psychology junior, said her experience registering for the semester was frustrating.
“I tried to register an hour before and it didn’t work, I had to wait about an hour to get in, and some classes needed special permission, so I had to change [classes],” Yepez said.
She described her registration process as “atrocious.”
The university registrar noted that system delay can occur when a high number of students register simultaneously.
“Sometimes students will report that there’s systems delays or slowness in the performance of ASSIST,” Almeda said.
She encouraged students to plan ahead by checking the academic calendar and preparing for registration.
“It is really important that students look at the academic calendar … we are very transparent on [the calendar] about the days that registration opens.”
Other students such as Sofia Luna, a psychology senior, said learning what works best for you is crucial for ensuring getting the classes you need.
“As the semester passed by … I learned what works best for me … learning … from your mistakes,” Luna said.
She added that being on the Dean’s List was a great advantage to registering for classes.
To help students succeed, the Office of the University Registrar encourages students to use campus facilities including the Learning Center and Academic Advising to guide themselves on navigating their Degree Works.
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