Monday and Tuesday marked that last DART registration period for the Notre Dame's Class of 2011.
Some seniors worried about getting into the classes they needed in order to meet graduation requirements, while others looked for fun electives to fill their last semester at Notre Dame. The majority, though, did not find registering for requirements difficult.
Senior Elaine Coldren said she did not face much competition for classes for her upper-level science classes.
Another senior, Caitlin Sullivan, said it was her desired classes, rather than the required classes, that were hard for her to get.
"I don't know if we're having trouble getting classes that we need to graduate," Sullivan said. "But I know some people are having trouble getting the classes they wanted."
Other students, however, decided to forgo taking the classes they wanted in order to save money. Choosing to become a part-time student for the final semester, such as Coldren did, saved seniors money on their tuition.
"Part-time students pay by credit, and to be a part-time student, you need under 12 [credits]. I'll be taking eight next semester," she said. "I'm still technically a Notre Dame student, even though I'll be taking less classes."
For Coldren, this academic time will be replaced by job and graduate university applications. Coldren said while taking her final pairs of classes and labs, she applied to 16 different schools.
"How much time the applications take depends on where I could be traveling. It might be twice a month but hopefully not that much," Coldren said. "Most people though, apply between 14 and 16."
Coldren said she wished she could stay as a full-time student.
"I like to learn so I would enjoy getting to take the extra elective classes," she said. "But in terms of finances, it's cheaper for my family if I'm part-time."
In general, seniors reported feeling less stressed academically about their last semester.
"I think that the last semester for seniors is more laid back," Coldren said. "There's a lot less to do."
However, many other seniors find the academic burden is replaced by the weight of finding a job or applying to graduate school. Sullivan said her final semester would only be less stressful in terms of academics.
While the senior class DARTed for the final time, the freshman class just began to register on their own and many have found the registration process less confusing than they originally thought.
Freshman Catherine O'Donnell said she wasn't very worried about registering and she doesn't believe she will encounter much trouble getting into the necessary classes.
"I mean, no one wants to end up with a bum schedule, but it should end up all right," she said.
"There are some [classes] that I need for major requirements, but they're still the really big lecture classes."
Many freshmen arranged for individual meetings with their advisors in the weeks leading up to registration.
"I spoke with my advisor," freshman Daniel Kokotajlo said. "We mostly talked about politics and my philosophy major."
After one semester at Notre Dame, O'Donnell said she felt she was well-prepared to register for the Spring.
"You have a better handle on classes," she said. "Plus, you realize just how much you don't want 8:30 classes."
Registration can be a stressful experience for students of all years, but many freshman said they don't have too many concerns.
"There are more than enough classes I'm interested in, so if I don't get my top choices I'll be fine," Kokotajlo said. "[My DART time] is on the second day, but it's early in the morning, so I suppose that's average."
