Early enrollment for spring opens Oct. 5 for returning students, with enrollment for all students beginning Oct. 12.

Corey Boadu, a physical therapy assistant major, said this was news to him.

“I normally wait until the last minute to enroll in classes, because most of the time I don’t know when I can enroll,” he said.

Procrastination seems to be a common theme among college students, but when it comes to getting the perfect class schedule, procrastination is the enemy.

Returning students get a one-week head start in the race for seats in the best classes through early enrollment.

Assistant Registrar Chris Shelley said students should make time to talk to their academic adviser before enrolling.

The office of academic advising is available on a walk-in basis or by appointment, Shelley said.

Also, he said, students are encouraged to reach out to an academic adviser or a faculty adviser.

“It can only benefit them,” he said. “Students should stop by the office of Student Support Services and ask any questions they might have.”

Shelley recommends this time of year because the lines are not as long, because it’s not a peak enrollment period.

He also pointed out that checking student email is a good way to stay informed about what’s going on at OCCC.

“Students should check their school email,” he said. “A lot of information gets sent out through that.”

Huyen Nguyen, an allied health major, said she checks a website called Rate My Professors before she chooses which classes to take.

“Rate My Professor is a valuable resource for college students to know about,” Huyen said.

“If they use it, then they will already know what to expect or even get to know a little bit about the professor before they start the class.”

Rate My Professor is a student-based website where students can rate and give feedback about their professors and read comments and reviews from other students, according to the site.

Thao Cao, a business major, said she wished she would have known about Rate My Professors before enrolling in her fall classes. Thao is an exchange student from Vietnam. Before she enrolled at OCCC, she said, she did not know about that resource.

“I plan on using Rate My Professors before enrolling next semester,” Cao said.

Morgan Graham, a radiation therapy major, said she learned a lesson the hard way about delaying her enrollment. She said last semester she waited to enroll and got stuck in a class that she hated and ended up dropping.

“Now I enroll early,” she said. “That way I have a better chance of getting the classes I want.”

For more information, contact Chris Shelley at cshelley@occc.edu.