Guide to the Graduate School Online System
Navigating Online Accounts for Graduate Students
Sep 27, 2009
Before the first day of class, read the course catalog on the school's website and begin to choose classes of interest. The catalog usually comes out months prior to the start of the semester. For example, when registering for the fall semester, the catalogue will be available as early as the previous spring. Make sure to register as early as possible to avoid the hassle of being put on the wait list.
Find out about the school's online registration program. Most have a system where a student can create a log-in and password. Students must set up their account first before they are allowed to register and are either snail mailed, emailed or handed a book of instructions at orientation. Follow the instructions carefully to set up the account. Then register for classes and print out a copy of the schedule upon completion.
Forget Visits to the Registrar and Bursar
While logged in, get familiar with the other features of the school's online system besides registration. At most schools, a student can check up on other concerns such as financial payment due dates; grades (including midterms); transcripts and school updates and news. Utilizing this system, instead of calling or walking into the Registrar's or Bursar's office, will make a grad student's life much easier. Whether sitting at an office cubicle, on the go with a Blackberry or late at night after tucking in the kids, the online system is available to the student twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. If the system is down for maintenance, the administrator will notify all students via email, but usually this only happens late at night or during school recesses.
Blackboard, the Professor's Resource
Most, if not all graduate programs nowadays, have an added bonus to their online system called Blackboard. It enables professors to communicate with their students online and outside of class. Some of the features on Blackboard include:
- Announcements – Tells about changes in class schedule, cancellations or any other information the professor wishes to include.
- Course Documents – A student can download the syllabus (often before the semester even begins) and articles, book excerpts and other materials. This proves to be extremely cost-efficient as well as a time saver, since the student does not have to buy the material or photocopy every single page. Additionally, if a student does not want to print out pages to save paper (or money), they can simply bring their laptop to class and follow along.
- Assignments – Lists week by week homework, papers, tests, projects and presentations. This is a vital resource when the student is absent so they are aware of the following week's assignments.
Graduate programs each have their own online system. Therefore, it is best to navigate the ins and outs of each by browsing through the features before the first semester even begins.
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