Preregistration Woes for Undergrads Overblown

To the editors:

As a senior at The George Washington University (GW), I was a bit confused by Rohit Chopra ’04 (Op-ed, Oct. 16) on our preregistration system. He describes it as a battle, with students waking before dawn to prep for war. As someone who has preregistered for classes since the fall of 1999, I must admit that my battle gear is still in storage at home in New Jersey.

While I am unsure of the circumstances surrounding preregistration at Harvard, I can tell you that preregistration at GW is a gift. Intended only for students who have special scheduling needs (athletics, tour guides, honors students), preregistration ensures that these students will be able to maintain a carefully balanced schedule. And I assure you, only the super-psyched preregistrants get up at dawn to register. Because only a limited number of students are eligible for preregistration, there is no fuss or worry as to whether or not a class will be available at noon or 5 pm.

If Chopra knows something I don’t, I guess I’d better dust off the old suit of armor. Otherwise, come Nov. 7, I’ll roll out of bed at 8 am, just as I do every Thursday morning, and brace myself for the simplicity of preregistration.

Devon E. Tutak

Washington

Oct. 16, 2002

The writer is an electronic media major in the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University.