Registering for classes is tricky. Students draw out strategies and game plans, tactful like Odysseus. When registration day arrives, they flock to SSOL, armed with endless stickies of call numbers and fantasy schedules. And so, the race to claim the best classes begins.

When some see that their dream class is full, they wallow in defeat and whine like Achilles. Taking personal offense from this online registration system, they vow to leave the class registration race forever.

But class registration miracles come to those who wait. Misha Sallee, CC ’15, says, “I waited patiently by the computer on Saturday of registration weekend, the first opportunity for upperclassmen to drop classes. Within a couple of hours, I had gotten into every class I was hoping for.”

Other students didn’t need to glue themselves to the refresh button. Sometimes the class they want just appears out of thin air. Eileen Li, CE ’15, happened to secure a spot in the legendary History of New York class with no refreshing. (Ironically, she had more trouble getting into her desired Chem recitation and Calc sections.)

Sophomore Nathalie Barton also experienced a magical registration moment:

“I wanted to get into Art Hum or Music Hum last semester, but, like everyone else, I didn’t get a spot (I actually watched my roommate get the last spot in Music Hum). I went to the Core Office on the first day of classes and petitioned to add a spot to a section. But magically, when I got back to my room and logged onto SSOL, there was a spot open at the time and on the day I wanted. At first, I thought that it was the spot I petitioned for, but then I realized that it had only been ten minutes [since I had petitioned] so there was no way… Someone had dropped it exactly when I wanted to add the class. Registration magic!”

And then there are students who, for one reason or another, have fallen out of favor with the gods on SSOLympus. In fact, they might as well drop the “s” in SSOL because they’re pretty much S.O.L.

A freshman in CE shared her unlucky experience on the basis of anonymity. Let’s call her Helen. As class registration loomed, Helen prepared about four possible schedules. She filled pages and pages in her notebook with call numbers and class descriptions. But when she logged into SSOL, the classes she wanted had all been snatched up.

She started bringing her laptop and phone to classes, constantly refreshing the registration page. In the middle of her physics class, Helen saw a spot open up and screamed, “YES!” The teachers and students were perplexed—what’s so exciting about one-dimensional motion? She hastened to take the spot but—alas!—someone else took it at that exact moment.

And finally, amidst all these students who strive bravely against SSOL, there is a group of deserters. They want absolutely nothing to do with the system. Another freshman just shrugged, “I just had my mom do it.”