Colin McLeod likens the course registration process to a race—one he has lost twice already. The Queen's University student unsuccessfully tried to nab a seat in Biology 210 ("Biology of Sex") in both his second and third year. It was third-time lucky for Mr. McLeod, now in his fourth year. "Finally, I got into it now," he says with a sigh of relief.

It took Colin McLeod three tries to get into a biology course at Queen's University.

It took Colin McLeod three tries to get into a biology course at Queen's University.

More Canadian University Report 2009 Reports

• Lean green campus machines
• Editor's note about this year's university report
• 2008 survey results
• If you build it green, they will come
• Examples of student-driven projects
• No commute, no crowds, no worries
• Good for grads?
• Cozy ambience, big-time degree
• Education à la carte
• Crossing over
• Out of the classroom, into your iPod
• Thirsty for the next Gatorade
• The new centres of excellence
• Chasing the big bucks
• Your first assignment: Read this
• What would Da Vinci do?
• Which Canadian schools are world-class?
• Q & A with University of Calgary president Harvey Weingarten
• Q & A with University of New Brunswick president John McLaughlin
• Q & A with Ryerson University president Sheldon Levy
• Life begins (again) at forty
• The $24,000 campus
• But will they still eat Kraft Dinner?
• How I became a campus diva

The wait he had to endure is not uncommon and is, in fact, a bugbear among students who complain that overcrowded campuses mean courses fill up quickly and they are stuck on waiting lists or have to deal with poor administrative support.

Rest assured, university officials have taken notice.

From adding to the number of academic advisers on campuses and giving all students a fairer shot at selecting courses to a new graduation guarantee program at the University of Calgary, schools are looking to change the registration nightmare into a trouble-free process. "It's something we are very conscious of. We really want students to have a fabulous learning experience, and a big part of that is getting the courses they want and need for their programs," says Queen's registrar Jo-Anne Brady.

Over the years, the Kingston university has refined how students select courses. Ms. Brady described the first-come, first-serve registration of a few years back as a "nightmare" that dragged the system to its knees and left students irritated.

The selection process for arts and science has always cascaded with fourth years registering first. But about four years ago, the university tinkered with the registration so that now within the cascading process, each student is randomly given a time ticket indicating when he or she can start selecting courses. Students who receive first dibs in one year go to the middle of the queue the following year and then toward the end of the line.

Freshmen, however, receive special treatment. Not only can they select courses any time during the registration period, but it's subject to an in-person appointment at the summer orientation on-campus event or a telephone academic advising appointment. If a course is full—as it was this year with first-year biology—then a new section is added (if there's enough money). "We recognize that it's a big, complex issue for students and especially as they are transitioning from high school into university," Ms. Brady says. "I think the one-on-one advising is really the strength of the registration system and has really helped students as they move on in future years."

Having dealt with the ups-and-downs of selecting courses, Mr. McLeod now shares his skills with the newest batch of students. The 21-year-old, who is doing a major in politics and a minor in biology, spent part of his summer as a peer-adviser to the incoming class.

It may be easy to map out a timetable in a structured program such as engineering or business. But for arts and science students, wading through the massively complex set of choices and then selecting courses that are not already filled is bound to cause a few headaches. "As much as people can't get into courses they want, departments and faculties have back-up plans so people will be able to major in what they want to," Mr. McLeod says. He adds reassuringly: "Generally, everyone gets to do what they want in the end. It's just whether or not it's a bit more of a process."

That wasn't the case for Andrés Fuentes. The 21-year-old University of Waterloo student says course choices have been limited in his Spanish and Latin American studies program, mainly because it's a small program. Even his attempts to enroll in a Mexican history course, offered every two years, failed because it overlapped with other courses.

Mr. Fuentes, who is vice-president academic for the Waterloo student group, says those in larger programs are even more frustrated when trying to enroll in certain classes. "If you don't enroll on the first day, you're not getting in," he says. To make matters worse, "it gets more complicated with every year. Now you can do double-majors with a minor with a specialty. There's just so many different little degrees that you can get."

Frustrated by the process? Ask for help, university officials say.

Ann Tierney, vice-provost of students at the University of Calgary, says all too often students shy away from seeking advice. The university offers incoming students a guided registration program in the spring, either in person or by telephone. "I can't stress how important academic advising is," Ms. Tierney says. "Before they sit down to register for their courses, it helps them know about all the alternatives. Meeting with an adviser is more than just scheduling your classes, it's about helping you map out your academic plan at university."

University of Calgary believes the advising component is so essential that it has made it mandatory in its new "graduation guarantee" program, offered to arts and science students. Students in the program must meet specific criteria, such as maintaining a certain grade point average and declaring a major by the end of their first year. In turn, the university will ensure all the necessary classes are available so a student can complete his or her degree in four years. If a program is unable to offer a required class or substitute an alternative, the university will waive tuition costs for the student to take the course, or equivalent, in a subsequent semester.

"It's part of our ongoing commitment to support our students, to progress through their degrees and to provide yet another response, because sometimes we hear students can't get a course," Ms. Tierney says.

The university has also moved up the registration date so that officials have a better idea early on if they need to add extra sections to a course. Ms. Tierney says the student government has also provided funding to the registrar's office over the past couple of years to add more sections to high-demand courses. "We try to look and see if [courses are filling up] and where it's happening and figure out what roadblocks there are and what we can do to fix them," she says.

University of Toronto's registrar Karel Swift echoes that sentiment. She acknowledges there are students who are frustrated when it comes to choosing courses, especially with the huge array of choices. "While we would love to have all students take everything they would like, given our resources, that's not possible," Ms. Swift says. "Our commitment is to ensure that students are able to register in the courses they need for their programs. "It doesn't mean they will never get the course. It means they're not going to get it in a particular session. If they're on the waiting list, at least they can gauge their chances," she adds.

U of T's online course registration usually takes about 30 minutes, and students are given a particular time slot depending on their year and program of study. If they are unable to sign up for an elective course, students are put on a waiting list. Not only does the website tell them they're on the list, but also their position so they can determine their chances of getting into the course. Faculties also watch the waiting list to see if they should add an extra section.

Ms. Swift hasn't heard many complaints this year from students. "I don't know if it [the waiting-list feature] reduced their frustration, but it has reduced what we've heard from them in terms of students being unhappy," she says.

University administrators try to reassure students that the sky isn't about to come crashing down if they don't get into the course they want in that particular year. "There's always options," says Ms. Brady of Queen's.

Colin McLeod is well aware of that fact. He may have not landed that biology course he wanted in his first couple of tries. But he found others that piqued his interest. "It was pretty frustrating," he says, "but it was an elective. The nice thing is that there are so many different alternatives."

How to stay in front