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When students signed up for their spring semester courses last fall, the process was likely much more streamlined than students of the past experienced. Up until 1999, registering for classes meant standing in long lines.
In order to register, students of the past (much like today’s students) needed to meet with an adviser or dean to plan out a schedule. Then, their registration date was based on their last name. On the designated day, students would report to a registration location—and that’s where they were often met with lines.
After many efforts to improve the process over the years, the university first implemented an online registration option in fall 1999. After meeting with their advisers, students received a PIN to enter into the SOLAR – Student On-Line Academic Registration System, though students still had the option of registering for courses in-person at that time.