ISU officials say registration for spring semester is going smoothly, although class availability is still causing frustration for some students.

There haven’t been any major problems with registration this year, said registrar Kathleen Jones.

“We very seldom have problems with registration,” Jones said. “If there was a serious problem I would know about it, and I don’t know of any.”

Dana Schumacher, academic adviser for political science, said things have been fairly smooth and uncomplicated in her department. The only problem is that students get frustrated when they can’t get into certain classes.

“Students don’t always get what they want, but they’ll get what they need,” Schumacher said.

Students in the College of Business have the same concern.

Ann Farni, program coordinator of the business undergraduate program, said she often works with students to see if a course is actually needed.

“Sometimes we have to split hairs to distinguish needs from wants,” Farni said. “But, for the most part, students are good about flexibility.”

Some majors have also had more difficulties with class availability than others, Farni said.

“The finance major has had a lot of difficulties,” Farni said. “There’s not enough classes for the large number of students entering the major.”

Finance majors said they’ve had problems getting the classes they need, or at times that are desired.

Kavya Gaddam, junior in finance, said she wasn’t able to get into the 400-level finance classes she needs to graduate.

“The classes were full already,” Gaddam said. “I was told to wait and they’ll figure something out.”

Scott De Groot, senior in finance, said he got into the classes he needed, but not at good times.

“My schedule is all over the place,” De Groot said. “I’m definitely not happy with it.”

Jane Jacobson, program coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said students should try to register for a class even if it’s closed.

When a student tries to register for a closed section, his or her name goes on an electronic waiting list that shows the class has an unmet demand. The date and time the course closed is also noted, along with the number of people interested in taking that course if more space becomes available.

“Being on the waiting list doesn’t mean you will get into that class magically,” Jacobson said. “But it allows for a better job of forecasting and is very important for planning.”

Jacobson said they try to e-mail students on the waiting list when a new section is available.

General education classes that all students need fill earlier than most and are usually the classes that cause the most frustration, Farni said.

“There are certain classes that you know are going to have issues, but we haven’t had any surprises yet,” Jacobson said.

Registration times are staggered to accommodate the flow of students registering, Jones said.

“We offset busy days and times by scheduling more start dates during times that aren’t the busiest,” Jones said. “It varies by day and time, but earlier start days are heavier.”

Seniors started registering on Oct. 21, juniors on Oct. 28 and sophomores on Nov. 3. Freshmen will start Nov. 11.