Monday, March 17 marked the first day to register for the summer 2008 semester. Summer courses begin on May 19 and are broken up into two sessions: May 19 through June 28 and June 30 though Aug. 9.

“[Summer courses] allow you to get a jump on your degree,” said John Frick, director of Career Services. “The sooner you take the credits you need the sooner you get to get on with your professional life.”

Frick added that taking summer courses also shows initiative to future employers.

Registration for the fall 2008 semester begins Friday, March 21. Frick said students should prepare to make registration as stress-free as possible.

“Students need to sit down with their undergraduate bulletin and make sure the courses they are taking apply towards graduation,” he said. “I think it wouldn’t hurt for a student to sit down with their adviser to make sure they’re on track with their course of academic study.”

Monday, March 28 is the last day for any NMU student to drop a full semester class(es) to reduce his or her course load for a “W” grade. Frick said there are a wide variety of reasons why students would choose to take a “W” grade.

“First, students want to protect their academic record from an F,” he said. “[But] if students take too many ‘W’s, it takes them longer to graduate. When an employer asks for a copy of your transcript and if you have too many, employers want to know why you dropped so many courses.”

Students who wish to drop a class should visit or contact the Student Service Center in Hedgcock.