How-To: Class Schedules

It's that time of year again. Time to make schedules, get ready for the next semester, all of that really scary but also really thrilling stuff. I can't believe the spring semester is going to be wrapping up in a month, but we're almost there and I couldn't be more excited to dive headfirst into an incredible summer at The Daily Tar Heel.
Need a few tips on how to be prepared for class registration? I wrote about it a year ago. No need to reinvent the wheel, right?
But I also wanted to share a few of my tips for optimizing your registration and getting the best schedule possible!

one // go in prepared. Like I already said, I've got a great how-to on getting prepared for class scheduling every semester. Have an idea of what you want for the semester and what you absolutely must take. Know what classes are available and when, and try to put together puzzle pieces in a spreadsheet or on paper to make your ideal schedule. Have plenty of backups, plenty of alternative schedules and know the emails of the professors of your top classes — just in case. 
two // set an alarm and wake up in time for registration. I missed my registration time once when I was a second-semester freshman, and it was actually the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I missed out on a lot of great classes for my fall semester as a sophomore, and my schedule was definitely not ideal. If your school sets specific times where class registration is open to small groups of people at a time, like ours, missing your registration time is death.
three // know what classes you're choosing before the day of. Yes, this is a glorified way of saying be prepared, but it's really important that you know exactly what you're going to try to register for when it's your time to go. 
four // meet with an advisor. Especially if you have questions, it's very important to meet with an advisor or even just a professor you have a working relationship with to get your questions answered. I meet with an advisor every time before class registration, and it does help answer a lot of questions. 
five // don't be afraid to reach out. You won't get into every single class that you want, and it's possible you might not get into a class that's on your must-take-it-now-or-I-will-probably-die list. So know who teaches the classes you absolutely must take this semester, and make sure you email them immediately and talk to them. It helps more than you know.
six // don't melt down. Registering for classes is hard and stressful and scary, because if you mess up, it can hurt you later. But don't freak out, because just because registration didn't work out on the first day, you've got more time.