Newer doesn’t always mean better

 Earlier this year, Del Mar College introduced a new way to register – WebDMC – and students were told that the new system would make registration faster and easier; however, so far it has been anything but efficient.

Problems for Vikings began back in the spring when students weren't able to log onto the system because it was at "full capacity."

When thousands of students are trying to register for the classes they need to graduate and stay on schedule for their degree plans, not being able to log into the system is a huge problem.

Certain classes at the college are only offered during specific semesters. Not being able to register may not just be an inconvenience; for some students, it could mean whether or not they will be able to graduate on time.

Students were not the only ones unable to log onto WebDMC. Advisors were also not able to gain access. Before the change, teachers were able to go through the system and register students under the students' major. However, the new system did not give faculty members privileges for registering students so professors and instructors had their hands tied.

Registering for the classes you need is already difficult enough without a restriction on how many people can be on the system at one time.

The old system, MyDMC, and the new system currently exist as separate entities. Information is displayed on one system that isn't displayed on the other. Why is the college encouraging online registration when they haven't even integrated everything yet?

Many students have had extreme difficulty with the new system. When the first day of classes came around, some Vikings found themselves absent from their professor's roster because students had been dropped from some or all of their classes even after they met deadlines and paid their tuition on time.

When those students asked for well-deserved explanations, all they were told was, "the system must have glitched."

The individuals who put this new website together should have worked out all the kinks before they decided to introduce it to thousands of students. DMC students deserve to have a solid system that works and that doesn't cause them unnecessary stress.

In this technological age, we understand that multiple institutions of higher learning are taking steps to revolutionize their registration processes. However, we don't appreciate – or understand why – we are being treated like guinea pigs.

If the college wanted to make registering for students easier, they went about it the wrong way. We're all for change if it's going to be for the better, but this new system seems to have caused more harm than good.