Just when you think your registration status is in the clear, you get hit with another hold.

Chico State needs to compile a list of required training and workshops and make it easily available online so students can be prepared and plan ahead. Besides midterms, nothing is worse than finding out you have yet another registration hold the week before Spring Break.

Talking to the registrar’s office doesn’t cut it when they only tell you what holds you currently have. They have no way of letting you know what new training course or workshop is coming next. All you can do is keep checking your email and e-services.

Students have the right to know what new hold they will have tomorrow or next week. We shouldn’t be worrying about a graduation workshop halfway through the semester only a month before fall registration begins.

We should get that notice at the beginning of the semester so we can plan our schedules in advance. University officials should not assume students have copious amounts of time to kill. We want and deserve an advanced warning.

There are so many reasons a hold could be placed according to the registrar’s office but there are a few most Chico State students are familiar with.

Alcohol and Sexual Assault training

Chico State is required to give the Alcohol Edu and “Not Anymore” training to all incoming students, despite age.

Why it might be difficult

If you are lucky enough to be told this is a requirement once attending the university, all that happens is you spend an hour or two learning about alcohol and sexual assault.

Both are extremely important, especially as a freshly graduated high school student. But the students who don’t realize that this training is a requirement can get penalized and cannot register for classes.

Why it matters

To hold a student back from registering for classes because they were notified halfway through the semester to complete a training, the school needs to cut some slack. After finishing part 1 of Alcohol Edu, you have to wait 45 days to complete part 2.

This shouldn’t be a big deal, but when you are not informed you need to take the training until Feb. 22, that 45 days barely misses overlapping into April 17, when priority registration begins.

That is only if you can drop everything two weeks before midterms to complete the training. The “Not Anymore” training is due by April 1, before priority registration begins, according to Chico State.

Immunizations

Immunization records of Measles and Rubella are also required before attending Chico State or within a designated time frame according to California State University chancellor’s office. The time frame is generally within a semester of enrollment.

Why it might be difficult

If you just graduated high school this isn’t too difficult because you should be able to get the records directly from your former school or from your parents. However, for older students who can barely remember getting these shots or with parents who don’t hang on to 15-year-old paperwork, it takes a lot more detective work.

Students who are under 18 at the time of their enrollment also need to provide proof of the Hepatitis B shot.

“Proof of immunizations may be obtained from your high school records, personal physician, your county health department, or the Student Health Center on campus,” according to the Chico State website.

Why it matters

Chico State gives a fair warning for this requirement and this semester the records are due April 1. If you know getting a hold of your immunization records will be time-consuming, don’t wait too long.

Don’t let the annoyance of tracking down paperwork keep you from getting the classes you need to graduate.

Past due account

The past due account hold happens when the university tuition and fees are not paid, even if you are a financial aid recipient or not.

Why it might be difficult

Since 57 percent of college students rely on financial aid, your money may not be disbursed if there are financial aid holds. Yes, one hold can create another.

Students must complete all the proper steps to finally receive their aid or prove to their college their aid is pending. For those not receiving aid must pay for all classes before school begins usually.

Why it matters

A past due hold has a lot more consequences than just not turning in immunization records.

If you don’t pay your tuition and fees the college has a right to “withhold permission to register, to use facilities for which a fee is authorized to be charged, to receive services, materials, food, or merchandise, or any combination of the above from any person owing a debt” until the debt is paid in full, according to the college website.

You may also receive a late payment fee, despite the student having issues affording the cost originally.

What you can do to prevent a hold

Nothing.

Until the university fixes this disaster by creating an available list of required workshops and classes, the only thing to do is wait for an email, try to stay patient and sane while talking to the registrar’s office without pulling your hair out.

Even though students should not be penalized for not completing tedious tasks such Alcohol Edu, it is up to us to ignore the absurdity of a training course because according to the college “placement of holds may be done at any time a University debt or other serious violation occurs.”

I am not sure Alcohol Edu is a “serious violation,” but we just have to suck it up so we can get the education we deserve.

Susan Whaley can be reached at [email protected] or @TheOrion_News on Twitter.