Being a guinea pig is not fun.

My college is one of the beta testers for a new statewide database system for our records and registration. Today is the first day for new students to register for classes. I am helping them set up their student computer accounts and then, helping them register. So, basically, two systems.

While the latter works properly, it's not helpful, and the former is just not working right.

To register, students have to set up their computer accounts, or they can't log into the computers, much less log in to register. Our IT department came up with the system and during the first year, the steps rarely followed in the proper order, but at least it wouldn't give students a useless screen. It should go: Personal info --> User agreement --> get ID/username --> Set up security questions --> Click "Done" (don't get me started on that one) --> "I forgot my password" (how can I forget something I haven't set up yet) --> Answer two of three security questions & enter password at the bottom (which few see because they have to scroll down. They just go ahead and hit enter and never bother to read the red warning text telling them they didn't enter a new password).

However, the process today seems to be

• Personal info
• User agreement
• get ID/username (once, even this failed to appear)
• Set up password (which doesn't take)
• Login page

This process is the old system, but since the password doesn't take, and the security questions are set up, the process is screwed. Now that I know that, I know to have them start over from the beginning and miraculously, they can set up their questions and then their password.

The problem with registering is that most of the classes on this campus are full and who wants to go to another campus, and reportedly it takes 20 min. for the testing results to be recognized by the registration system. Wanna bet? The first few students couldn't register for classes they'd tested into but I have had a few that could, later in the morning.

There were a few other issues, too. One person started setting up their computer account and got through most of it, but when I said to start over again, it said account not found. Moving to another computer fixed that problem. Then there was a student who was in one system but not the other. She had already set up her computer account, but it wasn't working and the username didn't look right. So, I tried looking up her computer account, but she wasn't there. Eventually she could redo the process. Then there was a student who had just set up her questions and just as quickly, forgot her answers.

I'd go on, but I've got to enter these into Footprints before the next wave. On to the afternoon!

*edited to add* And now it is 79.6 degrees in the library, down from the high of 80.2.