Registration for spring classes is finishing up and App State students are using software tools to assist with picking out and scheduling classes, but those tools were not always available to help students.
In the spring semester of 2016, a group of students in the Student Government Association were introduced to a demo of Coursicle, Carson Rich, former student body president, said.
“It was clear that this was a tool that could be useful,” Rich said. “We thought it could work and wanted to see if it was something that could benefit the student body.”
Joe Puccio, co-founder of the software, said Coursicle was created to notify a student when a class had an open seat.
“When I was an incoming freshman at the University of North Carolina I spent seven hours planning my schedule and I only got into one out of the five classes that I needed,” Puccio said. “I started working on a program and a friend suggested opening it up to other students.”
Less than a year after the software was launched a new feature was added so students could add courses to a calendar view, Puccio said.
At the end of 2015, Coursicle spread to schools like Notre Dame, Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania and App State.
“We have a long history with App State,” Puccio said. “In the last year over 5,000 App State students used Coursicle. Five hundred students used the app to track classes. App State has a stronger following compared to other schools.”
In the last year, 5,035 App State students planned their class schedules using Coursicle, and in the last semester, 455 App State students used the app, Puccio said.
“For me, and I’m sure it’s the same for a lot of students, registration was stressful,” Rich said. “Long story short, we could tell there was a need for software that could help students to know what classes you needed to take.”
Eveland Davis, sophomore studio art major, said they started using Coursicle during the second semester of their freshman year.
“It’s helpful because it’s an easy way to plan your classes out since it gives you a visual to see if classes overlap or if you’ll have enough space between classes for lunch,” Davis said. “It is also nice because looking up a particular class you need is simple and you get to see all times and teachers available.”
Davis said they also use Rate My Professor to determine which teacher is the best choice for a course.
“So far it has been pretty accurate,” Davis said. “I usually trust what the rating says.”
Rich said he used Rate My Professor as a secondary tool to know what type of professor he would have for a class.
“I think that when it comes to Rate My Professor, it’s a tool that is informing you of the status of what this professor may be like. It’s strictly informational,” Rich said. “Nothing forces you to pick one class or another, unless you use it to inform your decision making.”
Rich said he hopes that students at App State are still using the Coursicle software and Rate My Professor during course registration.
“I think those tools are great,” Rich said. “I hope that students are able to use what they can to graduate on time and enjoy what they are
studying.”
Story by Anna Muckenfuss
