The University of New Haven recently made the switch from Matrix to Banner Self Service for the fall registration process. Matrix was a nightmare; Banner seems to be a dream. Here are, in no particular order, five reasons why Banner is much better than Matrix.
1. No error messages, no lags, no freezing and no refreshing necessary: Using Matrix was a hassle; it was frustrating, exhausting and left everyone in a cranky mood. Thirty seconds into registration with Matrix meant instantaneous crashes and error messages; the refresh button was your best friend. With Matrix, registration day was a dreaded day. With Banner, registration was a breeze.
2. Didn’t have a Hunger Game-esqe feel to it: Last semester, I sat next to my laptop, Katniss braid in and bow beside me, waiting for the clock to turn 6:01 a.m. so I could start my journey towards the Cornucopia and into the blood bath. This semester, I casually waited for my time slot to open, and proceeded to register for classes as a normal human being, not as a tribute preparing for battle. If UNH sticks with this Banner process, we’ll all be able to kick the bow and arrows under the bed for good.
3. Registered for all my classes in a single shot: With Matrix, you have to go through an exhausting process of switching back and forth, searching for each individual class, but the same does not hold true for Banner. As soon as I logged in, I was brought to the Add/Drop page, where I was able to enter in all my CRN codes at once. Since I was annoyingly over-prepared with a color-coded Excel spreadsheet (don’t judge), I was able to enter in all six CRN codes and click register. I was immediately put into four of the six; if it were not for the fact that two classes had already been filled, I would have been done right there and then, at 7:10 a.m.
4. Didn’t have to wake up at 5:30 a.m.: Although this technically might not have anything to do with either Matrix or Banner, it’s still a wonderful perk that I’m associating with Banner, which, therefore, is a reason its better than Matrix. Last semester, registration began at 6:01 a.m., and I had to wake up at an ungodly hour to prepare by bow and arrow and fix my braid (I mean, the sun wasn’t even up yet). This semester, registration started at 7:01 a.m., meaning I got an extra hour of sleep. I still had to wake up way too early, but at least the sun was up with me this time.
5. I’ve remained considerably calm throughout the entire process: I made it through the registration process in one piece; I didn’t rip out any hair, didn’t shatter my phone by throwing it in frustration, there were no tears and no yelling. Surprisingly enough, I left the situation relaxed and happy with my schedule.
