Terry had already made up his mind. It was time for a change. He packed up his belongings, shell and all, and made his way up the muddy shore of Lake Campbell. Life as a turtle is rough, and Terry’s is no exception. His wife left him for a snapper a week ago. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about nature, it’s to never trust a snapper.

A kind-hearted and humble creature, Terry was in the midst of figuring life out. He was a true simpleton-his shell housed no amenities. This meant that time was a factor if Terry were to survive his journey away from his lake-view nesting grounds.

After a final farewell to Bruce, Terry’s best muskrat friend, he ventured out onto the road. An immediate sense of paranoia set in and Terry felt his shell quiver. He ducked inside to gather his emotions. It was time to move on. “Forget about it. Forget about her,” Terry told himself.

Two sunny days and one rainy night later, Terry found himself on the outskirts of Brookings. He felt weak, mostly because he had been drinking unsanitary water. He was so hungry he tried to climb into some trashcans with a pack of raccoons, but to no avail.

He finally made it to HyVee without giving up. He wanted to go inside, but the automatic doors were too fast for him. He was working out a strategy when a disgruntled employee approached the doors. “Hey, this ain’t a?turtle store,” the employee gruffly said as he nudged Terry out of the way with his foot.

Those were the last words Terry heard, and that’s the last we’ll hear from him. Terry the turtle didn’t live through the cool night, but the legacy he left lives on in all of us.

When faced with the daunting task of going to class on the first day of the semester, a viable option remains to attend the wrong one. If this happens, it’s never a good idea to suddenly realize this and leave during the middle of class. A better idea, at least in my experience, is to simply not realize that you’re going to the wrong class – and attend regularly (sort of) throughout the semester.

If you fear this shockingly common conundrum should strike you, read on, as I have outlined tips, tricks and troubleshooting in order for you to successfully handle such a misfortune.

Step 1: It’s a good idea to double-check Web Advisor right after you complete registration. Yeah, I know. Who does that after going through the torture just to sign up for classes? Well, sailor, I’m in the same boat. In my case, I was planning on signing up for Business Organization and Management. However, I actually signed up for Small Business Management. You could probably say that the best part is that later I didn’t even realize I intended to take Business Organization and Management in the first place.

So you didn’t double-check Web Advisor. Big deal. Like anybody does that anyway.

Step 2: Attend class the day after a test. For all you crafty veterans out there, you already know that the day after a test seems to be the most logical day to skip, along with many of the other days. Although I still support this theory, sometimes a professor tries to inform you that you are not on his class roster by writing notes on your corrected exams.

Step 3: Check and keep up with your grades after the semester is over. Fortunately, I did this. I am a man of action. After two short weeks of relaxation, my incomplete grade never morphed into some sort of letter.

Step 4: Call the department of the particular class. It took a lot of courage and Diet Mountain Dew Code Red, but I finally made the phone call. The receptionist told me to stop in and pick up a grade change form. So I stopped in, pleaded my case, and she confusingly gave me the form. I had to find roughly seven people and somehow convince them to sign it.

Step 5: Make sure your professor is not retired by this time. Oh yes. I tracked down the shirtless man in his backyard watering his flowers. As he was signing the petition, he explained how he had tried to let me know I wasn’t on his roster several times during the semester. I suppose he had a point. But I think I made mine.

Step 6: Before the process is finalized, don’t just pack up and head to Tennessee. It tends to extend the process well into June.

So next time you go through the motions of walking into that first class, taking your seat and awkwardly greeting your neighbor, just take a moment and consider going elsewhere … then laugh at the nay-sayers.