First Come, First Registered

One and a quarter million students in 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities during the past three weeks have spent many hours waiting in long registration lines to sign the innumerable cards and lists and checks that started another year of their higher education.

Having gone through the tedious process for three years, Annie Laurie Swaim, University of Alabama, campus beauty, decided treat this year she'd avoid the rush. Arising shortly after midnight on registration morning. she picked the No. 1 spot in front to of Alabama's administration building and did her waiting in the cool mornings, hours.