Alarm clocks will jolt about 6700 students from their brief vacation mode this morning, as yet another semester gets underway.

Less than a week has passed since students lined Memorial Hall to hand in their last blue books, but from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today undergraduates will crowd the same building to register for the spring semester.

"I'm not too psyched about it," said James S. Richard '94. "I don't like waiting in lines all day, and it's a lot of running around trying to figure out what I'm going to do for the semester."

Not everyone, however, is distraught about facing the semester's new challenges.

"I'm looking forward to registering in new classes," said Lloyd D. Ward '94. "I didn't have anything to do for the past few days and I can pick a whole new set of courses, which is great because I was tired of last semester's classes anyway."

There won't be many surprises at this year's annual spring rite. Students will receive the standard packets containing registration forms, study cards with instructions, math sectioning forms and concentration information, said Assistant Registrar Joseph D. Maruca.

There will also be the usual activities fair, and tables will be set up for 28 groups in the lobby area between Memorial Hall and Sanders Theatre, Maruca said. Although most of the tables will be geared towards the new semester's activities, one will be devoted to the term just past. Students will be able to pick up graded exams for Literature and Arts C-14: "The Concept of the Hero in Greek Civilization," Maruca said.

Students who have not completed payments to the University will find the registration process especially painful. Susan L. Schnare, supervisor of student billing, said that about 1000 such students will find their registration packets tainted with red dots--indicating that they must pay their term bills or outstanding charges before they can register.

Maruca said that between 125 and 150 students will return to campus this week after taking a leave of absence or time abroad, although the exact number is not yet known. Those students must register between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. today in Holyoke Center 814.

"We are expecting about 130 to come back," Maruca said, "but it will change right up to the last minute, especially with the dangerous circumstances overseas."

Maruca said that about 30 transfer students will begin their Harvard studies this spring, as will a dozen visiting undergraduates. Students in these two categories registered earlier this week.

As usual, all students missing today's deadline will be charged a $40 late fee upon their visit to the registrar's office.

The registrar's office will mail study cards to continuing graduate students, but returning and new graduate students must register between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. today in Holyoke Center 813.