Lenie Suetos sat outside the student services building on the University of Hawai'i-Manoa campus frustrated that all four sections of Introduction to Painting were closed.

"I need that class before I can take all the other classes for my major," said Suetos, a junior painting major.

Natalie Wu, a freshman from Chicago, had little to worry about since she handled most of her registration online and was able to get all the classes she needed.

"So much less stress," she said. "I thought it was pretty easy to do it that way."

As the fall semester began yesterday at UH-Manoa and Chaminade University of Honolulu, some students stressed, some braved lines to finalize registration and financial aid, while others circled the parking lot for a space. But compared to last year, yesterday went off with hardly a hitch.

Grant Teichman, president of the Associated Students of UH-Manoa, said the first day of school this year went a lot smoother than the first day last year.

"There were a lot less angry people around," Teichman said.

While class shortages seem to have become a thing of the past, Teichman said, he is still filtering a lot of complaints about housing and parking.

About 60 seats in various Arts and Humanities courses were added yesterday morning after enrollment in the college was estimated to be about 3 percent more than last year, said Frank Beaver, interim associate dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. By 6 p.m., class availability postings online had all four sections of Art 123 closed — which may spell bad news for Suetos.

"We've added where we could, but we're out of teachers; we're out of classrooms," said Beaver. Still, Beaver said, 77 seats were still available in other classes for freshmen and those registering late as of yesterday morning.

But the situation in Arts and Humanities was the exception yesterday.

Shanelle Piano arrived at UH-Manoa early — very early. She left her house in Mililani at 5 a.m. in hopes of avoiding morning traffic and got to school around 5:45 a.m.

Piano, a senior medical technology major, jumped into the winding bookstore line by 8 a.m. to make a last-minute purchase of textbooks. "Everyone just rushed the books," she said. "Seemed like everyone was trying to compete."

In the student services building, lines of students making tuition payments and waiting for financial aid approval stretched through the hallway.

"It's not as heavy as other years," said Jamie Uyehara, interim director of financial aid. Even as a steady stream of students came in through the morning and afternoon, Uyehara said she has seen worse.

Over at Chaminade University, students were enjoying a new student center complete with a dozen or so computers, couches, a cafe and televisions.

It's a far cry from what students used to have — a tent with a few picnic tables, said Jaclyn Leyba, a senior at Chaminade. "We never really had one (a student center), so it's nice to have someplace to go," she said.

Leyba said she thinks the new student center, part of a $1 million renovation of areas on campus, will become a gathering place for students and will build a "sense of community."

Back at Manoa, Michelle Kline 21, from New York, would have liked to get into History 151, a class that she needed. Instead, she settled for another history class that likely will not fill her requirement.

"General courses weren't so hard to get, but some of them were full," said Kline.

Herbert Ziegler, chairman of the history department, said he will allow at least 15 students into his class though it is filled. "We're bursting at the seams, but I'm going to do all I can to accommodate my students," Ziegler said.

Overall, it was a fairly quiet morning at Manoa, said Kelly Aune, assistant vice chancellor of academic affairs. Aune was monitoring enrollment data and talking with deans and department chairmen all morning.

"I think we're doing pretty well," Aune said after meeting with ASUH president Teichman. "He would be the first at our door if there were problems."

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.