Scheduling 101: Making Sure Your College Schedule Is “On Point”

By Ian Donnelly

Making the perfect college schedule is something students stress over every semester, but it doesn’t have to be a nerve-wracking experience. As long as you keep a few key ideas in mind, you can craft a course load that’s a perfect fit for your daily routine and your long-term plan. Ready to become a master schedule maker? Here’s the most important concepts to keep in mind for fool-proof class planning.

Know Your Options

First and foremost, review your school’s course catalog. Most of the information you need to choose the right schedule is all there in black and white. It gives you guidelines for course topics, lists the classes vital to your major, and lays out all the Gen Ed requirements you need to graduate.

But black and white doesn’t mean rule of law—it’s inevitable that you’ll have questions, contradictions and issues with your scheduling. That’s where your academic advisor can step in and be a godsend. Advisors offer insight into college classes and schedules, with experienced feedback that can be the key to your success. They can understand your individual situation better than a generic four-year plan, and give you hands-on guidance for navigating college classes.

Early Bird Gets the Class

Classes can fill up quickly during registration periods. The earlier you register, the more likely you are to get the classes you want. Your registration priority usually depends on your year—senior get first pick, then juniors, and so on—but it’s always good to have some back-up options for any of your class choices that aren’t available. Try to have at least three alternatives ready to fill in any scheduling gaps when you sit down for registration.

Get Those Gen Eds Out of the Way

Don’t postpone those core requirements. Most colleges make you take a certain number of Gen Ed classes in your first semester, and with good reason. Core classes are designed to give you the building blocks for more difficult, major-specific courses. They lay out the homework volume, class structure, and testing norms that you will see again and again in college.

If you schedule Gen Ed requirements for your freshman and sophomore year, you’ll be better prepared for the course loads of classes focused on your major. Plus, taking core classes early on exposes you to a wide range of topics and ideas. You might find interest in subjects you never thought you’d enjoy!

Plan Ahead with Prerequisites

While Gen Ed classes are important, it’s just as crucial to be aware of any prerequisites that your major requires when you’re scheduling your semester. The same rule applies to both groups of courses—the sooner, the better.

Once you decide on your major, it’s a good idea to sketch out a four-year plan based on the required classes you’ll need to graduate. The deeper into your major you go, the more you will encounter courses with prerequisite class requirements, and the knowledge of what you need to make your ideal senior semester happen can be a valuable guide.

Find Your Balance

Between Gen Ed requirements, prerequisites, and sought-after spots in most major courses, you might feel like racing through the basics is your best option. But avoiding the temptation to put all your eggs in one basket is a smart scheduling choice in the long run. Spreading out your subjects and choosing a good mix of reading-heavy, writing-heavy, and research-focused courses per semester not only keeps your routine exciting, it also keeps you from burning out. If your schedule only consists of classes you’re trying to get out of the way, then chances are you won’t really enjoy your semester.

Don’t Kid Yourself

When it comes to the nitty-gritty details of creating you schedule, it’s best to be honest with yourself about your strengths and challenges. We all have different learning styles and study habits, and planning a class schedule that best suits your needs will go a long way in setting you up for a successful semester.

A good place to start is with the age-old debate: Monday morning class vs. Friday night class. Are you enough of a morning person to make it to class by 8 a.m.? Can you resist the temptation to start your weekend early and attend a 6 p.m. class? Only you know what works best for you, so be sure to keep your advantages and limits in mind when you set your schedule.

Timing is Everything

College classes don’t seamlessly blend into each other like they did in high school. The bell doesn’t ring, your next class isn’t always right down the hall, and there’s no set-in-stone lunch period for you to reply on. You have to give yourself plenty of time between classes to account for all those things, as well as the unforeseeable ones, like a necessary meetup for your group project or a word after class with the professor.

Remember to keep your week evenly distributed as well. Be careful not to schedule too many classes on the same day. Instead, spread them throughout the week so you have plenty of study time as well.

Research Your Professors

RateMyProfessors.com can be an excellent resource for learning about your professors ahead of time. You can find out what your professor typically requires from the class, what their personality is like, and gain insight into how easy or difficult other students perceive him or her to be.

Just be sure to take each review with a grain of salt. The website can give you a general sense of a professor, which can be valuable when picking your courses, but none of the ratings are cold hard facts—they all come from individual students and their own personal experiences.

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