Twice a year (or more), a college student is faced with a very important task: creating their schedule for the next semester. There are so many things you need to consider! What time of day you'd like to take your classes, with which professors, what classes do you absolutely need to take in order to get your degree on time. Most colleges have advisors in their staff that help with the difficult decisions that come with planning out your schedule. Oftentimes, however, these advisors simply sign a piece of paper or press a button on the computer. Here are a few suggestions to make your schedule planning go a little bit better.
1. Sleep Schedule
Always consider what hours you plan on going to sleep and waking up. If you're a morning person, sign up for AM classes! If you know you'll never sleep past 7AM, really consider taking early classes. On the other hand, if you can barely function enough to get out of bed before noon each day, definitely take only afternoon classes. If constantly being late to class will be a problem for you, do not take any early classes.
2. Where you live
If you're a commuter, your primary concerns when scheduling classes tend to be very different than that of residents. Your primary concern likely isn't only getting the class with that great professor, but also making sure you're traveling at the ideal times. If you drive, you may want to take classes that would allow you to drive before or after rush hour traffic. If you take the train, it might be much more pleasant for you to take an empty express train at 11:00AM than it might be to take a packed local train at 8:00AM. Also, keep into consideration how long it takes you to get ready. If it takes you a solid hour or two from the time you wake up to the time you start going to class (whether commuting or walking) you may want to consider making some adjustments.
3. Your Degree Requirements
Even though you may want to sleep until noon every single day, the only class being offered for your major requirements may be at 8:00AM twice or three times a week. If you are considering, even for a moment, just taking core classes for the semester: don't. Setting yourself back on the track towards getting a degree in your program is not worth the extra few hours of sleep a couple of days a week.
4. Professors
If you have the benefit of being able to pick from any time/day without restriction, take the best professor you possibly can. It could make or break your semester. Check out different online review websites and see what other people have to say. Keep in mind that one person's bad (or good) experience won't define that professor's teaching abilities (or lack thereof). Try talking to some upperclassmen friends or advisors and see if they have any recommendations.
5. You may end up in a class you don't want.
Maybe you forgot to go online and set up your schedule when your enrollment period began, or maybe you were really at the very bottom of "the food chain" so to speak. If you end up in a class you did not want, or in a class at a very bad time (for you) make the best of it. Do not wallow in self-pity. It will hurt your grades.
Scheduling for classes is very important. You are literally shaping what the next few months of your life will look like. Take every little detail into consideration, or you may end up with a schedule that really doesn't suit you.
