In many ways scheduling your courses for next semester can seem like riding into battle with a complete lack of confidence and no armor whatsoever. If you are a control freak, like me, then it feels like you can't even tell which way is up and which way is down. As Spring semester scheduling roles around in a couple weeks, I am going to try my hardest to not feel so disparaged as I did last time. My plan is as follows.

Plan for every possibility.

Although I have the luxury of being in the first rounds of scheduling, there is always a chance I will not be able to get into that one class my whole schedule revolved around. This is why, I have alternatives. If I can't get into this course section, then I will have a plan B and maybe even a plan C. Hopefully this will save me some hardship down the road and a few of my hairs too.

Become one with the Degree Audit.

Over the past few days, my degree audit has probably become my most viewed webpage. I have double checked and triple checked to see what I have credit for and what is still remaining. Although at first a little cryptic, my degree audit has now become more familiar to me than the back of my hand.

Embrace the spread sheet madness.

My Excel spread sheet went from zero to sixty in the last month or so. Color coded, separated by semester, and everything in between, it has become a work of art. I would print it out and put it on my wall if I had a color printer.

Recognize the divinity of advisers.

Whether they are just a sounding board for well thought out plans or I have a billion questions, academic advisers may as well be angels from above. They have so many answers or knowledge of how to get to the answers.

Make time to relax.

After mapping out the entirety of my next 3 years, I spiral into a pit of doom at the daunting courses that lay ahead. Sometimes I just have to remind myself to take it all one step at a time and focus on the semester I am in.