Around this time, college students across the nation are scheduling their Fall semesters (unless they’re a senior, of course). Then later on in the semester, the seniors in high school will make decisions on what they want their first semester of college to look like. Whichever person you are, here are some tips to make the most of your schedule.
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Talk to an advisor or someone from your major
Before you do anything, talking to someone who has done this a million times will help you schedule more smoothly. Also, it gives you an idea as to what you’re heading into and informs you of the classes you may need to take before anything else. But don’t go in without an idea of what you’re doing because it may hurt you in the long run.
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Don’t schedule like a high schooler
In high school, the main goal was to take the same classes as your friends so you have someone to keep you entertained or be your partner for projects. However, you may want to avoid this for college. If you’re already friends coming into college, chances are you’ll be hanging out with them a lot and soon it’ll feel like you’re around them 24/7. Same goes to the people you are living with. Make your schedule work for you and if you and your friend end up in the same class, great! If not, go hang out with them and soon enough, it won’t matter they’re not in the same class.
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Don’t bite off more than you can chew
I know it may seem tempting to be the overachiever and take as many credits as you possibly can, but step back for a moment and think about it. Are you planning on doing a sport or marching band? What about joining clubs? Are you going to get a job? If any of these apply to you, maybe think about saving a class for spring semester when you’ll be less busy.
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Leave time for yourself
Besides classes, you’re going to want to have time to relax or do other things that you enjoy. Maybe you want to join that awesome club you just saw a flyer for or you plan on getting a job to help offset the cost of college. Or maybe you just want to relax and catch up on the show you’ve been watching on Netflix. Either way, leave room in your schedule to be able to do these things. It will help balance your academic life and your personal life.
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Schedule back to back classes
I have found this to be the most helpful when planning out my next semester. If you schedule back to back classes, you get them done at once and then have the rest of the day to do what you want with. Nothing is more satisfying than going back to your room and not having to get back up to go anywhere. Also, it makes you get up and go to class because if you miss one, you’re likely to miss them all and that’s never a good thing.
(This is my class schedule for this Spring and I have back to back classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)
Overall, you’re the only one who can control your schedule. As someone who has learned them all the hard way, these tips have helped me tremendously and I hope that they can help you too. The most important part of scheduling is to find what works for you and stick with it. Happy scheduling!