Everyone has unique tendencies when it comes to personal habits, focusing, and work ethic. With that said, every semester in college will ask new challenges of you. Extra curricular activities, part time jobs, and outside forces will undoubtedly change as you live your life at college. It is so important, even crucial, to have a class schedule that caters to those needs. Having a class schedule that is beneficial and works best for you as an undergrad will end up helping you out in all those other areas of your life. In order to create your perfect class schedule this semester, keep in mind what will best help you succeed. Here are some tips on how to do just that.
Know whether you’re a morning or evening person
The times of the day that our minds are able to focus are extremely important as to when we should schedule for class. If you are always groggy and tired in the mornings no matter how much sleep you receive the night before, perhaps it would be best if you didn’t schedule for an 8am class. Maybe schedule your first class for 11am so that your mind and body are able to wake up more before conquering the day. If you tend to procrastinate, and like to get all of your daily tasks and homework done before you go to class, maybe scheduling for evening classes would be best so that you won’t have all of those things hanging over your head during the day.
Ask about professors
The amount of time students receive unhelpful and difficult professors is largely due to the fact that they never check to see what peers have said about the professors previously. Having a good professor who is passionate and has creative teaching methods is vital to the success of students. You’ll be more willing to learn material, be interested in the course, and succeed overall if you have a good professor. If you know other students who have the same major as you, don’t be shy to ask them about previous professors they’ve had and what they suggest. Meet with your advisor to discuss the professor that they feel will best help you succeed in the classroom. Rate My Professor is another suggestion to see how students feel about professors, and it is sometimes a very useful tool. However, Rate My Professor is not always reliable. I recommend using various, credible sources before deciding on a professor.
Think about all your other commitments
Groups, clubs, internships, part-time jobs, and sports teams will all have certain times of the week you need to be dedicated to them. Make sure you have a general idea of your schedule regarding these other commitments prior to scheduling for academic classes. If you know that you work for your internship from 9-noon every day of the week, give yourself some time to prepare for academic classes afterwards. No need to rush from one thing to another; take the time to allow your mind to switch from work to school. Trying to rush in to your next commitment will only make you stressed and on edge because you’ll be pressed for time. Build your class schedule around your other commitments, allowing time for yourself and time to prepare for your next task.