Registration time is upon us and that means making a schedule! Here are a few things to consider when making a schedule.
Do I need this course?
You should always, always check your CAPP report before making a schedule. Your CAPP report (which is available on Web4Students) lets you know what classes you need to fulfill your core requirements and your major/minor/certificate requirements, as well as graduation requirements. This will let you know what you have successfully taken already and will show you what you have not completed. You should consult with your advisor to see exactly what courses you need and when you should take them, but you should make sure you are working towards your requirements before looking at electives. Additionally, the CAPP report feature allows you to do a “what-if” analysis that lets you see what classes you would need to take if you were to add another major or a minor. This tool is especially useful for undeclared majors!
How many classes are you taking?
Again, you should always check with your advisor before registering for classes, but you should consider how many classes you’re taking and what your credit load is like. Generally, students take anywhere from 12-18 credits, which usually amounts to 4-6 classes, depending on the class type and the credit each bears. At Siena, you can take up to 17 credits without being charged extra tuition rates. When figuring this out, you should consider the approximate workload for each class. A rule of thumb that has worked for me is that each credit hour amounts to at least an hour of homework per week outside of class, sometimes more. You should see what you feel prepared to take and what you think you can reasonably manage.
Comparing your current course load to your proposed course load of classes you want/need to take is a good measure. Of course, all classes are different and vary in how much work they require, but if you feel overwhelmed now with 5 classes, it may not be the best idea to take 6 next semester. You should also make sure you’re not taking too little credits; to be counted as a full-time student at Siena, you need to be taking a minimum of 12 credits.
What day and time is this course?
The time and the day(s) of the course are important. Some people function better when they have morning classes, some when they have evening classes. This is totally up to you, but you should be aware of what works for you and what doesn’t. If you’re not sure what type of schedule works best for you, think about the last semester(s). When did you feel most tired? When were you the most productive? Did you have a certain class time you liked? Disliked? Did you prefer one-hour classes three times a week or hour-and-a-half classes twice a week? Did you have any once-a-week classes? How did those work out? These questions can help you figure out what class types and schedules may work best for you.
Once you figure out what days and times generally work best for you as well as what classes you want/need to take, you should also consider the spacing of your courses. Again, looking at your schedule for the past semester(s) may help you. Do you like having back-to-back classes or do you like them with time in-between? Think about what’s worked best in the past and has allowed you to be the most productive.
Is this class interesting to me?
If at all possible, you should be interested in your classes! Being interested in a class and its content will make going 100% more enjoyable and the work more manageable. If you are truly interested in a class, then you should (for the most part) look forward to going to it. Taking a class that you’re interested in, while it may be challenging at times, will be more rewarding both personally and professionally. If you dread going to the class every day, your chances of succeeding in the class are that much lower! Of course, every major entails taking some class that you won’t be particularly fond, but if you have a choice about taking a class, make sure that you’re interested in the subject and content, especially for electives!
Can I reasonably succeed in this class? With this schedule?
Speaking of success, you should make sure that you can reasonably succeed in a class. For example, if you are a freshman who has only taken 100-level courses so far, you may want to think and talk with your advisor before signing up for a 400+ level course, even if they don’t have other prerequisites, as these are generally harder and may require skills and analytical thinking that you may not have yet gained in your classes. This is not to say that you definitely shouldn’t take that upper-level class, but you should definitely ask yourself if you feel you are prepared for both the course content and workload. One way of gauging this is to speak with your advisor who will most likely have knowledge of what kinds of skills the class requires. Additionally, you should consider whether you can succeed with your schedule! This goes back to making sure you can handle the credit load you take on.
Good luck with registration, collegiettes!