It’s that time of year again! Emails from your advisors are probably starting to roll in and stress surrounding your classes is starting to build. Enrollment is intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! These tips are sure to make picking your classes much less painful.
Check out your Academic Requirements
Before even starting to plan out your schedule for the upcoming semester, take a look at your academic requirements. You can find these on Student Admin by clicking on Academic Progress & Advising → Academic Requirements. This report will show you which academic requirements you have fulfilled and which you still need to work on. This section also links the classes that are able to meet each requirement, which is super helpful when trying to figure out which classes to take. You should take this report into account when choosing your classes in order to make sure you graduate on time.
Meet with your advisor
While some majors require you to meet with your advisor before you are able to enroll, many do not. But, regardless of your major requirements, meeting with an advisor before locking in your schedule is always a good idea. Advisors can make sure that you will be able to meet all of your catalog requirements in time for graduation! Advisors are also especially helpful when you have recently switched plans of studies (trust me, I know from experience). Schedule a meeting with your advisor even if you already have a plan of action ready to go; it’s always good to have a second opinion! You can schedule a meeting with your academic advisor by email or on Nexus.
Avoid 8 am’s
I know, you’ve probably heard this one a million times. But seriously, 8 am’s are the worst. While sometimes an 8 am class may be your only option, if that’s not the case, pick something else. These lectures are specifically tough. Half of your effort is just spent staying awake enough to absorb the material, and by the time the end of the lecture rolls around, you realize you did not learn a single thing. You are also more likely to skip your 8 am classes. Whether you just need an extra hour of sleep, or you figure “well I’m not gonna learn anything anyway”, it is very easy to justify skipping the class. So, if you’re looking for a class to get you out of bed and jumpstart your day, maybe go with a 9:30 one instead.
REMEMBER your meals
This is something that many don’t consider when picking classes- make sure you save time to eat! So many people schedule their classes back-to-back right into the middle of the day, and then find themselves skipping lunch on those days. I’m here to tell you: don’t do this! While academics are very important, so is your own physical and mental health. Skipping meals during the day is only going to make your day-to-day life much harder. You’ll have less energy to get through your classes, and you definitely won’t be feeling your best. So, when picking your class times, make sure to carve out at least 20 minutes in the middle of the day so you can eat something. The same goes for breakfast and dinner!
On top of all your other classes and commitments during the semester, enrollment can feel like a lot. But, you’ve got this! At the end of the day, go with your gut and do what feels right for you.