With the end of spring semester quickly approaching, there is no better time to start planning the next four years. Whether you’re a rising freshman or graduating senior, it’s important to know what it is you’re working toward. For those of us in college, here are my tips for creating an achievable academic plan.
Identify Your interests
Before you begin, I recommend compiling a list of subjects and/or activities you are interested in. This can tell you what types of classes you would enjoy and any clubs you might want to join. If you’re unsure of what to major in, this list can help you see what field your interests fall under.
Elective Courses
First, go through your degree’s general education requirements. These courses are typically meant for you to explore interests outside of your degree and fall under a wide variety of subjects. Go through each subject and choose 1-3 courses you would be interested in taking. Keep in mind that these classes could open new opportunities while on your degree path!
Major/Minor courses
Identify required courses for your major. Once you identify the categories the courses fall under, pick 1-3 for each category that you could see yourself enjoying. If you are undeclared, continue to look at required courses for general-eds., or courses that spark your interest. If you choose to minor, look at your school’s requirements for the number of courses you have to take, and write down courses you would like to take.
Now that you’ve chosen potential courses, it’s time to create a chart! In an Excel spreadsheet (or whatever you choose), create four columns labeled: high school, spring semester, fall semester with their corresponding years. The high school column can be used for any transfer credits you may have came in with!
Example:
High School Fall 2023-2024 Spring 2023-2024
Next, spread your courses out throughout each semester. Classes vary for each degree, but try to lay out classes where you have 1-2 courses for your major and then 1-2 courses for electives, minor courses, or gen-eds. Repeat until you have all the semesters filled that are needed to graduate.
Flexibility is key. Throughout college, you are likely to change your mind or explore new options that may come your way. The plan that you create now may not be the plan you graduate with; nothing is definite. The goal of a plan is to give you something to refer to when registering for classes and gives you something to work for. Be flexible and explore your options!