Registration season is amongst us once again. Although this can be a very stressful process, it can be very useful to sit down and re-evaluate your degree progress. I recently just finished my last advising appointment for undergraduate (yay!) so I decided to give some tips that I have learned during my time in college.
1. Make Sure to check for prerequisites/corequisites
One thing that you want to check for when deciding your upcoming classes is the mandatory prerequisites or co-requisites that a course requires prior to registering. A prerequisite is a class that you must take prior to taking another course (ex. taking an introduction to psych course before taking a 300 level psych course). A co-requisite is a class that you take at the same time as another course (ex. having to take a science lab alongside the course that goes with it). Sometimes if you do not have the required pre-requisite, then you will have to put in an override to register for your desired course.
2. Don’t overload your schedule
Although it may be very tempting to try to add as many classes as possible to free up future semesters, do not try to take over the recommended amount. Normally full-time students take anywhere from 14-18 credit hours per semester, however some students decide to take up to 21 credit hours. Personally, I would not recommend taking anything over 18 credit hours as this is already a very busy course load.
3. Look ahead to your future semesters
My biggest recommendation is to try to make an initial plan for your college courses when you start. Schools normally have a template or recommendations listed on their website that you can use to make yours. I did this and it helped me be able to stay on track when planning for the next semester, however it also allowed for changes to be made when needed.
4. Make time for breaks
Many days in college will feel long and overwhelming. Incorporating consistent breaks within your schedule is the perfect way to allow for down time between the chaos and help prevent burnout in the long run. Of course, make sure that you have enough time to get from class to class without running late but also make sure to set time aside to get lunch or snacks throughout the day. One of my favorite aspects of my current schedule is that I have time set aside specifically to go pick up lunch after class. By having this specific time, I often am able to coordinate with friends to go pick up lunch together in between classes. Also, make sure that you have time in your schedule to run small errands such as sending emails, taking out the trash, or dropping off documents. We don’t normally think about all of the little tasks that we have to complete during the week, but by having this allotted amount of time, all of your errands will have time to be completed.
5. Use your electives to your advantage
Almost every degree program has a section of credit requirements that are classified as “electives.” This section normally doesn’t have many special qualifications except for the courses to be out-of-major. A suggestion to make the best use of your elective credit requirements is to choose classes that interest you or could benefit you outside of your major/minor. For example, you could take a photography class, or a personal finance class, or even a yoga class. This section is really meant for students to take advantage of the other courses offered at your university that interest you.
Good luck to everyone registering in the future! I hope you have a very restful, productive upcoming break!